I drove to Wichita Falls Friday to ride the Hotter N Hell 100k route today. Remembering the chip seal surface on FM2384 from last year I changed the tires on my Canyon Endurace CF 7 bike to 700×35 and aired them up to 58 psi. Thanks to some very nice friends (Jeff and Jodi) I shared a room at the new Delta Hotel near where the ride finishes. No need to drive from the hotel, find a parking spot, and ride to the starting line for the 110k.

My ride didn’t get off to a good start though. Riding to the start line I crashed while looking at the signs on where each distance would start. I turned left just as another cyclist rode up beside me and down I went. The video tells the story. I got up with road rash on my left knee and made my way to the 100k area. After the Star Spangle Banner finished 2 jets and 2 propeller planes flew over Scott Street heading north. That was at 7:05 AM. The 100k I was released at 7:27 AM. My road rash was stiff but after pedaling for some I didn’t notice the pain anymore. The hotel didn’t have enough ice for all of the riders so my CamelBak wasn’t filled with enough ice.

I skipped rest stop 1 but at rest stop 2 I filled the CamelBak with ice water and the water bottle with electrolyte.At rest stop 2 the route turned onto FM2384 where the super rough chip seal began. My 700×35 tires and lower pressure helped minimize the vibrations. This went on until we crossed Business US287 where the chip seal was worn smoother. At rest stop 3 I got more ice water and electrolyte in the water bottle. The water bottle wasn’t insulated and the didn’t last very long.

When I reached rest stop 4 I got more ice water. I brought an energy bar from the hotel and I ate it sitting in the shade. The rest stops didn’t have anything besides oranges, bananas, and pickles. Those weren’t what I needed. I decided to go to the medical area to get my road rash looked at. Two nurses took care of that in an excellent manner, checking my vital signs, applying cold cloths to my other knee and neck. With a bandage in place I rode off for the remaining 22 miles.

Not too long after leaving rest stop 4 Travis Armstrong appeared on my right side. He told me he and his family watch my YouTube videos. We talked for several miles. Travis has Parkinson’s disease and cycling helps him a lot. His son was at a place on the side of the road with watermelon and he dropped off to see him.

When I reach I-44 the route turned south into the wind making for hard pedaling. At the impromptu rest stop I stopped for some pickle juice and a few minutes in the sparse shade. Then I rode on the “real” rest stop 5. A snow cone and conversation with a lady cyclist under the tent shade prepped me for the last 10 miles. The wind was from the south at 10 mph with 20 mph gusts. Turning left over I-44 put the wind on my right until the next rest stop on the Air Force Base. More pickle juice and PBJ sandwich prepared me for the last few miles. Winding through the base the line of airmen cheered as I rode by aiming the GoPro towards them. I didn’t know but the wireless mic battery died then and I didn’t their cheers in the video. Off the base it was about 3 miles to the finish. The heat was high and the wind gusts strong until I made it to the finish line at 1:18 PM.

The link to photos I took during the ride.

Along the ride I scored 4 Strava top results. Three of them: 3rd fastest time on 1739 to 2345 (9:47), 3rd fastest time on tailwind stretch (49:08), and 3rd fastest time on Fowlkes Station Final Rise (2:32).