The Mother of all 300Ks

Nothing to see here. Just rolling roads and mountains in West Virginia near Lost River

I like to ride my bike. I like to ride my bike for long periods of time. Often across numerous mountain ridges on beautiful and remote backcountry trails, typically on a fat tired mountain bike. I also like to ride my road bike. Typically 100ish miles is plenty long for a road ride and I would have no reason nor motivation to ride much longer. Then Matt Hassman started working at SBC and brought with him a great interest in a bizarre and quirky world of randonneuring (Randonneuring is long-distance, unsupported, noncompetitive cycling within prescribed time limits). 

Don't worry. Even the bike shop guys flat sometimes. In addition, sometimes we get so anxious about quickly pumping our tires back up that we SNAP the VALVE in HALF (Matt Hassman)

 Matt is an active member of the DC Randonneurs and is actually helping to put on an event this Saturday May 2 (The Mother of All 300Ks). Since he is somewhat responsible for the event, Matt wanted to be sure he went and pre-rode the course. Just to be clear, the course is NOT marked nor is there any aid provided. Instead, participants must navigate the course on their own (with a provided cue sheet or GPS track) and be sure to make it to specific "control" points, often gas stations where they need to buy something with a time stamped receipt to prove that they actually followed the entire course.

Full Meltdown. Two small bottles. Super dehydrated and 7 more hours to go. DRINK plenty of water out there!

On Sunday April 25, we set out to ride the "Mother of all 300k's" which leaves from Middletown VA just south of Stephens City and Winchester. The route first takes you over Wolf Gap and then through Lost River and into West Virginia and up north towards the Potomac and the small towns of Romeny, Slanesville, and Gore, West Virginia before sneaking back through apple orchards and ridges to the Shenandoah Valley. When first looking at the course I thought to myself "14,000 feet of climbing over 190 miles. That sounds mostly flat compared to something like the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo." I guess what I missed was how many small hills we would hit throughout the ride. Post-ride I read the event website and saw this, "appallingly hilly but GORGEOUS 2005 West Virginia 300km.”

We aren't going to make it!? Breakfast at the Lost River Grill in West Virginia 53 miles into the ride and 10AM

The DC Randonneuring page recaps the early post breakfast part of the ride best, "The terrain here is ridge and valley. The route goes along several valleys. You are always following a stream uphill until it starts, then you have to climb over a little pass, then you start following the next stream downstream." Blah Blah Blah. Ride recaps aren't always that much fun but beautiful new routes and wacky long 190 mile rides are fun sometimes. Glad I pulled this one off but not sure I really need to sit on my road bike that long again in the future.

OK so we might make it. Sunset with 2 more hours to go

The Route!