Spring 2012:
This year I've done pretty well with participating in the local Arizona Randonneur events. A 200K, a 300K and, next Saturday, a 600K through SE Arizona.
The 600K will start in Tucson and wend it's way S and SE to Tombstone, Bisbee and back again through Sierra Vista, Ft. Huachuca and then back to Tucson. 374 miles.
It is a fact, in my case, that on the longer brevets I wind up being the only recumbent. And, because of the different pacing characteristics between the DFs and recumbents ... I'm often riding solo.
I prefer not to ride solo through very desolate desert terrain in the dark. Especially so close to the US/Mex border. So the plan this year is to start just before the break of dawn and stay in a motel overnight. Starting again just before dawn the next day.
To my pleasant surprise the AZ rando folks are doing a bag drop for all of us at whatever location we choose to spend the night. I assumed, then, that I'd be loading whatever was dropped in my bag onto the bike and carrying it the next day to the finish. Asking that question I was told that, `no,' the AZ rando folks will pick up the bag the next morning and transport it back to the finish for me.
Wow! That means I can really streamline and minimize what I carry: minimal tools, tubes, etc. Minimal clothing in event of unexpected cold.
Several weeks ago I did an organized double century through the remote CA desert. Even though there were `rest stops' they were just water and food. Given the early season and my lack of familiarity with the CA desert location I loaded up on water, clothing and tools/tire/tube. I felt like a pack mule.
The 600K will be more challenging as far as time is concerned. But now that the overnight bag will be dropped off and picked up I can exploit that fact and include not only sleeping and hygiene stuff, but extra tubes and the like just in case I run into real trouble the first day (using tubes, cartridges, sunblock, riding clothes).
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