About four months ago I decided to make a pilgrimage of sorts to visit my mother, uncle, sister and her kids in southern Arizona and New Mexico. I also looked for a bike ride to make the trip more enjoyable. I found one. The Cochise County Cycling Classic in Douglas, AZ is an obscure but famous ride with several distance options (45, 92, 157, and 252). I chose the 252 mile course purely to see if I could finish with my body and mind intact. Oddly enough, I think my confidence to do a really long ride came from commuting to work daily. I also had good mileage under my belt from the 9 centuries I rode previously.
I met up with my nephew Jared, who would be my support crew, in Silver City, NM, and we made the two hour drive to Douglas on Friday morning. We settled in to our motel about a mile from the international border crossing into Agua Prieta, Mexico. We went to a pre-ride meeting that night at 7:00 and ate dinner provided by the sponsors. We tried to sleep some prior to the ride start at 2:00 am but it wasn’t in the cards. Everyone’s main concern was the weather. Tropical storm Norbert was heading through the area on Saturday and by start time there were sprinkles and high winds with the temp in the low to mid 60s. I took two bikes, but only used one; the Cinelli, with a 53-42-30 triple and 29-13 cassette, Mavic CXP 33 rims and Campy Hubs with Bontrager Hard Case tires. I had a MiniNewt head lamp and a CatEye back-up. Jared drove my Element as my support vehicle packed with tools, food, 2 gallons of water, and clothing for any climate.(As usual I took way too much stuff). The support would leap frog ahead of the riders and meet at agreed upon points on the route.
The start at two in the morning was on the fringe of surrealistic. There were 27 of us that started the 252 miler (the other distances began at 6:20 am). Included were an Olympic track cyclist, and two guys who completed the Furnace Creek 508 the week before. I think I had the highest body fat content of any of the entrants. The large group split into three smaller ones. I rode with a group of five from California for about 15 miles before the first climb, a 2000 ft., 10 mile ascent up Mule Pass into Bisbee, AZ. The gradient didn’t require the granny but the wind and distance made it tough. The descent out of the mountains was scary because of the dark and not knowing the road condition. Then the rain and lightning began; big cold painful drops that hurt when it hit that continued for about 10 miles.
The sunrise just before reaching Tombstone was incredible – the colors and smells and sheer ecstasy of exiting the dark night was so encouraging. This was the nice, tailwind section of the route that lasted until Benson AZ. We then went through a checkpoint and began riding east 92 miles on I-10. Yes, I-10. It is actually legal to ride the shoulder of that very busy expressway. I had no idea how many long, moderate grade climbs there was on that stretch of road. The noise from the 18 wheelers was overwhelming. I also had two flats, both from steel belt radial debris.
By mid-morning the crosswind was at a brisk 25-30 mph with the predictable effect of dehydrating me. Fortunately the temperature never exceeded 75 degrees and I think I drank enough throughout the day. Again the scenery was simply beautiful – even as traffic zoomed by at 75 mph.
The final leg of the journey was the toughest. We got off the I-10 at Road Forks, AZ, a place that looked like the little towns in No Country For Old Men. It was the final checkpoint of the ride but still nearly 80 miles from the finish in Douglas. The first 40 miles had a slight upward gradient but the wind, recorded at 35 mph with even higher gusts throughout the rest of the ride, until about 10 pm, kept my speed to about 8 mph. (I am prone to exaggeration but the wind speed was pretty accurate).
I told my nephew to pull ahead by 3 miles and we did that slow leapfrog for almost 4 hours. Then it got dark and chilly, and the wind did not abate. The gas in my Element was running low on gas so besides worrying about my sagging energy I had to worry about leaving my sister’s son stranded in the middle of the desert. This stretch of Hwy 80 from New Mexico into Arizona is the least inhabited 80 miles I have ever ridden. No gas stations, no stores, just a bar in a miniscule town called Rodeo.
This is actually where Geronimo eventually surrendered to the US Calvary. It is a very mountainous area and past home of the Chiracauhua Apaches. The only vehicles on the road were bike support and the US Border Patrol, who at a point during the night pulled my nephew over and wanted to know why he was out there and if he was a citizen. There was an almost full moon that night and though the wind noise was deafening, the absolute isolation was beautiful - and a little creepy.
Then I had another flat which caused me to be freaked out because of that darkness thing. With about 40 miles to go the race director brought us a can of gas for the Element which eased my considerable anxiety and proved invigorating for my tired legs and psyche. By 10 pm the wind finally died down greatly and my speed picked up. By that time another rider caught up with me and I at least had some human company until I kicked in the BIG SPRINT, 17-18 mph.
Through the final climb in the Pedregosa Mountains the support vehicles were allowed to drive in front of us. Not exactly drafting but it was good to see familiar taillights. There was an 11 mile descent (1-2 percent) into Douglas and the wind had died down. Surprisingly, there were people at the finish and we were treated like we had finished an Ironman.
My intake included 2 PB&J sandwiches, 2 turkey sandwiches, 5 bananas, 2 Shot Block packs, 3 strips of beef jerky, about 9 Endurolytes (electrolytes)84 oz of Hammer Heed (3 big bottles),4 bottles of water and a Mountain Dew. I had mild cramps a few times in the later miles but none that required stopping and screaming. Needless to say I ate like a pig for the next few days.
Mostly I worried about my butt. I rode with my trusty 2002 Specialized Body Geomety saddle, after having considerable pain during 6 Gap with my Selle Italia Flite Gel. When I started the ride I put the equivalent of a can of Crisco in my shorts. Actually I used Chamois Butter slathered on the chamois and a combination of A&D ointment and witch hazel mixed together on my butt. (Believe me, there was no real science involved in this formula). At about 160 miles on I-10, I reapplied more chamois butter. Ohhhh, what a grand feeling. That must have been an interesting sight for passing motorists, but I didn’t get arrested or anything.
What I learned on this ride was that it was so long that I had to eat the elephant one bite at a time; riding in segments and not getting overwhelmed. It was such a mental exercise. But I (the King of whining and complaining) learned that I could actually stay in the saddle for 21 ½ hours, that I could ride past the point of fatigue and resignation and keep plugging away. Recovery time after the ride was lengthy. My hynie was red and shiny and quite abraded, but keeping it dry after the application of witch hazel allowed it to heal with no infection or sores. Too much information, you say?
With 10 miles left in the ride I said “never, ever again” but now I can see myself doing it next year with knowledge of the route and fewer unknowns. 27 started, 12 riders and one tandem finished. I finished in 10th place at 21 hours and 32 minutes. Truly an epic ride and a singular, existential experience for me. Anyone interested in going next year?
Rick Sykes
rickdsykes@yahoo.com