# Civil War Century -- reports?



## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

Based on the Civil War Century thread that has been around for the past week or so, I know that several people were going to do the CWC yesterday. How were your experiences?

First, a little fatherly chest thumping. My 17 year old daughter has been riding for the past year. She has a local loop that she does and rides the indoor trainer. She does not like to ride with me because I "push her too much." However, a few weeks ago I happened to see her when I was riding home from work; she climbed the one hill on my commute faster than I do. My daughter never had done an organized ride and I bugged her to do one of the CWC shorter rides. She reluctantly agreed to come to Thurmont and try a ride. Her plan ultimately was to start the 78 mile ride and bail out at the 37 mile mark (you can bail then and do a five mile return to the start). We rode together to the 13 mile mark, where the 100 mile and 78 mile rides split. She did well on the first climb and was in good shape. She said that she might try the 78 mile ride. Well, she did and finished with flying colors. Now she already is talking about doing another organized, long ride.

My experience was a little different. The weather was wonderful and I felt good. I had agreed to ride with someone who never had done a century before. He is a strong rider and I did not anticipate any problems. I got into a paceline about 15 miles into the ride and thought that he was with me. Well, at some point he had a mechanical problem and fell behind without my noticing it. When I got to the first rest stop, I waited for some time, then I checked my phone messages. He had left a message telling me that he was waiting for the SAG and that I should go ahead. The SAG came, took him to the first rest stop where the mecahnics were able to do a band-aid repair (he had a crank arm/bottom bracket issue). He called me, said that he was continuing with the ride and I waited for him at the second rest stop. The band-aid repair was becoming undone, and the mechanics at the second rest stop looked at the bike, said that there was not much they could do, but that the bike would be OK to ride. So, we then rode together and I made sure that we stuck together until the end of the ride. The condition of my friend's bike meant that he was not transmitting power from his legs to the bike as efficiently as he should have been. In other words, he had to use more energy and was going slow -- especially on the major climb after the second rest stop. His butt and feet were killing him. I basically pulled him for the final 40 miles of the ride. But, I was really proud of the way that he perservered. Although I would have liked to have done the ride without these problems, I also felt good about it. More than once, faster riders have waited for me. When I have been tired, people have pulled me along without my asking or complaining. When I crashed and had to go to the emergency room, the guys I was riding with waited with my family until I was released. So, yesterday was my chance to pay back.


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## Fear the Turtle (Feb 17, 2004)

*Road to Recovery*

I have a special perspective on the event. As a member of the Baltimore Bicycling Club (BBC) who participated as a DOE volunteer to running the event this year, yesterday was a special redemption.
Two years ago, I worked at the Gathland rest stop, the first on the century route. As a member of the BBC, I thought it was time to support the one of the club's important events. That day was the perfect storm of event logistics. Day of event registration and poor planning were the chief culprits. We ran out of gatorade, and food by about 10 AM. Then the well water turned brown and we could not supply water. This supply problem continued throughout the day and it was a huge disappointment that our club event was not satisfying to many of the riders that day.
Last year I ran the rest stops for the event. We trucked water and spot-a-pots into Gathland and accomodated the extra 600 riders who show up the day of the event. Running sag for the day, I drove into Gathland toward the end of the morning to find satisfied riders and volunteers who were finishing up from the morning rush.
This year I ran the CWC06 event committee. Planning started in February and again we worked on correcting the previous year's missteps and continuing the successes.
The morning went like clockwork, unloading the truck with the event supplies that had been loaded the day before, setting up the registration area, splitting out the wonerful fruit that Scenic View Orchards had provided (we will get the bananas right next year and they will be available at the ride start) and preparing for the onslaught of cars (a special success this year), and registration was ready when riders started showing up in mass at 6:30. 
It was a fun and satisfying day. We were luckier this year than the last two in that we only had one serious injury. It resulted in a rider being taken to the hospital with a broken collarbone. I listened as our communications crew efficiently handled the incoming call and tracked the rider's status through her release from the hospital later in the day. The source of the success of this type of event is the collection of volunteers that the BBC was able to provide. 
So we are happy that over 1,700 riders enjoyed the day. Just take it easy as you race through the day and consider the impact of the amount of riders we put on the roads on a day like this. I was the recipient of more than a few complaints about the consideration of our riders to the traffic conditions and the traffic laws. That is another rant, and I am not looking to open an extended thread (which may happen anyway) on the impact of big event riding. We are not an easy road condition for experienced drivers to navigate let alone the angry, timid, or cautious.
Otherwise it was a great day. See you next year.


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## Landshark (Dec 29, 2005)

*Fantastic!*

I've been a volunteer for a century and several cycling tours, so I can tell you first hand how difficult it is to keep a bunch of cyclists safe, happy, well-fed and properly hydrated . . . especially after 60 or 70 miles when they start to get cranky! The folks at the Baltimore Bike Club did an amazing, first-rate job!! The rest stops had loads of gatorade, water, all kinds of food and snacks and porta johns. But above and beyond, there was mechancial support, tubes, spokes and tires for the unfortunate, and fresh fruit from the local orchards (I stuffed my pockets full of those delicious little plums before I left the third rest stop!). I also heard that the SAG vehicle was kept pretty busy. The volunteers couldn't have worked harder, and they deserve our thanks . . . They certainly have mine! 

First off, this is my favorite century (a lot of other folks would say the same). I think this is what a tour should be! Great roads, great route, challenging course, fabulous scenery, cute towns!! It has it all. The well thought out route gives you the opportunity to be as ambitious as you like, but when your mortality comes knocking, also allows you to gracefully bail out to shorten the ride. Couldn't have asked for a nicer day, and the battlefield views as the morning fog was burning off was something to behold! The climbs are challenging, but certainly able to be done by an avid cyclist with a 39-25 gear. I like to climb, but the decents on this ride are an absolute hoot!! 

No drama of any kind for me. I had no flats or mechanical problems. I got to chat with a bunch of nice people, saw some folks I only get to see on century rides, and didn't have to even try to convince my friend I was riding with to go for the full 105. He originally had said that he'd "probably" bail at 77 . . . but I knew he stay for the whole thing.

:thumbsup:


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## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

Fear the Turtle said:


> I have a special perspective on the event. As a member of the Baltimore Bicycling Club (BBC) who participated as a DOE volunteer to running the event this year, yesterday was a special redemption.
> Two years ago, I worked at the Gathland rest stop, the first on the century route. As a member of the BBC, I thought it was time to support the one of the club's important events. That day was the perfect storm of event logistics.
> .


I have done every CWC since 2001. The 2004 ride was a disaster -- I started late and experienced first-hand the "perfect storm." But, I think that most of us understood why it was a disaster -- the day was picture perfect and lots of unregistered riders showed up and overwhelmed the ride. Even on the BBC's worst day in 2004, the CWC was a better ride than many other centuries I have done where the organizers pat themselves on the back for a job well done (I won't name names, but one June 2005 ride in Northern Virginia comes to mind). Yesterday was your all-time best. Knock on wood, I never have had to use to SAG or any of the other extraordinary services of the ride. But, as I posted above, my riding companion did. I was very impressed.

See you next year. Thanks.


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## Fly_Capt (Sep 10, 2006)

*My first century*

What a blast this event was for me. I just started riding this April. I had two goals the Lancaster Covered Bridge Metric and this Civil War century. I rode 1500 miles in prepartion for these events but needed more hills. I enjoyed the route and thanks to RBR I got to do the Antitam Battlefield in detail. AWESOME detour. The stops were well stocked, freindly help, great food. I saw the SAG vans and cars several times and was happy to not need their help. Its very reasureing to novices like me the help is so close. 
Had I known about JAcks Mountain I might have bailed out but ignorance is bliss. 
I give it a big thumbs up and thank you to the volunteers. Improvements for next year more massage tables  and 2 ice cream trucks. Not sure what direction life will take me as I start triathlons but god willing I will be back to do this event again next year.


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## tikitorchfriday (May 30, 2006)

MarkS said:


> Based on the Civil War Century thread that has been around for the past week or so, I know that several people were going to do the CWC yesterday. How were your experiences?
> 
> First, a little fatherly chest thumping. My 17 year old daughter has been riding for the past year. She has a local loop that she does and rides the indoor trainer. She does not like to ride with me because I "push her too much." However, a few weeks ago I happened to see her when I was riding home from work; she climbed the one hill on my commute faster than I do. My daughter never had done an organized ride and I bugged her to do one of the CWC shorter rides. She reluctantly agreed to come to Thurmont and try a ride. Her plan ultimately was to start the 78 mile ride and bail out at the 37 mile mark (you can bail then and do a five mile return to the start). We rode together to the 13 mile mark, where the 100 mile and 78 mile rides split. She did well on the first climb and was in good shape. She said that she might try the 78 mile ride. Well, she did and finished with flying colors. Now she already is talking about doing another organized, long ride.
> 
> My experience was a little different. The weather was wonderful and I felt good. I had agreed to ride with someone who never had done a century before. He is a strong rider and I did not anticipate any problems. I got into a paceline about 15 miles into the ride and thought that he was with me. Well, at some point he had a mechanical problem and fell behind without my noticing it. When I got to the first rest stop, I waited for some time, then I checked my phone messages. He had left a message telling me that he was waiting for the SAG and that I should go ahead. The SAG came, took him to the first rest stop where the mecahnics were able to do a band-aid repair (he had a crank arm/bottom bracket issue). He called me, said that he was continuing with the ride and I waited for him at the second rest stop. The band-aid repair was becoming undone, and the mechanics at the second rest stop looked at the bike, said that there was not much they could do, but that the bike would be OK to ride. So, we then rode together and I made sure that we stuck together until the end of the ride. The condition of my friend's bike meant that he was not transmitting power from his legs to the bike as efficiently as he should have been. In other words, he had to use more energy and was going slow -- especially on the major climb after the second rest stop. His butt and feet were killing him. I basically pulled him for the final 40 miles of the ride. But, I was really proud of the way that he perservered. Although I would have liked to have done the ride without these problems, I also felt good about it. More than once, faster riders have waited for me. When I have been tired, people have pulled me along without my asking or complaining. When I crashed and had to go to the emergency room, the guys I was riding with waited with my family until I was released. So, yesterday was my chance to pay back.


Great story and a pleasure to read! I was there, and yes... it was great weather.
This was my first 100 mile ride. The longest ride prior to that was with a friend and we did 74 miles. 
What about those tomato and mayo sandwiches...ummmm, do I eat or ride?!


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