What makes a ride an Epic ride?
While riding the Casa Grande 400k Brevet (in March of 2006) I was asked my opinion of what it takes to make a ride an “epic ride”. Having previously been on a couple of what I considered to be “epic rides” I thought that I could offer an informed answer to that question. We had been experiencing deteriorating conditions all during the ride and my fellow riders declared early on that it must be an “epic” ride but I insisted that the criteria had not yet been met.
All rides have certain qualities that make them fun, challenging, memorable or whatever. But to be able to call a ride an “epic ride” requires that a whole different set of standards be met. At the beginning of the day the Casa Grande 400k was a significant undertaking, but the jury was still out on whether or not this ride would transcend to the level of an epic. The question of whether or not this was to be an “epic ride” I believe is answered below.
A long distance bike ride by itself is not necessarily an epic. 400 kilometers is a long way to ride a bicycle but most ambitious riders are capable of accomplishing it in a reasonable amount of time. Factoring in a challenging course certainly makes things tougher but is not particularly unique for any ride. Formidable southwest headwinds during the event may start to add a bit of color to the story but are also a frequent occurrence for most cyclists. When you tell of the cold temperatures, perhaps down into the upper 30’s then the tale starts to sound mildly like an adventure. Then, nearly biblical rains might elevate things to the level of an arduous adventure but certainly do not make an “epic ride”. Fording flooded road crossings axle deep in the dark of night add only a small measure to the adventure. It might be argued that stinging sleet, drenched clothing and hypothermia would certainly be all that is required to meet the standard of an “epic ride”, but we are not there yet. There are still a couple of missing pieces that are critical for an event to truly be considered to be an “epic” event.
With all of the challenges, hardships and discomforts there are also the positive elements to be considered. Once the rain stops and the sun comes out, even if only briefly in Green Valley. To see people laughing at you when they first see you dripping wet and then to watch them admire you as you set off again into the cold rain. When you are finally able to turn downwind and cover 33 miles in just over an hour on the way into Three Points, at Robles Junction. How often do you have good friends to support you when you hit your low point as the wind turns back into your face after Marana? When can you say that you met all of the challenges that came your way and successfully acheived your goal of completing the event by arriving back in Casa Grande with a few hours to spare? These are the final elements that make a ride truly an “epic ride”.
There are rides, and then there are rides. The 2006 Casa Grande 400k will go down in many people’s books as the one they measure all other events by for years to come. Yes, as it turns out it truly was an “epic ride”, but more importantly, those who participated and completed the event have proven themselves to “epic riders”. Cyclists who met all of the above challenges and prevailed with a smile on their face!
November 17, 2009 at 3:35 pm
This exchange followed inquiries at the end of the Casa Grande 400 km brevet in March of 2006.
Susan:
So who was the hypothermic rider?
Lonnie:
The hypothermic rider was Franklin “Clair” Jensen. We were fighting a headwind a couple of miles out from Dairy Queen at Pichaco Peak and it was a driving rain with sleet. I was taking my pull at the front of the group and when I looked back to switch there was no one behind me. I stopped and looked back and could not see the headlights from my fellow riders. I thought about going back to look for them but due to the horrendous weather I chose to ride another mile and wait at the Dairy Queen. About 5 or 10 minutes later Steve and Clair came rolling in. Apparently Clair had gotten dizzy and had to stop. His body was starting to shut down from hypothermia. We found what shelter we could and wrapped up in space blankets to try and warm up. After a while a truck who had stopped to get gas saw us huddled and shivering in the doorway and asked if we needed help. Clair definitely needed help. Our good samaritan put Clair in his truck and got him warmed him up. He also offered Steve and I a tarp to wrap up in until we each got a few minutes in the truck to warm up. We were also given some extra raingear for the ride in. We were clearly very grateful for this kindness from a complete stranger. It would have been very difficult for Clair to continue in those conditions without it. This stop cost us about an hour but made it possible for all of us all to finish the event together.
Susan:
It’s incredible to me that you guys continued the ride at all after the Picacho incident. Did the driver of the pick up truck offer you a ride?
Lonnie:
Yes we were all offered a ride. Steve and I knew we would continue but we weren’t sure Clair could finish and we tried to get him to take a ride back in the truck. He refused because he is a tough old buzzard and with a little proper care he came back to life. Clair may shrug it off as just a bad patch but he was in real trouble. But, he is also tougher and more determined than most riders half his age and he would have crawled in if thats what it took. Steve was very supportive and we looked after each other as best we could. I got a flat tire in the last few miles but we fixed that quickly and rolled on home.
I must say that Arizona is quite a sight after a storm like that one. I’m sure that many people never see in their lifetimes all of the things that we saw and experienced that day in southern Arizona.