Second ride of the season and I opted for the shorter route (50 Miles). Again, I didn't make the decision on which route I would attempt until the 50/62 mile split, which happened to be at around mile 46. By that time I was already tired of dealing with the Wind and Hills, which we were riding into the entire second half of the ride.

I arrived early to pick up my packet and locate the rest of the MBBC clan. I meet up with Danny and Michelle when I arrived but didn't see them again until the end of the ride. The start of the ride was a little unnerving. It started about 20 minutes late and their choice of roads at the start was poor, too many turns and narrow roads in the first 2 miles make for a slow start. Once we got out of Aledo the crowds thinned out a bit and the ride became a little more enjoyable. The route took us north of Aledo and then onto some nice winding roads that circled Lake Weatherford. This was the prettiest part of the ride and is one of the reasons I love doing rides in this area.

After circling the lake the route takes you to White Settlement for some wonderful views of the Huge Landfill? Not exactly scenic. Next we turned directly into the wind (18+ mph), just in time for the most challenging climbs on the route. The scenery got better, but the climbs tougher. From what I had heard, the last 12 miles (on the 62 mile route) had one of the routes toughest climbs and again it was into the wind, so when I reached to 50/62 mile split I decided to call it a day and head to the finish line. 50 miles was enough!

At the finish I meet up with the rest of the MBBC team, all of which cut there routes short due to the wind. I didn't feel so bad after hearing everyone else made the same decision. The post ride meal was great, Hamburger and Hotdogs cooked but the local Fire Department.

The ride had its good points and more than its share of bad. In my opinion It didn't live up to the hype, but was still a decent ride and it was for a good cause. Hopefully next year they'll start on time, change the start location and avoid the landfill...... I'm sure they could find some nicer routes North or West of the lake.

The wind and hills really kill my average on this one, I ended up averaging 14.3 mph..... Owwwwwwwch!