CFC Revisited
By Roy “Bikerdude” Burnham
All photos by Gordon Renkes
Frank Seebode climbing on SR 78.
On the way to the motel with overnight bag. Filling water bottle at snack stop.
Rider studies the map: What lies ahead?
The King is Dead, Long live the King! Well, in this case, Columbus Fall Challenge. Late July saw CFC cancelled from the fall ride schedule much to the chagrin of the rider community at large. For the first time, the culmination of training on the budget tours of Covered Bridge Century, KCBC, Ridge Runner Rambler and Newark Blue Jay would be met with an empty weekend. Initially, the ride suffered from a lack of volunteer support. Thankfully, the word spread like wildfire that the unthinkable was going to happen….no CFC for the first time in 32 years.
Luckily, the COP rider communities’ unrequited love for hills and the Herculean efforts of Frank Seebode made CFC a reality. What normally took months of planning was thrown together in about 6 weeks…….6 weeks. This is no small feet. Consider the following list of what needs to be accomplished:
Route from a Start location to Marietta
Rest Stop locations along route
Marking the route
Budgeting for Food (rest stops, breakfast) for 2 days
Luggage logistics
Overnight Accommodations (volunteers and riders)
SAG Support
…and the list goes on and on.
I’m happy to report that not only did CFC happen; it worked like a well oiled machine! Thanks to an army of volunteers, Frank’s dedication and the unlikely hero’s, the individual riders who decided on short notice to ride a ride of this magnitude.
Frank gives a pre-ride talk.
Best Value Inn CFC.
Filling water bottle at snack stop.
The Ride
Like bookends, TOSRV and CFC mark the beginning and end of the COP cycling event calendar. With both events, the expectations for weather are preset with the rider community. “Expect the worst” are the words of caution by many of veterans for both rides. In fact, last year’s CFC was more typical, a cold morning filled with rain on Saturday with a cool but overcast Sunday. Thankfully, Frank arranged for perfect weather on both days, Sunny and highs in the upper 70’s both days.
The route for the day started out from Sugar Grove towards Logan. As the crow flies, the “easy way” one would take would be roughly 10 miles. As those of us who rode that day would find out, never was the “easy route” chosen. Instead, we tripled the mileage to Logan averaging a Sherpa’s amount of elevation gain on the way. Those of us familiar with Frank’s Randonneuring background knew this would probably be the case. By the time most have left the Logan Elementary School, SAG driver Peggie Shaw had collected a fair assortment of leg / arm warmers, jackets and the like. Peggie rejoiced in the subtle fragrance reminiscent of a high school locker room in her new Honda CRV.
Logan to Glouster was a short reprieve from a climbing and distance perspective from the previous section. Most enjoyed the longer lead outs to the hills and the, by in large, less steep sections along the way. Mechanical breakdowns taxed the facilities of Ric Nolan of Cyclist Connection fame but Ric kept most people rolling. Ric dealt with everything from poor shifting to broken spokes. Ric continued to work through repairs at the Lunch stop in Glouster.
Glouster to Chesterhill brought the riders back to reality with sets of steeper climbs. Riders had a choice of a cutoff that made day one pan out to 112 miles or a 116 mile route that was flatter. The caveat to the cut off, as this rider would learn later, is a climb that would require crampons, carabineers and mountain goats to get up. For those who are in the area next time, if you see a sign for Miller Road, be afraid….very afraid. The friendly faces of Barbara, Donna, CJ, Tom and Jeff were a welcome site…..and more importantly, their water and food. Thanks folks, for meandering the countryside in search of reststops…. no matter how much Jeff ’s Tourette’s acted up.
The home stretch into Marietta was fairly relaxed. By the end of the day people were going through more water and where understandably tired. The last significant climb, about 5 miles from the end had many perpetrating hate crimes against Frank in their minds. Luckily, the cool salve of beer would smooth over illegal thoughts.
(from left to right): Rick Holt, Mitch Odonnell, Amanda Orr, Cindy (?), Jeff Schluep, Peggie Shaw, Mitchel (?), Mark Clingan.
Barbara Myers and Donna Bush managing the Chesterhill snack stop.
Lone CFC rider climbs a hill on SR 78 southwest of McConnelsville / Malta.
A SAG Story
My contribution to the event (other than subtle sarcasm), was to drive SAG on Sunday. For those who have never done this duty, it’s harder than it sounds. On a ride such as this you have rider abilities that range from a first century to RAAM qualified. That translates to huge time difference as the day goes by. Constant trips between rest stops and along the route are typical. The job is rewarding however, since you provide real help to those in need.
Needs are plentiful on day two. With most folks having already a full day of climbing in their legs, speeds are slower and food is essential. As a key component to the Bagel Pony Express route, the SAG drivers handed off the remains of breakfast moving forward throughout the day. Stockport, the first stop of the day, was the major benefactor of the Bagel Express.
Despite the food and the beautiful weather, signs of the ride taking its toll were everywhere. The faces on riders as the day wore on began to run almost as long as the line of individuals asking for ibuprofen from SAG support vehicles / rest stops. As folks pulled into the Logan rest stop, the evitable question of “how much farther *really* is it” was often asked. The stock answer of “not far” and “you’re almost there” didn’t cut it people wanted the number of feet left, plus / minus .2%. Oh yeah, it better be completely flat too.
The last section had one last leg-breaker of hill on a road not much wider than your driveway. I had one last SAG customer on the climb, a person who got their century and was content to finish right there…no arguments…you better let me get into that car or I will kill you. Yeah, that person was a tough read..
When all was said and done, 128 people took part in a two day ride that wasn’t supposed to happen at all. Thanks to an army of volunteers, Frank Seebode and all the unsung hero’s taking a pull in the front of many a paceline for making the 32nd CFC a HUGE success. Long live the King. See you next year.
Cyclist waits for Ric to fix up his bike.
Ric Nolan, Cyclist Connection, fixes a bike at lunch.
Lone CFC rider climbs a hill on SR 78 southwest of McConnelsville / Malta.