Riding Across Wisconsin - Day 1

Approx 4:50 AM - Riverside Park
LaCrosse waiting for start. 8/17/19 dwm

Three years ago, I joined the second Ride Across Wisconsin, known as the RAW ride from Dubuque, Iowa to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

This year there was a new route and an appealing two day option.  The planned route from LaCrosse to Green Bay, 225 miles, compared to 175 from Dubuque to Kenosha.

It's the event for which I was trying to prepare, but was unsure when we checked into our LaCrosse hotel if I was really ready for the challenging ride.

Sunrise just east of Bangor, WI on County Road U
8/17/2019 dwm photo

905 riders registered, almost half planning to make the trip in one day.  That's why we gathered before 5 o'clock in the morning, more than an hour before sunrise, so the one-day group could maximize daylight.

We started fast.  My headlight and taillight was on, but I couldn't read the computer to know my speed.  I think we were going 18 miles per hour through the streets which were shut down by police and volunteers to help us get on the road.  I am thankful and amazed at how smooth the city streets were, it would have been dangerous otherwise.

44 miles in, 7:52 AM stopped for RAW selfie outside
Ft. McCoy.  8/17/19 (dwm)

My guess on the speed had to be close, because we made the first stop in less than an hour, 17 miles up the road.  It was remarkable and felt great to move like that.  The sun wasn't up, so ahead of us rode a moving carpet of solid and flashing reds from the back of hundreds of bikes.

Just a few miles past the stop, I was alone when the first rays sunshine appeared on the horizon.  As I rode east through Bangor, I stopped to grab the picture above left.

It was that stop that lead to meeting someone I didn't know, but shared something in common.  I caught a group of five women riding together and we were joined by another who said she was out of the Twin Cities.  A great thing about rides is meeting and riding with folks for a few miles or a few hours.  We talked about the ride, our bikes, our jobs, and where we worked.

The start of the first of three major climbs between miles 48
and 56 west of Warrens, WI. 8/17/19 dwm photo

After mentioning I worked at a continuing care retirement community in Madison, she asked which one.  "Oakwood," I replied. "Really! My grandma lived at Oakwood!"

While I had never her before, I did know her grandmother and her mother and aunt.

Hours earlier, a man put his hand on my shoulder to comment on my bike jersey.  It turns out he was a commissioner when I was the Rock County Reporter for WISC, and covered proceedings in his courtroom 30 years ago!

Flying down Cty E after a big climb.
Photo by Focal Flame Photography

My plan for Day 1 was to travel 25 miles every two hours, including stops.  That would give me time to take pictures, take breaks, and get to the half-way point by late afternoon.

Thanks to the quick start, I was in Sparta in two hours, 29 miles into the ride for rest stop #2.  From there we rode east past Fort McCoy, an Army base which has served a variety of roles during its tenure in the center of the state.  After clearing the last gate, we turned north and found the big hills we heard about.

In less than ten miles we climbed four hills, with gradients of 8%, 6.7%, 8.1%, and 4.9%.  Those, as a biking friend once told me, "build character."

The Climbing Cyclist rates climbs of 4 - 6% as "manageable that cause fatigue over long climbs," while 7 - 9% "start to become uncomfortable for seasoned riders and very challenging for new riders."

Most of us stayed in the saddle, chugging away at a slow 3 to 5 mile an hour pace while others walked.  Then we wooshed to the bottom before climbing again.  Compared to the ride 3 years ago, this one was 50 miles longer but with less overall climbing. 

The Boondocks rest stop at mile 88.  8/17/19 (dwm)

I appreciated the challenge, but especially liked that we were 50 miles into the ride before the first real test.  After a break at the 60 mile rest stop, which included Cranberry ice cream (YUM!), it was mostly flat for the next 73 miles our of Warrens.

The day went very well thanks to riders who allowed me to tag along - Dave from Oshkosh as we worked our way our of La Crosse; the new acquaintance with an Oakwood connection, and an Army Reservist and his friend - the three of us rode together at least 30 or 40 miles.

It was my first century ride of the year and the longest single day of riding in my life.  While I've gone more than 100 several times and even reached 120 before - the last 10 miles into Plover felt twice that length.

Here's your sign!

Thankfully, at ride's end was a hot shower, hot tub, and cool swimming pool before diving into a bowl of spaghetti to carbo load before riding again on Sunday.

It was a fun ride, organized by the Wisconsin Bike Federation as a fund and awareness-raiser of the value all of us get by getting on our bikes.

While this wasn't a race, I was thrilled with what my bike computer reported: 133 miles; an average speed 16.5 miles per hour; 8:08 on the bike; and 9:30 total time counting stops.