Bike Fest 2010- A Tarwheel Bicycle Ride -15th Annual Rural Heritage Tour
Bike Fest is beautiful ride starting from Hillsborough, NC. Bike Fest includes a 35 miles ride, a metric century (62 miles), and a century (100 miles). The century takes you through three counties of Orange, Caswell, and Person,
All rides begin in beautiful downtown historic Hillsborough.
Please enjoy the "virtual tour" of this rider as his camera sees the ride.
I try to take pictures of every rider I get near.
I try not to disrupt the natural flow of the occurring events.
A lot of pictures can be blurred as I wlak or even stand.
I don't want to annoy or take their time for a pose but get things as they happen.
If a person is leaving a scene or the scene is changing too quickly, I may hasten a shot.
The faster my "group" is, the fewer pictures I can take
I am for safety first. Sometimes struggle and safety will prevent pictures.
There is quite a bit of editing because we're "moving".
I took over 200 pictures That's 2 per mile.
Enjoy!
There is always the registration and last minute preparations.
The small town adds hundreds more for this great ride through beautiful country.
It's one more among many that the North Carolina Tarwheels sponsor.
Volunteers come forward every year to put on this "classic".
The start/finish area is pretty and easily accessible.
There is always adequate parking and within blocks there is a parking garage if the ride should grow even more.
I have it very good for this ride. I just drop down from my house about a mile away.
A commemorative T-shirt is available. This year riders received a free water bottle.
There are several parts of "getting ready" which are a must!
It can be a reunion for many people.
The early milling around can get you acquainted with other cyclists.
I see many friends I haven't seen for days!
Our fearless leader, Jeff, tells us of some early precautions.
The storm gathers.
There are many tough ladies on this ride including Daniella from Switzerland.
Bo and Kent are two more of many cyclists who donate their time for this wonderful ride.
This young man was too young and too strong for me.
He was wearing white shoes too. White shoes are very fast!
My friend here was recently in Africa for the world soccer championships and let his "cycling" slide for a month or so but held up very well.
I saw several recumbents in Bike Fest.
And they're off!
The crowd is very cordial taking off.
The first few miles can be precarious in large rides.
A friendly face is never too far away.
Here's John and he'll hold up really well today.
The Hillsborough police make things as easy as possible for the riders.
Ah- cycling is such a great idea!
West King leads straight to my house.
My little commute adds a couple miles to the hundred.
The old hotel is getting a redo.
We passed Cup-O-Joe's coffee shop. I wish I had a refill.
Beautiful home, trees, and yards line our departure.
Familiar, friendly faces abound.
The line of riders behind us seems to never end.
The pictures I take are while I'm moving, so many will be blurred.
Sometimes I'll make them a little more Monet-like.
I had wanted to start at the back and take more pictures of people from rear to front but the route was changed due to construction and I found myself more toward the front than rear.
I took a lot of pics, but when the pace picked up, I did well just to breathe.
Dimmocks Mill to Ben Johnston is a great way to leave Hillsborough.
These roads give us a little hill to deal with right away but not bad.
The view of the Rocking "B" is always pretty.
I'll see a lot of "Hollywood" today.
The horses nor cows are in this pasture today.
We're miles into the countryside now.
The pace is strong enough.
It's hard to get close to the front where there is less of the "yo-yo" effect.
Toward the rear we spread out.
We retract.
It happens over and over again.
It's smoother toward the front.
The pace is more consistent at the front.
Animation! That's what we like!
I love it when the cyclists see a picture coming and say howdy in their own way.
I see a curve, a barn, a pretty house and I try to capture the scene but also cyclists.
While the camera is "out" I try to get a picture in both directions.
I try to get a photograph of the riders we pass.
They're all beautiful and part of the scene.
Cycling is poetry in motion.
Another blur, so I "Monet-ed" it.
And the "beat" goes on.
The pace is fast on the flats but there are hills that make it very hard.
Somewhere out here a small gap opened and some of us couldn't close it.
We were severed from the main field.
I was glad actually. I couldn't take pics with those other guys!
We formed a well-oiled smooth group.
The pace was more comfortable, more tolerable.
No "yo-yo" effect that really wrenches the energy from you.
I was able to take more pictures.
It's hard to take pictures when your heart is exploding and it's hard to breathe.
Our pace was very tolerable.
Most of the folks in our group pulled longer than I did.
I see a bunch of farm buildings ahead and pull the camera out.
I'm able to put some cyclists in the scene with the beautiful structures.
Beautiful scenery!
We stop at this rest stop at the church about 40 miles into the ride.
Friendly faces and wonderful food and drink.
Nope- we're not ready for here yet.
Yo Hollywood! Good stuff, ey?
We pick up Michael T and a couple other rides.
Michael T and the man in yellow would string us out on the hills.
Gee- I was dropped here not long ago on another ride!
Michael T, the man in yellow, and others would pull longer than I.
I have to monitor myself and stick to shorter steady pulls.
I don't want to get into any trouble. A man has to know his limits.
Especially when he's pretty limited.
"Smooth and steady" is the ticket.
We're a group of seven and we're rolling pretty nicely.
Daniela is still smiling!
Here's a little "fixer-upper".
This is a picture of a long ride. Taxing- but hanging in.
Another curve, another crop.
Another pasture.
The wind was horrendous. We pick up another rider for our group.
Our group changes order with every corner, it seems.
Hydrate- or die!
8_07_10 BikeFest Downhill in Person County
I was dropped here a couple months ago! Ah- memories!
We add another rider. Fresh meat! It's good to have another to pull at the front!
A couple months ago I pulled into the shed ahead for a little yoga. My neck and shoulder were killing me.
Today I took some pain killers and rubbed myself down with a theralgesic balm- twice.
My neck, shoulder, and back wouldn't be much of a problem on the ride today.
Can't help it. I love these overgrown old houses that once housed a family.
The newer ones are so much warmer though.
Rollin', rollin', rollin'!
There's one pastoral scene after another!
I finally get a shot of the "man in yellow".
It depends on the dificulty of the "pull" or the hill as to whether I get a shot or not.
I'm missing, unintentionally, frontal shots of Michael T.
Right near here is where Daniela's rear gear cable broke.
Another beautiful home and here's Hollywood.
Scene after beautiful scene, is what we're after.
The ride is hard enough and long enough that we forget- without some pictures.
Daniela and I pulled over and I was able to wrap her cable around her rear skewer and give her a lower gear.
We were back on the road and with her front sprockets, she had 3 gears.
We made it to this rest stop and this great mechanic who installed a gear cable.
A little help goes a long way!
It was another great rest stop!
I recognized some faces I hadn't seen in years.
The food was incredible and pretty! What presentation!
Buz came in for some refreshments.
Daniela and I were on the road again- with all of her gears.
We're still 20 miles from home.
We're getting down the road and seeing more "poetry in motion".
It's good to see so many people riding bicycles!
Please don't get tired of my camera, Daneila.
It's the "Daniela Show"!
There are so many interesting spots like here.
Another view.
We were fine drifting right by this rest stop.
I think we were about 7 miles from the finish.
Poetry in motion.
It's been a beautiful ride in the country!
Now it's horses, cows, sheep, and goats, almost all at once.
Daniela is pretending to be tired.
A friend hitches a ride.
Walker Farm Road
A couple are reunited?
Maybe "Luke Sky-Walker" Farms!
Only a few more miles.
Walker Farms
A team catches a breath.
It's the heat and humidity!
Father/son?
Daniela, if I have a heart-attack, do not resuscitate!
Just a couple more miles!
Fast lounge Sir!
Home at last! Home at last!
Friends tell "war stories".
Food goes really fast here!
Dave's beautiful wife Irley.
Daniela and her brother Michael head off to Disney Word! Oops! Outer Banks!
Cold, wet towels!!! Cold, wet towels!!! Oh yeah!!!
Cold sodas!!! Cold sodas!!! Oh yeah!!!
Food!!! Oh yeah!!!
My buddy Cy has a perspiration problem. Maybe a cold towel blessing!
Yo Bro! Hydrate!
I can't remember who won the lying contest.
Food, sodas, water!!!
Here are some more of those pretty Tarwheel women hawking some Tarwheel products.
The repair truck is a little hard to park.
Now we have a great place to collapse!
Okay guys! Let's be careful out there!
It's a jungle out there!
And soon this tent city will be torn down and moved to storage.
I like the trees framing the folks here.
Some of us are so bright, we wear sunglasses at night!
Keep the rubber side down Rubber Duckie! (convoy?)
There's still a lot of food!
The best cookies are gone though!
Bagels, cream-cheese? Chips? Peanut butter and jelly?
The Bike Fest festival!
Hillsborough, NC- is a great place to be!
Superwoman Sharon completes another century!
"Sir? Hello Sir? Excuse me Sir?
What do you like best about the Bike Fest century?"
For more cycling stuff click yourself down right here!
Heaven Is Knockin' On All Four Doors! -Union Groovin' 8-4-10
July, A Month Of Wednesdays (And A Couple Saturdays)-Tarwheels
Stem-O-Rama Bicycle Ride- July 17, 2010 Stem, NC-Tarwheels
Ode To The Rattleheadedcoppermoccasin! -Tarwheels
June 26, 2010- Chatham County Habitat For Humanity 3 Ring Cycle Bicycle Ride
An Ode To Tarwheels! And The Union Groovers Meet the Mebanites! June 23, 2010
Squirrel Nut Zipping to Saxapahaw-Tarwheels Ride Again! June 16, 2010
June 12, 2010 Tarwheels & The Ken Har Memorial- Rawhide Bike Ride
June 9, 2010-Tarwheels-Union Groovin' And Listening To The Fiddleheads On Lemon Grass!
Micky's Dominatrix-And A Tarwheel Saturday Bike Ride May 5, 2010
She'll Follow Me Anywhere! A Poem And A Saxapahaw Bike Ride June 2, 2010
Cycling-May 26, 2010 Union Groovin'- Crawford Dairy Loop! With Cue Sheet
Assault On Mount Mitchell 2010-A Virtual Tour
Cycling-May 12, 2010 Union Groovin' and Mebane Espressin'
Cycling-May 9, 2010-Hillsborough To Yanceyville-79 Miles
Cycling-May 5, 2010-A Ode to-Union Groovin' To Saxapahaw!
Cycling-May 2, 2010-Raven Rock Ramble-107 miles
