January 8-POLAR BEAR RIDE

Start Finish Line-Drafters on the front

OK, this was an amazing day.  First, yesterday evening we had rain that could or maybe should have been snow.  It was supposed to be around 20 degrees this morning going to around 45 by afternoon.  Boy was that wrong!  When I got up at 6:30 AM it was 32 degrees and the sun was starting to peek out.  I ate breakfast and left the house with both bikes in the Element around 7:15.  I couldn't decide if I wanted to ride the new bike or the old one.  By 9:45, it was actually in the high 30's, sunny and warming.  A little wind from the west but nothing I couldn't handle.  Mike and I were about 15 minutes leaving after the rush.  We caught up with a guy on a mountain bike about 1/2 mile after leaving the start.  I have no idea what he was up to but it wasn't riding fast. We told him we would wait on him at the first rest stop (well Mike did, I had to go the 62 mile SAG.  Mike was only on the 30 miler).  So we get to the first rest stop.  Earl calls someone in Mooresville and they tell him its snowing in Mooresville.  We all laughed and said "no way, the suns out".  About 2 miles up the road, the clouds rolled in, the temperature dropped and the wind picked up to 30+ MPH.  It was snowing so hard I could not see 30 feet up the road.  It actually started sticking on the road.  I helped 2 folks find the shortcut to Corriher Grange.  Since that got me off track, I decided to ride backwards until I caught the last group and the last SAG.  I rode into the wind up hills and into the cold.  I guess I must have missed the last 3 folks because I kept going.  Suddenly I felt like it had been 5 miles since I saw anyone.  So I turned around and hauled butt to the end group.  Earl and Mike caught me about 2 miles from the center and I jumped in the truck.  WE sagged up to the last group and I rode them in.  I tried to pull the last 2 guys in but they would not stay on my wheel.  It was a long last 12 miles.  But we finally got in.  Just in time too as the temp really started to plummet.  Its already fallen to 28 degrees. They are calling for snow Monday and Tuesday.  So today might be the last ride for a while.  Its time to crash now....G'nite

Todays Mileage- 55 miles
Yearly Road Bike Mileage- 192 miles