B
Bandjhughes
Guest
I rode the first annual White Sands Missile Range Century --108 miles actually--this past weekend on
my V-Rex (incidentally it was also my first century). Let me give it a plug for next year's ride.
WSMR is a restricted range, so it's a very rare occasion for the public to get a chance to view it
and you really don't want to miss this opportunity if you're fortunately enough to find yourself
anywhere near New Mexico or West Texas this time next year. BTW, I think you need to be a US citizen
also. WSMR is absolutely gorgeous: miles and miles of totally unspoiled Southwest desert wilderness,
colorful desert flowering plants, cactus, rock formations, mountains, critters large and small
(including those that slither and sun themselves on the pavement). Despite mountains in almost every
direction, the course is remarkably flat—about 80% of the course had a level grade. The only climb
was a gradual 900-foot rolling hill that you climb from about 40 miles to the mid waypoint. There is
no humidity and very comfortable. And best of all, there was no traffic or motor vehicles at all
(except for a few safety vehicles associated with the ride). There were about 200 riders, but only
three bents including myself (the others were a Strada and a Greenspeed trike). Hope to see more
bents next year.
If you want to here how it went for me, read on... My only problem with the ride was caused by my
stupidity. I drove down Friday with my family as kind of a camping trip, that was fun but my wife
and two young kids were reluctant to get up early for the ride Saturday. As a result, I was one of
the last riders to get on the course. I'm still a little kid at heart and even though this is a ride
not a race and my late start, I couldn't help it and I pedaled hard enough to work myself towards
the front. By the mid-way point, there was only a couple of riders left in front of me. By the time
I hit the 79-mile stop, I was the second bike to arrive, but I was also physically shot from pushing
into a 20 mph headwind and trying to go too fast--I guess I had the hitting the wall feeling. When I
got off my bike to stretch, I felt wobbly and a little sick. I filled up my water bottle, set it
down on the table and drank some Gaterade. My body just wasn't in a hurry to push off again and I
stayed at the rest stop a little longer than planned. After watching several other riders come in,
make their stop and pushed off again, I decided it was time to suck it up and finish this thing. So
I got on the V-Rex and actually felt a little better once I was riding again. Then about 4 miles
down the rode (25 miles remaining) I reached back for my water bottle. Guess what?, it was still
sitting on the table back where I left it at the last rest stop. I didn't know if I should turn
around and make this into a 116 mile ride or keep pressing towards the finish. I was so thirsty I
wanted to cry, but I couldn't afford the moisture. Anyway, I kept going and it was probably the
worst 25 miles I ever had on a bike. Along with my incredible thirst, everything else started to
hurt. Luckily when I finally arrived back at the start/finish my wife was there and handed me one of
those great big gulps from Burger King--which I sucked down in about a half second. Then I got
another water bottle and sucked that down, and started on yet another. I hope to never make a
mistake like forgetting my water bottle in the middle of the desert again.
Brian V-Rex/Tailwind
my V-Rex (incidentally it was also my first century). Let me give it a plug for next year's ride.
WSMR is a restricted range, so it's a very rare occasion for the public to get a chance to view it
and you really don't want to miss this opportunity if you're fortunately enough to find yourself
anywhere near New Mexico or West Texas this time next year. BTW, I think you need to be a US citizen
also. WSMR is absolutely gorgeous: miles and miles of totally unspoiled Southwest desert wilderness,
colorful desert flowering plants, cactus, rock formations, mountains, critters large and small
(including those that slither and sun themselves on the pavement). Despite mountains in almost every
direction, the course is remarkably flat—about 80% of the course had a level grade. The only climb
was a gradual 900-foot rolling hill that you climb from about 40 miles to the mid waypoint. There is
no humidity and very comfortable. And best of all, there was no traffic or motor vehicles at all
(except for a few safety vehicles associated with the ride). There were about 200 riders, but only
three bents including myself (the others were a Strada and a Greenspeed trike). Hope to see more
bents next year.
If you want to here how it went for me, read on... My only problem with the ride was caused by my
stupidity. I drove down Friday with my family as kind of a camping trip, that was fun but my wife
and two young kids were reluctant to get up early for the ride Saturday. As a result, I was one of
the last riders to get on the course. I'm still a little kid at heart and even though this is a ride
not a race and my late start, I couldn't help it and I pedaled hard enough to work myself towards
the front. By the mid-way point, there was only a couple of riders left in front of me. By the time
I hit the 79-mile stop, I was the second bike to arrive, but I was also physically shot from pushing
into a 20 mph headwind and trying to go too fast--I guess I had the hitting the wall feeling. When I
got off my bike to stretch, I felt wobbly and a little sick. I filled up my water bottle, set it
down on the table and drank some Gaterade. My body just wasn't in a hurry to push off again and I
stayed at the rest stop a little longer than planned. After watching several other riders come in,
make their stop and pushed off again, I decided it was time to suck it up and finish this thing. So
I got on the V-Rex and actually felt a little better once I was riding again. Then about 4 miles
down the rode (25 miles remaining) I reached back for my water bottle. Guess what?, it was still
sitting on the table back where I left it at the last rest stop. I didn't know if I should turn
around and make this into a 116 mile ride or keep pressing towards the finish. I was so thirsty I
wanted to cry, but I couldn't afford the moisture. Anyway, I kept going and it was probably the
worst 25 miles I ever had on a bike. Along with my incredible thirst, everything else started to
hurt. Luckily when I finally arrived back at the start/finish my wife was there and handed me one of
those great big gulps from Burger King--which I sucked down in about a half second. Then I got
another water bottle and sucked that down, and started on yet another. I hope to never make a
mistake like forgetting my water bottle in the middle of the desert again.
Brian V-Rex/Tailwind