Tree In The Road Ride: Final Preparations

Okay, so a few more days and this ride will happen. Time to get some final preparations done and hope for the best. I also will have a bit of information on the ride going in as it concerns weather and rain near the end of the post here, so stay tuned for the information if you are planning on attending this gravel party.

I was really hoping to get a big, multi-hour ride in about a week ago but those plans all went haywire for several reasons and well...... I will be riding at least twice as long as I have for about a year now, if I make it. We'll see. Spin for the win, or something.... 

In other preparation news I realized while riding the Gryphon last week that the sealant hasn't been checked in quite some time. So, I am getting this task done and I'll just throw a little more in if need be.

Counterweight

 I also contemplated nutrition for the ride. I still have not arrived at exactly what it is I will be bringing, with the exception of ordering some Elete electrolyte product. Hopefully it gets here before Friday! I cruised the natural foods aisle in my local HyVee grocery store this past weekend and I did not see anything I used to see there. Bummer! So, I'm still on the lookout for something like the almond butter packets I used to use and pemmican bars I used to use.

At any rate, while contemplating what to purchase to stuff in the pie-hole during the ride, I realized I might want to employ one of my fine Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags. (Basically a feed bag thing)  I have two purple ones and I decided to go with just the one for now. It kind of matches my Cedaero top tube bag Mrs. Guitar Ted bought it for me while we were in Emporia last year for the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame gig. 

Those Velcro straps are hard to get on with this shorty-stem I'm using here!

I have to download the route into my Wahoo Elemnt ROAM this week, make sure the gizmo is charged up to 100%, and after that I just need to pack up some clothes and go. I'll be using my SILCA travel bag, (out of production) to pack up my stuff. I hope I don't forget my helmet and shoes, but since this pack has specific places for this stuff, I probably won't. 

 Okay....enough about me! Let's take a look at the weather that may be affecting the Tree In The Road Ride. As of this writing there looks to be a chance of light rain or a thunderstorm in the morning. Chances for rain fall off for the afternoon. Winds should be light at around 7 - 10mph out of the Southeast with gusts up to 18mph. The high will be about 86° F and it will be quite humid. 

Keep in mind N.Y. Roll and I are planning to ride unless the weather is severe, or if it is raining hard to begin with. Chances are about 50-50 for rain in the morning. So, we'll be playing it by ear. What we won't be playing by ear is taking chances on the Level B road after the Tree In The Road. With rain falling nearly every day this week I think it will be best if we bypass that section which will cut of a couple of miles or so from the original route. The re-route is an easy one: We'll go straight North from the Tree and rejoin the course a couple of miles North of the Tree intersection. 

I have received one more commitment to this ride so as of now I know of four others who are showing up. This makes six total, and I would not be surprised to see six more, which would be about average for any group ride I am involved with. Maybe I'll be surprised.... 

That'll do it for pre-ride info. Maybe I'll see ya out there. If not, expect a report on Monday next week.