The Joys of Being a Ride Director

There is an old saying that goes, “There are three kinds of people:  ones who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who don't see anything at all.”  If cycling is going to have citizen events, then the system needs some crazy folks in the first group.  There is a certain amount of pleasure in creating a route.  In the case of the Camino205, around Palestine, TX, where there have not been many (if any) recent organized bike rides, one must have the outlook of a pioneer.  Prepare yourself by studying what maps exists, gather your supplies and companions, and keep your eye on the north star.  Or in modern parlance, keep your eye on your paper maps, Google maps, and gps.

Photo by unknown rider of the El Camino 205

One of the joys of northeast Texas is that it has been occupied by humans for millennia.  Its very likely the first Spaniards in the area, circa the 1690, used native people to guide them.  The Europeans would presumably use existing trails and routes for and eventually these would be mapped and expanded into wagon roads.  Its fun to remember these first travelers and honor them by traveling under muscle power, albeit on a modern contrivance with wheels.  The El Camino205 uses some of the routes first trod by early Spanish missionaries and riders can see a replica of the northernmost Spanish mission in Texas.

The ride director must create a route that satisfies a number of characteristics.  The ride should be pretty.  There is an inverse relationship between traffic volumes and speed and cycling enjoyment.  Put simply: Less is More.  There should be a suitable place to assemble for the ride and welcome finishers.  Local support can make or break a ride – in this case More is More. If crossing private property, permission in writing should be obtained early.  If not in a major metro, there should be camping and motels, stores and gas stations, and perhaps a medical facility not too far away.  Some races, such as the epic MTB Downieville race, are two hours by ambulance from a major hospital, so helicopters may be needed for evacuation.  (As an aside, if you are a mountain bike racer, Downieville should be on your bucket list).

Unless purely for beginners, the route should be challenging in some way.  Some rides in Colorado cross mighty passes, Hotter n Hell has wind and heat, and winter rides, such as Frostbike can have dicey routes and cold and snow.  As gravel road riding has taken off, new rides have sprung up in nearly every state and many of the hardest rides sell out quickly.  There is a gravel ride in every month of the year as well.  If I ever win the lottery we might take off and ride a gravel event in every state and make an epic video of the adventure.  Ah, of such stuff are dreams made.

El Camino205, in its third year, was created to offer riders a special challenge while meeting almost all the requirements for a good event (low traffic, welcoming town, etc.).  The ride director's challenge is to link together a circuit that shows the best of the area – and we think we have succeeded.  In 2015, several riders told us that the 105 mile route was the hardest century they had ridden.  Several riders finishing the 205 mile route said the El Camino205 was harder than Dirty Kanza.  The courses offer up numerous short but punchy climbs and some challenging road surfaces while containing sections of easy riding for recovery.  As ride director these comments warm my heart – and riders keep coming back for more fun.  

While all gravel rides encourage participants to be self sufficient, most ride directors realize there is some need to help out folks truly in need.  Hence rides like the Landrun in Stillwater, OK,use local 4x4 clubs to help out patrolling the course.  Race directors may station water and snacks at strategic spots or give directions to family who might meet their riders on the course to supply sustenance.  Ride directors also do their best to avoid people getting lost, but this is part of the challenge too – good old Boy Scout navigation skills can prove useful – especially when the Garmin decides to call it quits.

If you have not tried a gravel ride here are a few suggestions.  Make sure your bike is in top working order.  Take it to your friendly local mechanic a few weeks before – don't wait until the last minute.  Wider tires are usually better.  Bring a few tools and tubes to be self sufficient.  You can ride a long way without food but water is important – camel backs exist for a good reason.  Last but not least watch the weather report.  Riding in the rain can be a lot of fun if you have a decent jacket like a Showers Pass.   A tricky thing is shoes – I have seen a lot of shoe/cleat failures because folks just don't check this when dialing in their bike.  Doing all this will help you be confident and get a good nights sleep the night before – you may need it!  Ride directors rarely get much sleep before an event, but we live on adrenaline, vitamin C and a healthy dose of good humor!  See you on the road.

Bikes Welcome.

Dave Morrow