Assualt To Marion

Assault to Mount Mitchell/Assault to Marion

I agreed to a ride with animal Carl and had no idea what I was agreeing to. Like some little kid I said yes. I had no idea what I was getting into until signing up for this MOUNTAIN ride at the last minute. I decided to get to Marion early and check it out. As I was heading north from the starting point of Spartanburgh, I realized the hills were getting more and more steep. As Marion came closer I realized that this was a mountain ride, idiot I am. I was to meet Carl in Marion so we could leave one car in Marion and one in Spartanburgh, I was hoping Carl would cancel. Come to find out, Carl was hoping I would to. We got a hotel in Spartanburgh and animal Carl sets our alarm clock for 4:45 am so we can get up early, eat breakfast and make the starting line at 6:30 a.m. Now this is a bike ride understand and there is no prize or money involved just the pleasure of wearing ourselves down and say we did the assault to Marion. Carl and I decided to have a few drinks the night before and a shot to give us our necessary energy for the morning bike ride.

It was a beautiful morning at the starting line and over 1000 riders lined up to assault this organized bike ride that I have not done since I did the death ride in Tahoe when I was 23. Carl said we will have to push ourselves the first hour in order to stay up with the group and then it will calm down and we will be with a group doing around 20 mph up and down hills with very little effort. I do not start well the first hour and or 17 miles. We were flying and getting to the front and I thought I was going to have to quit if the pace remained as it did for 74 miles.I was out of breath and was already thinking I am not going to make it. Well animal Carl was right, after about an hour we got up with a group and went up hills and mountains more easily than I thought. We got in a grove and it was so pleasurable to do about 20 mph and talk to another biker next to you like you were sipping tea or in our case drinking a beer watching a basketball game.

This ride was so well organized. The police stopped cars for us at every turn. There was even sag cars around to help when there was trouble. Carl got a flat tire, of course the back tire and a sag car came out of no where, jumped out of the vehicle with a pump and change the tire for him. The driver even gave Carl another extra tube and offered me one if I wanted it. Wow, what an experience. After the flat, Carl and I exploded to the finish line like no one's business. We caught up with the riders we were riding with that we lost due to the flat. I kid you not, the last 20 miles the other riders looked like they were going backwards. We were flying through the last 20 miles.We picked up one more rider who was going all the way to Mount Mitchell and he was so impressed and thankful for the way we rode the last leg. It was awesome. Carl did not feel well and we all know Carl, he still pushes it harder than we do when we feel great. I am still on a high from this ride and want to do more of these in the future.

The worry is this however, we must get our gears changed. I was at such a disadvantage going up the one big hill as I was getting passed by cyclists spinning their wheels as I am working so hard and getting passed like a turtle. Blood sweat and Gears is not going to be fun without the proper gears and training. BSG is not going to be fun anyhow who am I fooling. Anyhow what a great time Carl and I had. Thanks for the invite animal, had no idea how much fun these rides can be.


Phil