Wilson 100 Century Ride

The 44th edition of the Southern Bicycle League (SBL) Wilson 100 century ride was on Saturday, September 23rd. The mass start was scheduled for 8 a.m. in Senoia, Georgia.

The night before the ride I put Look cleats on a pair of new Lake Cycling TX-312 (wide) tri-shoes. I just received the shoes in the mail that day and planned to break them in with the long 100 mile bike ride.

I had been coveting these shoes for years. In fact, it's probably been 7 years. I first saw them before I bought my now old Lake Cycling Hammerhead tri-shoes in 2010 but I could never find a retailer that sold the TX312s. I bought this pair directly from Lake Cycling. I took a few weight measurements to compare these shoes to my old Lake tri-shoes that fit like well worn bedroom slippers, and my light but less comfy Bontrager RL road bike shoes.

The weight of a worn size 42 Lake Cycling Hammerhead (wide) shoe with a Look cleat is 12 1/2 ounces

The weight of a size 41.5 Bontrager RL road shoe with a Look cleat is 9 1/2 ounces

The weight of a Lake Cycling size 41.5 TX312 (wide) shoe with a look cleat is 9 1/4 ounces

A side view of the TX312 shoes

The carbon fiber sole on the TR312 shoes

Without a doubt my new shoes look better and are far lighter than my old tri-shoes. I'm hoping the cool "Dual hook & loop straps with fast transition Push/Pull BOA L4 heel closure" makes my transitions faster.

The weather forecast for the Wilson 100 called for a high temperature of the day around 86-degrees. My small group started about 30 minutes early, before it got hot. The group consisted of me, an old fart with a penchant for signing up for things before I'd fully thought them out, Brenda Herrington my Ironman Florida training partner and the de facto leader of our little band of brothers, Bill Strang a 50-something year old rider with the heart of a 25 year old, Barry Snell a dude who's so nice that you have to thank him for the pain he's inflicted after he's done pulling, and William Ortez a quiet rider who should complain, but he doesn't.

2017 Wilson 100 t-shirt artwork (front)

2017 Wilson 100 sponsors (back)

Before the ride I checked-in at the registration desk. I got my t-shirt. The t-shirts are short sleeve soft 65% polyester and 35% cotton blended fabric.

I hit the port-o-let to evacuate the bowels like a zebra on the Serengeti being chased by a pride of lions. I arrived so early that it was still pretty dark and there was almost no line for entry into the blue plastic poo shacks. The port-o-let on the right was empty and I entered eagerly. I had to get some business done before my 5 hour ride. When all was said and done it was as though a Smurf had been massacred inside. I'll not elaborate. I exited nonchalantly.

Ten days earlier I downloaded a turn-by-turn cue sheet from the Wilson 100 website. I used that sheet to created a gpx file on Garmin Connect which I uploaded to my Wahoo Elemnt Bolt bike computer. I also shared the file with my friends on Facebook. As we rode that morning I called out the turns, for the most part. I might have missed one here and there. It wasn't until mile 74, as we entered Zebulon, that we encountered a discrepancy in our directions. Brenda saw a route sign that directed us to turn left onto Hwy 18/Concord Road in the Zebulon Square. My bike computer told us to go straight. We circled back through the town square to make sure we were on track. Barry checked the cue sheet he'd gotten that morning at the registration table. It also had us going left onto Hwy 18. So that's the way we went. My bike computer proceeded to go berzerk trying to tell me I was going the wrong way. The road was marked though and as we rode on we felt more confident of the route we'd chosen was correct and I felt less confident in guidance from my bike computer.

The cue sheet and bike computer routes synced up again outside of Zebulon. We stopped at the rest stop in Concord just as they were setting up. We were the first riders to get there and, from what we heard, 15 miles ahead of the next riders on the route. It wasn't until about mile 80 that we were finally passed by a group of four speedsters.

We finished the ride with an average speed of 19.1 mph. I didn't use the auto pause feature on my bike computer. Our overall time was 5:20:12. Our moving time was 5:00:53 and our average moving speed was 20.3 mph. The Wilson 100 is a hilly course. We had 4,397 ft of elevation gain. None of the hills were too daunting though.

After the ride Brenda and I went for a little run through Senoia. It was a very little run, 1.3 miles, for me and a longer run for Brenda, 4 miles. Senoia was bustling with tourists on Zombie tours on Saturday. The Walking Dead is filmed there.

When I got home I checked the route again. I was concerned that I'd shared the wrong route on Facebook and might have sent some of my fellow riders into oblivion. I appears as though the route I downloaded only a week before the ride was the 2016 route, although it wasn't marked as such. The online cue sheet I checked on September 24th must have been the 2017 revision because it had the turns that were posted and marked on the road. I later corrected my Garmin Connect Course file to match the new 2017 route.

The Wilson didn't seem as well attended as I remember from the last time I rode it in 2013. My club, Southern Crescent Cycling, didn't have the organized participation that I'd seen before either. That could have been due to the 6 Gaps ride in north Georgia being on the next day. The registration fee has gone up since 2013 and they implemented a wrist band policy to verify riders had paid the entry fee. Not everyone paid in 2013 and that still holds true today. As a non-SBL member (this year) I paid $55 to register and Events.com added a $5.72 fee on top of that. Sixty dollars might be a bit steep for a t-shirt, 3 pickle slices, some ice, and half a PB&J bagel. All those thoughts of routes and fees would go out the window if I had to use the Support and Gear (SAG) wagon. We didn't have the need for SAG support but the van did stop to ask if we were okay after we'd stopped briefly on the course to reconfigure our water bottles, etc. I left Senoia with 4 bottles but I forgot my Gu flask. My flask was still in my truck after the ride. That could have been a big fail. Fortunately, I didn't forget my Endurolyte salt capsules and a Clif bar.

All that said about the ride and my new shoes I'm sad to report that afterwards I've got a little post ride hip pain. The cleats on my new shoes might need an adjustment or be replaced with some cleats with more float. I used the gray cleats which, according to the Look Cycle website, have 4.5-degrees of float.  Cleats come in 3 float options: 0 ° black, 4.5 ° gray, and 9 ° red. It could just be that I need more time in the saddle in the aero position and less time on the trainer. I didn't get any blisters though!

I also used my new Saris Freedom 4 bike rack for the first time. That's a whole lotta bike rack.

Next time I'll get some pictures.

Thanks for reading.

2013 Wilson 100

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.

My Southern Crescent Cycling brothers and sisters

Lino and Marcelo

John and Martha

Just before the mass start at 8:00am

The peloton got stopped by a cow crossing

The rest stop in Hollonville at mile 85 on the century course

The parents of Tony Seranno and Joyce the rest stop "Queen" 

Delicious Food

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.

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.

2012 Wilson 100

I tested my legs at the Wilson 100 on Sunday, August 18th in Senioa, Georgia.   A week before the Savannah Century on September 2nd. This was the 39th running of the Wilson Century and as always it was well attended. It was my 3rd Wilson 100.  I rode it in 2011 with the peleton until the rest stop at mile 500.  I also rode the Wilson back in 1990, or so.  Unfortunately for me, I had to work until 6am on this Sunday morning so I started the ride a bit sleep deprived. 

Me with my friend Jim Banaski in the background

The weather this year was perfect at 8am for the mass start was perfect with the temperature in the low 60's. The heat would build throughout the day to reach the mid-80's by the time most of the riders finished the 100 mile ride.

My wife Susan and friend Kevi rode the 30 mile course. They had the opportunity to visit with the Serrano family (Tony Serrano Century) at the 15 mile rest stop. The whole Serrano family manned the rest stop. Susan said it was very well stocked with 60 or different items including, fresh figs with peanut butter, blueberry lemonade, fresh apples with caramel drizzle, zucchini bread, etc..  All the items were homemade.

Kevi and Susan

The faster 100 mile course riders wouldn't see any of the goodies the rest stops had to offer.  Tightly tucked into the peleton with the "Beck Boys" and other team riders pulling the group through the Coweta county countryside.  Averaging almost 25 mph the group was on schedule for a 4-hour century. It was later reported that they finished in 4 hours and 8 minutes. Unfortunately, the heat, and lack of water from not partaking of fluids at the rest stops took its toll causing some riders to be spit out the back of the peleton before the final sprint to the finish.  I was one of the unfortunate ones.  I stuck with them for 88 miles but that was all I had in me.  I got dropped like a bad habit and limped back to the finish.  My water bottles were empty somewhere around the 75 mile point.

The 8am Mass Start

The course was marked well and only once did the peleton almost miss a turn.  This occured at a left turn from Spring Road onto Old Zebulon Road at mile 65 just as an impatient driver tried to pass us on the left.  It could have been messy!

After the ride the participants were treated to a chicken or ground beef burrito, rice, re-fried beans, salad, cookies, fresh plums, lunch in the school cafeteria.

If I had one criticism of the event it would be that they didn't have any water for riders as they left in the morning or upon their return to the school parking lot.  There was a tent and table setup in the parking lot with those folks that tell you to pour your water out because theirs is better.  No one wants a sales pitch after a century, or even before for that matter, especially one so ridiculous.  There was plenty to eat and drink in the school cafeteria but some of the riders looked like they couldn't wait and needed a drink ASAP.  Susan and I had a stocked cooler so we were okay.  We handed out a few bottles of cold water the most needy.

So, 2012 was an improvement over 2011.  I stayed with the peleton 38 more mile than the previous year.

Bring on the Savannah Century!

Thanks for reading.

2011 SBL Wilson 100 Ride Report

August 28th, 2011 at 8:15am was the mass start of the Southern Bicycle League Wilson 100 from East Coweta Middle School at 6271 Highway 16 in Senoia, Georgia.

Chip, Richard, Chad and I planned to ride the 100 mile route to prepare for Ironman Florida. Susan and our neighbor Eileen would do the 13 mile route twice while we were done.  They wanted to check out downtown Senoia.

Well, the start didn’t go completely as planned.  Chip claimed that he had to work and Richard was allegedly feeling under the weather.  That left Chad and I doing the 100 mile route with about 200 of our closest friends.  Many of the riders I know started well before the mass start in an effort to finish the ride before the temperature got too hot.

Susan, Eileen, and I got our bikes setup and picked up our shirts.  I said hello to a few of my Southern Crescent Cycling club friends that didn’t start the ride early.  I didn’t see Chad until I heard the explosion.  I looked over just in time to see a poof of dust as the air left his front wheel tube with force.  With some help from his Beck team buddies Chad fixed his flat and was ready to go well before the mass start.

Chad and a buddy

I rode with the peloton for the first 49 miles when I made a quick stop in Warm Springs to fill my water bottles.  During the first half of the ride we had a brief incident with a female Meriwether County Sheriff’s Deputy.  She was upset that the peloton was over the yellow line and three vehicles behind us couldn’t pass.  She was probably even more upset after she had words with one of the riders and when about fifteen riders stopped for a natural break.  I thought somebody’s goin’ to jail.  I stopped a few hundred yards up the road to take a few pictures as the riders passed before rejoining the peloton.

As we rode through a pine tree farm I noticed a tick on the rider in front of me.  It was on his shorts and marching from right to left.  He must have gotten picked up on rider’s rear wheel and flung onto his shorts unscathed.  They are tough bugs.  I told the rider and he brushed it off.  Then, of course, another rider had a laugh about me looking at this guys shorts.  He did admit to seeing the tick too.

The peloton

I took a few turns at  the front.  The temperature was still cool in the hollows.  The last I saw of Chad he was huddled amongst his Beck team buddies protected from the elements like a queen bee.  Frankie, a fellow Southern Crescent Cycling rider, stayed with the peloton through to the finish.  My average miles per hour was somewhere around 23.6 at Warm Springs.  My solo ride to the finish dropped my average to 20.8 mph.  I have to point out that I passed at least 30 riders in that last 50 miles and no one passed me.  My total ride time was about 4:50 not including about 9 miles of stops.  I easily beat the 5 hour mark because I’m including the extra minutes my computer added as Susan and Eileen put up my bike.  I think my watch read 1:08pm as I pulled into the middle school parking lot.

After the ride Susan, Eileen, and I sat around until I recovered. Susan got me 2 glasses of water which I gulped down in seconds.  Then we had some lunch at the school cafeteria.  My SCC buds were already in the cafeteria ready to tell me how I got dropped.

Susan and Eileen loved their ride.  Susan said the scenery was really pretty and the route was not too tough.  They also said that all the shops in downtown Senoia were closed.  There was a big floppy eared hound dog on the 13 mile route.  As Susan, Eileen, and two other riders passed by the dog took a big old dump.  We didn't have to drive all the way to Senoia to see that.  I guess he had more important things to do than chase them.

An estimated 800 riders hit the road on Sunday.  The 100 mile course was awesome with little or no traffic and long rolling hills.  In fact, I only came off of my big chainring once.  That was at the 95 mile point.  It was better that the Hospitality Highway 100 course but the support was not quite as well done.

My trash gauge was at zero all day.  There was no trash or debris either in the road or on the roadside anywhere.  I did lose a water bottle thought and it's probably still out there somewhere.  There were also at least three dead armadillos and a dead dog the size of a water buffalo.

The only criticism is that the rest stops could have had a cooler of ice ready to fill water bottles.  The Powerade that was provided just wasn’t cool enough as the temperature rose.  This wouldn’t have been an issue for the peloton since they didn’t stop at all.  In the future I will have to load my jersey pockets with frozen liquid for later in the ride, that is, if I plan to stay with the group for the duration.

2011 Wilson 100

Thanks for reading.