My personal record (for cold) (Sharon Stevens, Feb 07)  

I had been planning to do this on my single bike, but we opted for tandem at the last minute due to the cold forecast.  I did not want to be crawling along at 2 am in freezing temps, which is exactly what would have happened if I were alone.  Luckily we had barely enough tandem practice that we had an option.  It was a good choice for Daniel, also, who dislikes cold more than I. 

We got a late start with various issues - clothing adjustments, the computer would not work (temperature too cold), etc., all added up to at least 30 minutes off bike before we could even go 2-3 miles.  Not a good kickoff on a key brevet.

The 23-degree air is my new record low temperature for riding.  My clothes were fine, in fact it was not long before I was slightly overdressed with the yellow jacket, and I could have left that behind.  I would have also been fine with just fleece tights instead of both pair.  My fingers got a little cold in the new cheapie fleece gloves, but I was not using liners.  When the air warmed a bit, those funny looking cammo gloves were comfy and toasty!  Even my feet were fine with the chemical warmers, so I did not use shoe covers.  By afternoon when it was warm and sunny (upper 50s) I stripped off the fleece top and wool jersey and only wore my base layer turtleneck (and tights).  That allowed the sweat to dry off the top, thus I never needed the (dry) spare base layer shirt packed in the pannier.  By nightfall, we quickly put everything back on as the thermometer literally dropped by the minute.  Geez it got cold fast!  It wasn’t long before I was sweating again, and I think because of the damp base layer, I felt colder at the end than at the start, although the beginning temp was much lower.    

We were riding with Richard and Michelle earlier in the day.  We all agreed the wind was already stronger than expected, and the day was still young, uh oh.  We were the tail of the 300km group and fighting to hold 6 mph on a windy uphill.  I told Richard, sorry we are so slow, feel free to pass, but he was happy in the draft.  The slow pace concerned Daniel who rarely rides that slow in any condition unless it is his choosing.  I, on the other hand, am used to bringing up the rear, whether I like it or not.  I said no worries, welcome to my world; we will find other riders sooner or later.     

We made it to the next control and what a site, there was the pack!  Most departed right after we pulled in, but it was reassuring to know we were doing OK.  We headed out and rode alone in 25-30mph sustained winds, with stronger gusts.  Flags were flying completely straight.  Eventually we did meet the other 300km riders along the way, except the unstoppable DanD and MarkM. 

For the most part we rode alone so we could get a feel for our own pace on tandem.  Most of the time we were operating in a “zone,” with things moving smoothly and quietly.  Daniel kept the bike under control, while I pedaled away and my mind went through Lindsey Buckingham tunes.   

This part of Texas does have its share of wind, but usually not much over 20mph.  Today was special, gee thanks.  What a slog.  Today I learned that the BEST place to be in strong headwind is tandem stoker.  But then we had crazy tailwind, which made the ride so easy it was like cheating, holding 30mph without breaking a sweat.  That is where I experienced tandem momentum.  By the time we headed south again (much later), the wind died, so luckily we had more tailwind overall than headwind.

We rode through the sunset, which happened to be along the same beautiful sunrise stretch as the August 300km, what a coincidence.  Then an orange thing peeked through trees, looked like a balloon or water tower.  Turns out it was an amazing orange moon!  We watched it “rise” in the sky and the orange fade, gorgeous! 

I felt fine at the finish, tired, but better than I’ve ever felt after a 300km.  A good sign means my training schedule is on track, and we are in good shape for 400km.  But as we ate at Wendy’s, fatigue oozed in.  By the time I was home, I thought there was no way I could ride Sunday, although I wanted to very much, how can I do 1Kkm??  The next day, I had a sore throat, which eventually turned into a souvenir, a full-fledged cold. 

Comparison to my prior rides on this course:  (200km and 300km): 

The course is still wonderful - smooth roads, minimal traffic, and great landscapes.  We saw an armadillo, a pack of deer, and plenty of farm animals among rolling hills.  Around mile 80, I definitely do not remember Apple Pie Hill being that hard.  It was manageable, and not quite as bad as Cherry Pie.  I do not remember the 15% grade hill somewhere around mile 115-6.  The ending is the same – lots of little rolling hills and sparse roads, hard to tell if you are on the right course, I stopped to ask for directions.  But the finish was as sweet as ever!