As we were preparing to depart on Gomer’s 600K, we didn’t really know at the time how much tenacity it would take to complete this cycling adventure. Rain was predicted for various times during the weekend, but it was hard to know exactly when we would get hit. So at precisely 5:30AM, George Hiscox, Jeff Bauer, John Hickman, Jeremy Miller, and Steve Phillips departed Springville Station on a 384.2 mile cycling journey that would take us over Lookout Mountain, and the highest point in Alabama at Cheaha State Park. For most of Saturday, we had great weather which included overcast skies that provided some cover from the sun. It looked as though we might even dodge the rain bullet completely; however, it was hard to get a good read on where the weather was headed.

As we rolled through Piedmont on the way to a control in Anniston at mile 208, we could see some darkening of the sky ahead of us, and we actually felt a few drops during the 21 mile trek down highway 9. As we were eating and getting our control cards signed, the rain began. We waited for a few minutes with a hope that it would just stop. It  didn’t, so we made a few clothing changes and headed down the road. We figured that we could either stand in the store watching the rain, or we could get on down the road and get some more miles behind us. As for staying warm, we were pretty sure that the upcoming climb up Cheaha would take care of that, which it did.

Once we were on top at Cheaha at 2,400′, staying warm wasn’t as easy. Now all of a sudden we weren’t pedaling and creating body heat, and staying warm while standing still wasn’t easy. Other than Jeff who is almost always prepared, it seems that none of us were as prepared as we usually are. We were rummaging through a garbage can looking for plastic bags to use as insulating material. I used the lid from a Styrofoam cooler as a wind-block layer. One has to get really creative sometimes. And it worked quite well.

As the rain continued to come down, we decided to depart for Talladega because we knew were weren’t going to get any warmer or drier just standing around waiting for the rain to stop. So down the mountain we headed in the cold, pouring rain. We went much slower than normal to keep from turning into Popsicles during the descent. That actually helped. As we were making our way down a narrow road in a the dark, we encountered a tree that was completely across the road. There was no way to go around the tree, so we portaged over the tree handing bicycles from one side to the other.

Once we got around the tree, we had about 20 miles to the sleep control in Talladega. Of course we were all looking forward to eating, taking a shower, and putting on some dry clothes for the final 200km. We were greeted by Patrick Sims who did an outstanding job with hosting this control. Thanks Patrick! After a few hours sleep, we rolled out on the final leg.

Skipping ahead, we made our way through Sylacauga, hometown of Jim “Gomer” Nabors. After Vandiver, we went over Coosa and Double-Oak Mountain. En-route to Ashville with about 26 miles to the finish, we encountered a heavy rain shower for about 20 minutes. After passing through the Ashville control, we had 12.6 miles to the finish, and we didn’t waste any time getting down the road.

For much of the ride, John Hickman was about 2-hours behind the lead group; however, he never let that get him down. And he was riding alone, which definitely isn’t easy. Especially in the rain and in the dark. Towards the end, it looked as though he might not make the 40-hour time limit. He showed us all what Randonneuring is all about and finished with 3-minutes to spare.

John wins the Tenacity Award for not giving up. He is a true Randonneur.

Even though there was a chance of rain for the Bonifay Brevets, none of any consequence was seen. In fact, the weather was near picture-perfect. Everyone had a great ride with excellent times. Results have been posted here. Be sure to keep this ride on your radar screen for next year. You do not want to miss it.

The next event will be a 600K on Saturday, May 12th. The route hasn’t been totally finalized; however, it should be within a week or so. It will most likely start in Springville, AL and include Cheaha Mountain. Registration is open now.