Lodi isn’t the greatest place on Earth, but it did set the scene for the first of hopefully many Mission Cycling weekend excursions. We rented two vans – one for people, one for bikes – and hit the road before noon on Saturday. With nothing but rain in the forecast, spirits weren’t as high as they could be.

Fortunately, one of our clubmates has roots in Lodi: his parents own a vineyard and winery! After a tour of the grounds (and a few glasses of wine), the mood lightened considerably!

We went for a short spin later that afternoon, stretching out on the flats before the big event the next day. Dinner was a good time, too – those ‘Reserved for Mission Cycling’ placards were priceless.

Ready to spin

The wake-up time was a bone of contention among members of the crew, but we eventually rolled out of bed and to the start line by 7:30 AM. It was overcast at this point, but as we saddled up, rain began to fall – and it did not relent for hours. 

The first quarter-century was quick. The group split before the second mile, leaving just Dylan, Hobe and I at the front – and we pushed it hard. Most of us regrouped at the first rest-stop, but that’s when the rain really started to come down.

Eventually, we got lost. I stopped to the check the map and the group kept on pedalling. Fortunately, I spotted Ryan on the road and we figured things out. Then, once we were back on-course, we intersected with some other members of the group – so two became a healthy handful. Anyway, the theme of the day changed from hammerfest to survival ride. Mile 48 to mile 108 was all about one thing: making it to the finish line without coming down with swine flu!

Fortunately for us, the sun did come out – but only for the last ten or fifteen miles. That was enough – the Central Valley sun worked wonders, drying our wet gear and warming the air to the point where we all felt somewhat human again.

Lesson learned: riding 100 miles in the rain is only possible when you’ve got teammates to lean on when the going gets tough!