A NARRATION OF THE 400 K BREVET RIDDEN BY EARL M. AND TOM B.
MARCH 7/8, 2009

"I think that, as life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should
share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived."
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

[Warning: The following description contains passages that may lead the reader to try this at home.  Not recommended for pregnant women or those afflicted with CPD (Couch Potato Disease)]. 

If we are lucky each of us will discover an activity or endeavor that fuels our raison d'être, something that makes us joyful and complete when doing that thing, even when confronted with the inevitable obstacles placed in our paths.  This "thing" is both personal and unique to each of us and can be quantitatively determined from the number of hours, days, and even years spent indulging in one's passion.  My particular passion, at the moment, is riding a bicycle over long distances and many hours. That I am able to share this "addiction" with others is both a blessing and a delight.  A vivid example of this last was a 400 kilometer bicycle "ride" in which Tom Bunker and I recently participated.  Facts: 250+ miles completed in 24 hours and 00 minutes.

Strategy and tactics:

We are not going to spend a lot of time at the control points, chatting and taking pictures.  We are going to keep our "off-the-bike" time to a "minimum".  We are going to "bank" this minimum time so as to mitigate the need to hammer to the finish.  We will eat more.  Plan on breakfast tomorrow morning at the IHOP in Fillmore.

Sights and sounds surrounding the facts:

"Do you think we should wear our balaclavas?"  "Does anyone have a floor pump?"  "Is it gonna be cold tonight/tomorrow morning?"  Temperature at 6:30 Saturday morning in Ventura is 42 degrees; nobody is ever dressed too warmly.  Greet old friends: "Does any body know the route?"  "We do, but you'll probably come in last with us."  "Forget it."

The devastation on East Mountain Rd. is horrific.  Our first time up here since the fire; the only artifact standing at Steve Martin's mailbox is, fortunately, the sculpture; everything else is either black or missing.  "Should've worn my ski gloves; my feet are cold, too."  The steepest part of the entire 400 kms. is the last 150+ feet on Toro Canyon before you reach the entrance to Toro Canyon park.

Fourth control station (Refugio Beach): "You guys are doing great; here earlier than expected."  "Tom, turn around (on your bike) so I can take your picture."  "Leaving already?"  Following wind all the way down the coast to Ventura.  We are dressed "warm enough."  Temperature at noon is 58 degrees.  I don't like riding through Goleta; too many traffic signals.  On Hollister Ave.(Two kids in a car): "You guys want some Xanax?"

Fifth control station: Shoreline Park (Meigs Rd.).  Turkey wraps, potato chips, V-8, soda, and pit stop.  "You guys are smokin'."  Still not too comfortable as there is still one other behind us.  Will our Red Lantern finish vanish in the night?  Tom points out the nearly full moon rising over the mountains behind Ojai at 3:30. Change the front tire to the Dynahub and lamp.  Best money my son ever spent on me. 5 PM, still very light;darkness arrives at 6:00; lights on for the duration of the ride.

Sixth control station: Trancas; banana and carrot cake at the Chevron station mini-mart.  We have been eating and drinking adequately but can still eat more.  Eagerly anticipating an Egg Mcmuffin in Camarillo.  Foster: "You guys are really going great."  "You'll finish well under the 27 hour limit."  "I'm gonna get a hot dog."

Hardest part of the ride: PCH to Las Posas to Pleasant Valley to Santa Rosa Rd. to Moorpark: Cold; long, flat and straight stretches where you never reach the traffic light.  I fell "asleep" twice: PCH, from Neptune's Net to Split Rock and Santa Rosa Rd. from five miles east of to two miles east of Moorpark Rd.  Had to shake my head a couple of times to make sure Tom was in front of me.  No Egg McMuffin; Big Mac instead plus medium O.J.  "Sorry, we don't make hot chocolate here; Egg Mcs are made for breakfast."  Looking forward to getting to the Jones house for: PIZZA.

Jones house in Moorpark: "Sit in front of the fire; have some pizza; I can make you a cup of hot chocolate; here, you can borrow this fleece-lined jacket; have fun and be careful."  "You guys have 8+ hours to go fifty miles; you're really riding well; keep it up."  The only way to climb Grimes Cyn. is at 2:30 in the AM when the temperature is 40 degrees: No traffic, clear visibility, moon lighting up the way (especially on the descent.)

Piru (the last control): Apple juice and soda.  Cold; tail wind into the IHOP at Fillmore...NOT!  (Tom wrote: We must have been asleep when we got to where we thought it should be.).  5 AM at the Circle K in Santa Paula next to Bob's Big Boy: Pit stop, coffee and a hot dog (the best hot dog I've ever eaten.).  Strategizing: If we go 15 miles in 75 minutes we can get in at 24 hours but we really don't have to because we've got four plus hours to get in under 27 hours; let's just go at a steady even pace ( 9/10 mph), okay?  I also fell asleep between Fillmore and Sta. Paula.  The small circular flashing red light on Tom's back pack, and the small-ish tail lights on his seat stays make him look further down the road than he actually is. (Caution: Objects in your very sleepy night-time vision are closer than they appear.).  Head-shaking removes that condition.

We hammer to the finish.

"Congratulations, you guys.  You made it in 24  hours on the dot."  "But we didn't get the Red Lantern."  "Yes you did. The guy behind you was a DNF."

In summation, finally, Carter was asked for, and missed, by all the volunteers/organizers; probably our "best" ride; IHOP was the only "disappointment"; and, if any of you are riding your bicycle and you experience a euphoria lasting more than four hours, see your doctor.

Earl