You try not to get too caught up in all the hype or to psyche yourself up too much. We rarely sleep very well the night before. So the day of the ride is all about energy management.
We gathered and took off at 5:11 am. Pedaling at a steady, comfortable pace. The really cool thing about starting before the sun comes up is that you usually get a very nice sunrise. This year it was gorgeous. I think the potential for a favorable weather day added greatly to this. More on that later.
We try and focus on the second half of a double century. Trying not abuse yourself too badly or use up to much energy early on in the first half. Today was no different. The pacelines formed and we work with them for a while, but you really just have to ride your own ride and take care of yourself. Besides, the pacelines can be pretty crazy at times. Everybody looking for the fastest wheel to tow them along. It can be down right dangerous at times. We cruised along, talking with folks we've met on other rides, and just generally had a grand time.
After mile 75 things were pretty sparse, people-wise. Not a whole lot of cycling traffic around. This was quite enjoyable, not having to worry about who's behind you fighting for the draft.
About this time the weather was looking great. 70 degrees, little to no wind. Just perfect long distance riding weather. The past 3 years have been less than ideal. '96 we got rain for 100 miles. '97 was the inferno ride. '98 the I rode 200 mile in the ice box ride! So we all needed a good day.
The climb up to the DDC high point was even pleasant, as far as climbs go. Before we knew it, we were lounging on the grass at the lunch stop at mile 113. You try not to get real comfortable or to eat too much because you still have 87 miles to go. We sat with Pete Klein and Troy Stenstrom. Troy didn't seem to worry about the amount of food he was going to eat. He came back from the lunch line with a mountain on his plate! It must have worked, because we didn't see him again until the end of the ride. Right on Troyster!
After a quick but refreshing lunch break it was back to the road. Onward we went, enjoying every minute of the great day so far. It takes a while to get going after lunch, and this year was no different. We were ready to go by the time we got to Resurrection, the last of the aptly named DDC climbs. This one is long and open and grindy. It has a nice shoulder on it, so traffic is not a problem. We cruised into the reststop that's not quite the top. We slammed a soda and some grub and once again we were turning the cranks. This climb leads to a very nice downhill. There was no traffic, auto or cycling, so we could really fly down. Fly we did. At the bottom of the descent you find yourself turning southward into Cache Creek Canyon. The wind can sometimes make or break your ride right here. It was favorable today! We cruised at 25-27 miles per hour.
What a blast. The canyon goes on for quite a while, along the river into which lots of folks were floating, canoing, and rafting. We were having a grand time. The canyon dumps out into a section of straight flat road, that at best can be boring. The miles just seem to drag about this time in the ride. Today though, everything just seemed right. Before we knew it, we were at the Canon School reststop, mile 165. We found out there that the first guys came through at 1:45 and finished their ride at 3:30. That's 10 hours total time for 200 miles. Talk about smokin'!
Motivated to get it done, we got rolling again. Lucky for us a tandem left two or three minutes ahead of us, so they had the leech patrol in tow. We just rolled along, clicking off the miles.
The Farnham Home reststop is literally in somebody's front yard, right off the road. You don't even have to get off your bike if you don't want. Talk about service! I saw a cat hanging around and decided to pay a visit. I had a soda and a peanut butter sandwich with me. I set them down to play with the cat for a few minutes. She was tolerant like most cats and when she wanted down, she made it known. I put her down and motioned for Judy to come over for a little visit. I looked and the little mooch had stolen my peanut butter sandwich! I had to laugh! This little cat was smacking down!
We remounted for the last 23 miles. We had a pleasant cruise to the finish.
I would have to say that this was the best Davis Double I have ever ridden. Perfect weather, favorable winds most of the day. Excellent company on the tandem with Judy Barnes. We couldn't have asked for a better day. Except for maybe if our buds, Ted and Mike, had been there to enjoy the pristine day with us. We missed you guys! Well there's always next time!