Gents Race: The Final Run: Part 2

The roads ended up being pretty wet, soft, and muddy to start out.

"Hey! We have to go!", said Steve. Our turn had come to roll out, and I hadn't even started my computer, the new Hammerhead Karoo II I got for Christmas, yet. Dang it! I tried starting it as we rolled out of town, but it wasn't very intuitive to use (in my opinion) and so the Gents Race course I had would not start. I bailed on that and tried to just start a ride. The ride screen would come up, start compiling data briefly, then the screen would go blank. Meanwhile the thing was randomly barking out turn prompts (with the screen totally dark) and I got frustrated and just canned any notions of using it for the time being. 

So, my start to the last Gents Race was frustrating and I was pretty ticked off. Once again- a forty dollar Cateye starts automatically, stops automatically, and they are very accurate if set up with care. It still baffles me that we have to do some song and dance routine to start a GPS computer up for cycling. It's not as easy as analog computers. Yes- analog computers don't tell you when to turn, but I could have printed cues. Bah! I was about ready to twist that Hammerhead off the mount and chuck it into the ditch, but that would be littering. 

The last Careless Whispers Gents race appearance (L-R) GT, C. Rhodes, Steve, D'Corn, and Bob (Image by Rob Versteegh)

I've passed this barn many times, but I may not pass it ever again.

 Meanwhile I had to get back on the wheels of Christopher and Steve who had both gotten up the road on us. Ironically, they were on single speeds and were afraid they would be the anchors of the team due to their lack of dangly bits. Ha! We saw more of their backsides than their fronts! They were pulling us along the entire day. 

Dramatic clouds rushing South on a Northern gale. Taken from a "nature break" stop.

 

Soon enough we'd be in for a 9 mile slog into that North wind.

The Gents Race course went South for a short spell, then we had go to West, which was a bit tough with the wind, but after a bit of zig-zag action North and West, we had a 9 mile slog into a pretty stiff North-Northwestly wind. We tried echelons, we tried going more single file, but the wind was too variable and nothing worked for long. 

Besides the difficulties with the wind, the roads going North were really wet and soft with no real good lines to be found. This zapped the legs and caused a lot of extra work. But we were passing teams and hauling along just fine, which pleased Steve. 

Another familiar barn on the course.

 

And another one here.

I was mentally counting down the miles until we could turn right and out of the gale. By the last two miles of this stretch, we had kind of given up on the drafting. It wasn't working out too well. Besides, trying to echelon with portions of the road being wheel-sucking mush and others seemingly fast was also making that tactic difficult. 

I know we all were doing well though as we stayed in our place amongst those teams around us. Occasionally we'd pass stragglers blown off the end of teams ahead of us. I was a very rough go heading North, and in combination with the road conditions, it was no surprise to see people struggling. 

Snow was seen in the ditches in different areas of the course which I don't think we'd ever had in a previous Gents Race.

The checkpoint at Snus Farms Winery. It didn't seem as chaotic or as well attended as in previous years.

On the way into the checkpoint, D'Corn announced that he was becoming skeptical of his ability to finish the entire course. Earlier he had related to me that he was running his pedicab service at a Bon Jovi concert the previous evening in Omaha, Nebraska, and that he had not gotten in to Slater, Iowa until about 4:00am in the morning where he tried to sleep in his van. He awoke at 8:15am, and had no breakfast! 

I reached into my bag of Dot's pretzel sticks and gave him a few to help quell his hunger until we reached the checkpoint. But I think the damage was done. The wind, the soft roads, and D'Corn's lack of rest and sustenance had caused him a bit of hypothermia and while he tried to ride out of the checkpoint with us, he ended up calling it about two miles later. He was done. 

Things were dramatically different after leaving the checkpoint.

You can see how strong the winds were by how they are deflecting this wind turbine's blades.

Ah! So another Careless Whisper team member has an issue. Seems that every year we've done this event as a team, one of us struggled with something. Flat tires, weariness from lack of rest, bonking, or drunkenness. But we've never gotten cross with each other and I've always appreciated the grace we've extended to whomever needed it over the years.

Cattle in a muddy pasture.

Bethany Cemetery. I like the fancy metalwork of the gate here.

Things not only changed with the team after the checkpoint, but the weather had warmed dramatically and the Sun was out amongst puffy clouds. The winds had not died at all though! Those were still blowing strongly from the North. The combination of Sun and wind also had firmed up the roads to a great degree making riding a lot easier than before.

Once we had made a short jog back North, we went East for a few miles and then it was a long shot to the South with the wind. It was a lot easier going, and we were pedaling fast. But the thing that grinds me down- flat terrain- was the order of the day on this stretch of the course. It was pancake flat! No coasting! 

A last look back up the Gents Race course from the intersection with the High Trestle Trail.

Ever since we'd gotten out of the checkpoint, I had an increasing sensation that something was wrong in my guts. At first it was a rumbly-tumbly feeling, then my guts started aching. Finally, by the time we reached the cut-off back to Slater, my guts were in full-on pain mode. I was riding fine, no issues, but the pain meant that I was no longer having any fun.

The team stopped to gather at this point to discuss what we wanted to do. A full-course finish was meaningless at this point, since D'Corn had to abandon. Bob was fine with heading back in to Slater. He'd had his fill of 'fun' for the day already. I motioned that I was ready to head back as well. Steve and Christopher were in for the last 14 miles, as they were both feeling the need to get more miles. So, we broke fellowship there. 

Cheers to the Careless Whispers and the Gents Race! It was a good run....

Bob had packed some 'road beers' and we broke those out as a final toast to the run of the Careless Whispers team and the Gents Race. It was a good run of years and I always looked forward to doing this event since I rode in the first one in 2011. 

But all good things must come to an end. I am very glad that I was able to participate with these fellows over the years. 

The organizers say that they have ideas for something different to take the place of this old event, but I do not know what those plans might be as of now. However that pans out, the old Renegade Gents Race, which evolved into just being "The Gents Race", has run its course and enters into memory. Five years from now, hardly anyone will care or remember the event, but I won't forget it as long as I can remember things. 

LATE BREAKING NEWS; 

Seen posted on Monday following the event

 Uhh..... Looks like we are still on! Careless Whispers, are we still on?......... 

Stay tuned.....