June 2018 South TX Brownsville Region. By Richard Cavin, South Texas RBA RGV Randos

Transcription

1 June 2018 South TX Brownsville Region By Richard Cavin, South Texas RBA RGV Randos Figure 1 Are we ready to Rando! Going to be hot. Almost seven years ago I took up the sport of cycling. The following year I learned about Randoneurring and RUSA through a friend. I decided to ride a few Randos in and was told by our existing RBA, Edward Johnson, that he was moving to Austin, so I decided to put in my application to become the RBA back in Wow if I d known better about all the work, but I love doing it! Being a relatively new RBA I m always looking for ways to increase membership and ridership. The running/cycling community in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas has grown by leaps and bounds the last several years. It is almost impossible to find a weekend without at least two or more events. So Randoneurring can be a tough sell due to all the competing activities, that have full support, rest stops, etc.

2 Figure 2 Signing Waivers and Getting Cue Sheets, Cards Glad my buddy Eddie was there to help! For those unfamiliar with the real south Texas our weather allows for riding 12 months a year, if you can stand the wind, heat and humidity in the summer. Our area is essentially flat, wide open (no trees), very windy, very humid and often very hot. I ve ridden in temps of over 120F on multiple occasions and unless the wind is gusting over 50 we re having an average day, LOL. Last year in an effort to increase ridership I had polled some of the local cycling groups I ride with to see when they would like to do their first Rando. I heard a clear message that a Populaire on a Sunday was a great idea. So I designed a route and planned a Summer POP Series on Sundays in June, July and August. The August 20, 2017 Populaire (109K) was the most successful although the others were well attended. Over 100 riders signed up with 89 in attendance. We had a 7 AM start. The morning dawned with clear skies, hot, windy and humid, our typical for South TX in the summer. Wind speed got as high 28 MPH gusts with an official recorded high temp of 99F. All typical in August in our region. With over 100 registered I solicited the help of a volunteer for sign in the morning of the ride since I m literally a one man team. My buddy Eddie was a big help although he had NO idea what was going on, but he quickly learned! Just make sure everyone signs the waiver Eddie!!!

3 Figure 3 Harlingen, TX Lining Up Just Some of the Riders I decided not to ride and instead take pictures, especially with the number of riders we had. What a fun day. Even though the heat and head wind on the second part of the ride were very tough we had 86 riders finish the 109K (68 mile) route with only three DNF. One young man, Sebastian, at the age of 10 finished the ride. He often complained that his father was slowing him down! He was correct. I ve known Sebastian and his father since he was 5 and that young man loves riding his bike. Just last week I did a thirty mile ride with him and he is getting very fast; often going over 20 MPH for extended periods. So my day was a bit stressful from an RBA standpoint. A lot of riders, logistics, collecting cards, making sure everyone finished, taking pictures and submitting the results! Anyone who organizes bike rides and/or is an RBA fully understands. So far, my most successful day as an RBA. In 2017 I had over 200 riders attend the events I hosted.

4 Figure 4 Near Rio Hondo, TX Flat and Windy Already Getting Hot!

5 Figure 5 Near Santa Monica, TX 10 Year Sebastian Leading the Pack! TX Chip/Seal...yuck

6 Figure 6 Heading West to Raymondville, TX Enjoy That Cross Tail Wind While It s There!

7 Figure 7 Near Sebastian, TX The Faster Riders Fighting the Heat and Head Wind

8 Figure 8 Taking a Break in Combes, TX After 20 miles of Heat and Head Wind

9 Figure 9 Harlingen, TX First Finishers over 20 MPH Avg These Guys Can Fly

10 Figure 10 Harlingen, TX One of my Crazy Friends Relaxing After She Finished Her First Rando

11 Figure 11 Harlingen, TX Woohoo We're Done!

12 Figure 12 Harlingen, TX 10 Year Old Sebastian Sporting the Pop Pin with His Dad I will continue to host and promote the sport of Randoneurring in South Texas; but it continues to be a struggle getting riders to sign up to RUSA. I know all the RUSA volunteers are working very hard, I see it and it s greatly appreciated. The new format for the magazine is a big upgrade, very professional. The RUSA Populaire pins are a huge, huge hit with our riders, they love them. So keep up the great work everyone!! Oh yeah, come visit us in South Texas, ride a Rando (scheduled or permanent) and enjoy the people and food. We have a lot of Tex Mex restaurants and Pan Dulce bakeries everywhere. Winter is a great time to ride in South Texas if you don t like the heat. I live four miles from the border of Mexico and ride my bike to the border multiple days a week yes it s fine being near the border. The food and people in our area are friendly and great, just note that there is a lot of Tex Mex spoken here, so don t be surprised, and it s OK! I diligently keep my website up to date, also have a Face Book page for cycling and am also a warmshowers host, so you re welcome to stay or camp at my place. Hope you enjoy the story and the pics. Everyone is smiling for a reason because they all enjoy the sport of cycling and being with friends.

13 If you d like to discuss cycling, have comments on my short article and any suggestions please send me an . Richard Cavin, is a technology professional who lives and works in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas and is also an avid cyclist. He started cycling at the age of 57 and has ridden his bicycles almost 50,000 miles since taking up the sport. Until next time, Be Safe and Ride On! Richard Cavin, RUSA #8720 Harlingen, TX South Texas Regional Brevet Administrator (RUSA) RGV Randos rwc5830@gmail.com