Double Century 2013

by Jim Schroeder 

Six BBC members started from Bryan Park at 6am on Saturday to attempt a double century, i.e. 200 miles in one day.  They were Dave Tanner, Paul Toth, Tammy Berger, Sid Tongret, Jack Ketchum, and Jim Schroeder.  This is a once a year type of ride so we didn't know what we were getting into.  Thanks to Sylvia Schroeder and Jen Miers with Jackie O to assist us in two support vehicles.  We started off with a very cloudy morning going southward on the familiar route to Springville and some sprinkles kept us cool but not wet!  Dave, Paul, and Tammy powered ahead with Jim in the middle and Jack & Sid pulling up the rear.  This was to be the line up for the entire day.

After Springville, the route turned westward on IN-58 all the way to the present terminus of I-69.  It flattened out to mere rollers, and downhill speeds reached 40 mph!  The sun finally cooked off the clouds as we continued westward onto some country roads weaving I-69.  I later found out that this area was where Jack grew up and he just wanted to ride that area and quit when the body decided to stop.  We approached a church on a hillside and with the angle of sun upon it created a picture postcard of southern Indiana.

Turning southward now toward the Amish country of Oden we crossed over the last of the rollers and woods for some time.  About a dozen BBC'rs greeted us at the Essen Haus in Oden.  They were encouraged to do a drive and ride century from Oden that promised to be flat!  This would also keep us company with a chance for some much needed rest while drafting in a pack. They were chomping at the bit when Sid finally arrived, and the pack of fifteen now were off to the races at no less than a 20 mph clip.

I was pulling up the rear keeping Sylvia on track and bogeying a few riders every few miles.  At Washington a caboose formed comprised of Brett, Rachel, Sara, Jack, Sid, and myself, as we ventured into the low country of the West White River with all the "houses" elevated on stilts. Earlier in May Glenn Berger and I had to make 4 water crossings to stay on route on our exploratory midweek century. At mile 87 Jack and Sara opted for the comforts of the Subaru, while the rest of us forged on to Vincennes.  We soon lost Brett who went on ahead but he met back with us at the Subway.

The front pack was averaging about 20 mph while keeping Paul,Dave,and Tammy happy and they stopped for lunch at Subway.  They departed about the same time that the caboose arrived for lunch.  Rachel opted to skip lunch and jumped on the high speed train into old Vincennes and the George Rogers Clark Memorial on the Wabash River.  Brett appeared while we were eating, and we all opted to skip the old town tour, but since the service was so slow at Subway, we were still quite behind the front pack.  Brett was a sight for my sore eyes as he paced me all the way to Sanborn, where I had to convince him to turn east back to Oden for his 100 while I continued northward on the 200 mile route. Tammy also went east on the middle century route as planned as she totalled 140 miles for the day.

Paul and Dave surged ahead at a blistering pace for a double century.  Paul finally pleaded to Dave to slow down a bit.  Dave responded, "Oh, I was going this fast not to disappoint you!"  At Clay City, they were averaging 17.7 mph!  This northerly stretch was all new territory to me with Goose Pond wetlands south of Linton.  I had a long break in Linton with some coke and a cave towel to cool me down.  The stretch from Linton to Clay City had a lot of traffic especially as we merged onto the IN-39 pickup truck traffic from Jasonville.  Clay City had a town festival that evening, as Sid ignored the yells from Jack and Sylvia, probably looking for an elephant ear.

I was apprehensive of the Patricksburg hills.  They slowed me down a little, but the struggle was less than expected, as I entered Spencer at 8:15pm.  By the time the Subaru got to the CVS at 8:30 pm I decided to start riding as daylight was being depleted.  I found out later that Sid, stopped his double century quest at Spencer. I finally finished at 10:15pm with a tail light but no head light.  It only was a problem when under a canopy of trees as the moonlight and city light was blocked.  The last five miles though were in the city and the B-line trail.

Remember a few years ago, we bikers were always yelled at, "Hey, Lance, way to go."

I'm sure, due to my slim build, as I passed the Seminary Square Krogers, I heard a yell, "Hey, Tanner."