Mammoth 70 (Actually 66)

I had been debating all week whether I was going to show up for the Mammoth. Doing the Ragnarok the week prior I wanted to spend the weekend with the kids and as of Wednesday afternoon was sure that I wasn't going to go. Then the GF said that she wanted to take the kids to the omnitheater and the Pirates exhibit so I decided to take advantage of that time.
This was billed as a 70 mile group ride, but I knew better. Anytime that you get 100 people together there are going to be people that want to go as fast as possible. I like that. Most rides there is not a large group of people pushing you to go faster so I go at my pace and thats that. The morning of looked like it was going to rain all day, but after a few minutes of deliberation I decided to still go and cut the course if it started raining too much (Or find the nearest gas station and buy a six pack and hang out) I decided to set the bike up 42x16 since I heard the course was pretty flat. We start the ride and they tell us that the Gandy Dancer is almost all downhill for the last 16 miles so I base my strategy on just getting there. We start out and I am near the back and have to slowly pick my way towards the front. After about 2 miles of mostly downhill paved road I catch up with the lead group of 20 or so people. I hang on with them for a few miles but after some more gradual downhills I decide that it is not worth spinning my legs as fast as I can to keep up. I slowly start catching some of the people that had dropped off the lead group and was moving at a pretty good speed (18-19mph). Once we hit about mile 20 things got really sandy.

I rode about 80% of this and ran the rest.

At mile 25 they had a checkpoint set up with water, coke, and PBR tallboys. I passed on all three and decided to just eat a waffle.

Once we got started again there was a lot of pavement. I worked with another guy and we were able to keep up a 19mph pace, both on SS. By the time we hit the Holiday store in Cushing my legs were getting fried. I dropped off and pedaled at a slower pace for a mile or two. Then I decided that I needed a energy bar once I hit a gravel road

Gravel roads are kind of a novelty in Wisconsin.

There was a slight uphill on this road that I didn't feel like riding up and eat/hold a bar so I walked the short distance to the top and finished the bar. 

From there I knew there wasn't much till the Gandy Dancer so I pushed myself to try and catch some people. This also turned out to be the hilliest section of the course and my quads were screaming like never before. Usually when I start to feel them twinge I drink some water and take it easy for a minute or two, not today. With the Gandy Dancer getting close I just kept pushing them. At the peak of the last climb it felt like they were about to burst out of my legs. 

I finally hit the Gandy Dancer after going through a restaurant parking lot and down a grassy hill. I don't think this was exactly "right" but whatever. The Gandy Dancer was not what I would call "Downhill" but it wasn't uphill so I was fine with that. I started at about 15mph and slowly worked my way up from there. The big problem was all the intersections that you have to stop at and look for cars. You lose all of your momentum and then have to work to get it back. I finally got up to a 17mph average with about 3 miles to go. Once I hit the paved path I knew the end was in sight. I started to push it hard with whatever energy I had left. I got back to the bike shop in 4 hours and 14 minutes (4h09m ride time) with a 16mph average. I was pleased with the way that I performed learned some things along the way. I think that as of right now 42x16 is a little too steep for me if there is going to be around 2,000 feet of climbing and that 42x18 is the way to go for now. 

The course was not something that I would just go ride by myself, but all in all it was a fun day on the bike and I plan on doing it again next year. Another great event put on by the Wooly Bike Club.