August 21, 2010 D2R2

I went up to the beautiful town of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, for the 2010 edition of D2R2. My preparation for the event was extensive, including extra training on dirt roads and hills,hills,hills. Ultimately, nothing on Long Island could have adequately prepared me for the roads and hills of northern Massachusetts and southern Vermont. Our tour hosts were fabulous, and everybody was extremely friendly. The tents set up in the fields had every accomodation possible for the riders. Some famous individuals were there, although I was not one of them. My 100km ride started at a lazy 9am, and took us through regular roads, dirt and gravel roads, and of course, significant climbing. The rest stops were fully stocked, and the volunteers were very helpful. At about the halfway point, I was beat and bonked, despite adequate electrolyte hydration. I did come in under my own power, thanks to the mutual help from Pete from Connecticut. Thanks Pete! Almost every type of bike was used for this event, including regular road bikes, cyclocross bikes, and mountain bikes. Some bikes defied description. When the day was done, the rider was more important than the type of bike used. My Jamis cyclocross bike was adequate for the ride, but I was significantly jarred on the gnarly fast descents, and my shimano cantilever brakes were severely taxed. The mountain bike riders seemed to be doing the best of all the various bike-type groups. Maybe lose some weight and try next years ride on a Salsa Fargo.....