Tour De Tuck (Ride / Volunteering) Report

[wcuracer]

I volunteered for the Tour De Tuck this year as a SAG. My g/f also helped me SAG. It was quite interesting to see how many riders ask where the top of balsam was. I didn't really know what they meant until today as I rode the "Ring of Hades" in reverse. NOW I KNOW. The top of balsam is so deceiving. You think its around the corner then you just keep on climbing. I couldn't understand why people were hurting on charley's creek it looked so easy IN THE CAR. Yes NOW I KNOW after today charleys creek hurts terribly.

SAG was very fun. We sagged for ~ 7hrs. My a double s was feelin it at the end of it all. People were super friendly. The only people who were not friendly was the motorcycles they tended to be jerks when they got behind me when we were feeding a cyclist or feeling up a water bottle. We did SAG from the bottom of Balsam to the end. I think after volunteering for 2 years strait now I will ride at least the Metric next year as for the Century I don't know if I can talk myself in to something so painful. ;D After seeing everyone's face on Charleys Creek yesterday it made me second guess myself on "to ride or not to ride" that is the question. ;D

Congrats to all who finished. Glad we could be apart of it all.

[Scott Baker]

This year's event was a big success, thanks to the outstanding efforts of the volunteers. The Sylva Rotary Club provided the bulk of the folks at the aid stations and directional spots. Kudos to Clint and Holly for doing some great SAG. My highlight was Holly cleaning my sweat-covered glasses while rolling along the BRP. Thanks Holly!

As for my ride report, I'll make it brief. The group pretty much stayed together until the BRP in Cherokee. Several of us stopped to take a nature break at the entrance. After that a few riders took off uphill at a pace I could not sustain, even if I were with them to start with, so several of us rode a hard but moderate tempo. I was with a group of about 8-10 until Balsam Gap. Heading up from Balsam Gap to Richland Balsam I started feeling a little tired and my lower back was hurting (note to self, work on core strengthening this fall & winter). I was dropped by the group at that point. My wife and boys met me just before the tunnel with some fresh bottles. Yay! A nice pick me up.

I rode by myself until Charleys Creek, where I passed a guy pushing his bike up "the wall". We rode together briefly, but he did not descend very fast, so I dropped him shortly. I stopped at the 281/107 aid station for one bottle of Gatorade and a banana. I was about 2 minutes behind one rider and tried to catch him. I saw him a few times, but never closed the gap. On Yellowbird Branch Rd, just before the stop sign at the top, I looked back to see three riders closing in on me. I was having none of that, so I went all-out all the way to the top of the hill on Savannah Drive, smoked the descent, and sprinted all the way to Main Street. I finished in just over 6:21 in 11th place.

Overall, I felt OK, even though I did 6:14 last year. Oh well, I must be getting older! No cramps or any serious issues, so I was thankful for that.

The photos turned out great. I was in a bunch of them, so I am biased. The metric got stiffed on photos a little, but next year will be better as a whole. It was the first time the photographer shot a moving event, and he and the other photographer focused on the century mostly.

Photos:
adamschultz.smugmug.com/Events

I heard a few locals rode "bandit", which is not good if any of the aid stations were used. Hopefully not. I would like to think in the spirit of the event locals would pay, but I understand the financial situation is a barrier for some. We plan to discount entries for WCU students next year and give passes to exceptional performers as volunteers from this year.

Thanks again to everyone who participated and helped out!

[TC]

I admit I rode bandit. I did not get any food, water, or verbal support at any of the stops. If the money I would have paid went to a charity, maybe I would pay. If it does go to charity, I stand corrected, but the website does not indicate that is the case, and I don't consider Jackson County Chamber of Commerce a charity.

[Scott Baker]

I understand TC. As long as you did not take advantage of any of the facilities, I have no beef with you just riding the route. You are correct in that the money does not go to charity, but a portion does go to the Sylva Rotary Club, which will all be put back into the community via various projects. The remaining monies, after all bills are paid, does go to the JC Chamber and Travel & Tourism Authority. Feel free to contact Julie Spiro if you are curious how they use the money in Sylva and Jackson County. Bringing all those cyclists into Sylva had a significant economical impact. Ask Motion Makers, the local restaurants, or hotel/motels if it helped them at all. I know you are not disputing that it did not help our area, but big picture the money goes towards that effort.

[Moose]

The student discount is a great idea! College kids always get excited when they can get things for cheap. I know that this will have an effect on the number of riders signed up next year!

[Wrenchmeister]

Sept 24, 2008 16:28:42 GMT -5 TC said:

I admit I rode bandit. I did not get any food, water, or verbal support at any of the stops. If the money I would have paid went to a charity, maybe I would pay.

I don't understand this. You can't say you didn't take advantage of the facilities. Was it just a coincidence that you rode the Tuck route at the same time as everyone else? You took advantage of, among other things: a big flashing sign warning cars of your presence, numerous signs helping keep cars aware of your presence, volunteers helping traffic be aware of cyclists, and the camaraderie and safety of being a large group of other cyclists who had paid. In other words, everything about the ride except some food and a T-shirt. MAYBE you would pay if the money went to a charity? Do you buy bikes if they don't support a charity? Do you pay to race if it doesn't support a charity? Explain to me (not technically, but morally) how riding bandit isn't stealing. And explain how it doesn't undermine the race promoters, local volunteers, the Rotary, the local bike shop, or anyone else who contributes to this event in an effort to promote cycling in our community.

[TC]

Take a very close look at my post, and notice I did not say traffic control. That was on purpose. Yes, I took advantage of traffic control.

I choose where to spend my money, it is the most powerful statement I can make. I spend my money in Motion Makers because I like you and your co-workers. If you guys acted like the jerks in some of the other shops I have visited, you would not get a dime. I would, in fact pay the money to ride if it went to charity. That's my decision, and I stated it about a week before the ride when I originally went to the site to register. Truth be told, I don't care about the chamber. They only promote bicycles on the road 1 day a year. Is there some pamphlet or flier that I missed? The chamber website only has 74 words about cycling, almost none of which is specific to road cycling. If you take a moment to look the site over, it actually adopts a position that riding on the parkway is not something you should do, at the very same time that they are promoting a ride on it. Check it out! Sounds like one of the latest McCain gaffes to me!

Do you know how many events I have volunteered to work this year, events that involved bicycles riding on roads? It may be sealing to you, but I can easily sleep at night. Condemn me if you want, at least I am honest about being what you call dishonest.

[TC]

Maybe the chamber could take a stance on the addition of rumble strips on the shoulder of the only road the transects the county from East to West (I'm still completely mad about this one). I used to ride out to Burningtown from the house with Jen, not anymore.


BTW, I have nothing against the people that work at the chamber, I think Julie and Mary are super great. I just don't feel the chamber does anything for road bikers, save for the one day of the year where they hand out cookies and smiles, all in the name of room revenue.

[joet]

We almost got you Scott. I was in the group of 3 (really 4) on yellow bird. We actually saw you on 107 and attempted to close the gap then, but no dice. Nice end of ride effort to keep us off.
Joe

[Scott Baker]

Thanks Joe. You guys were reeling me in for sure. I looked at the time splits on the photos (you can click the little "i" and see the time the photo was taken) near Richland Balsam and I had about 6 minutes on you there. Once I saw you guys that close on Yellowbird, I almost killed myself to stay away. Thanks for pushing me there at the end.

You had a great ride. Very impressive. Your friend, Ken I think, dropped me like a bad habit. You are in some good photos. You look very serious at the start area.

adamschultz.smugmug.com/gallery/5998369_miEWi#377201457_d8WWf

[grant]

Come on Scott.......it's Ben, not Ken. You weren't too far behind us. You put in a great ride yourself. Hopefully, I'll be in Physical Therapy grad school at Western next year and I'll be able to do some riding with you guys. By the way, Joe does indeed have his game face on at the start (funny stuff).

[Scott Baker]

Sorry Ben! You were starting to put me in the locker of pain at the point you told me your name, so I'll use that as my excuse. My bad. I look forward to riding with you around here once you begin the PT grad program. Hopefully I can keep up with you then, but I sure am getting old.