The
Southern Bicycle League Wilson 100 century celebrated its 40th anniversary on Sunday, September 8th in Senoia, Georgia. The weather for the ride was perfect. The morning started out with clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60's. The high for the day would reach very close to 90-degrees with a few clouds. I had ridden the Wilson the two previous years in 2011 and 2012. Both years I started with the lead group of riders which rolled out as a mass start at 8:00am. Unfortunately, both in 2011 and 2012 my performance was not up to snuff. see
2012 Wilson 100 and
2011 Wilson 100. I got dropped at mile 50 in 2011 when I had to take a needed water stop. I hadn't prepared appropriately. Two water bottles weren't enough. In 2012 I lasted all the way to mile 85 when I went off road briefly and wasn't able to catch up to the pack.
To prepare for the 2013 ride Susan made me a green salad and spicy chicken breast for dinner on Saturday night. I ate it and said "I have a big ride tomorrow, I'm supposed to eat pasta". So, Susan made me a second supper of spaghetti.
For 2013, the Wilson 100 would follow a new century course. It was at mile 50 in Concord, Georgia where a slight directional snafu stopped the peloton and then split the lead group in two. Half the group went right to Molena and the other half went straight to Zebulon. Unfortunately for me I decided to go right but only after the group had already left Concord. I spent the next 50 miles riding solo and passing the discarded elements of that group.
During previous rides I was forced to stop for water. The Beck team had a SAG wagon following their team. I didn't have that luxury. I carried 2 ice filled water bottles in my cages and 2 bottles in my jersey. I wasn't forced to stop until the rest stop in Hollonville at mile 85 after my water was all gone. I filled one bottle with delicious lemonade from "Joyce the Rest Stop Queen" and took off again passing some of the same riders I had just gone by.
I have to say that I wasn't totally unhappy riding alone. I had hoped that for once I'd finish with the lead group in some awesomely unattainable time for me as a solo rider but the stress of riding in such close quarters is too great for me. I rode my 2010 Quintana Roo CD0.1 tri-bike and if there's one thing that I could say that's negative about the bike is its braking. The rear brake seems wholly ineffective which is much of the reason why I stayed well to the back of the peloton providing plenty of room between me and the riders in front. I brought my Giro Selector aero helmet but decided at the last minute to use my better vented regular road bike helmet instead. It was a good decision because I saw plenty of tri-bikes but no riders in aero helmets.
After my ride I felt great and decided to back track in search of some of my fellow club members. Apparently this was one case where I rode the correct route, as marked, and everyone else got lost. The scene in Concord was almost comical as one rider professed that he checked the Internet and the route went straight. I had collected a map at registration but it was back in Senoia in my pants pocket.
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2013 SBL Wilson 100 t-shirt artwork dedicated to Scott Wilson |
I ended the day with 115 miles although the last 15 miles were just a leisurely ride in the park out and back on the course. I could have run or done something else after the ride. I felt great! I think it was the pasta.
Thanks for reading.