10 stages of double fun

The Death Valley Double Century. A definite keeper. Do it, if you like doubles or enjoy the desert. Ride it, because it’s one-of-a-kind. The ride, for me, provided 10 stages of fun. Death Valley National Monument gives you everything, and more. If the moon had oxygen, a 200-mile ride up there might be similar in several ways. Plenty of rock formations. Beautiful absolute desolation. Pretty much out of the this world. Here’s what happened on the Death Valley Double.

1. First 20 miles – Chattiness. Groups of 10-20 riders fueled by caffeine ride hard like a peloton, talk up a storm (and forget that 180 miles separates them from finishing).
2. Miles 20-40 – Eating, drinking, and more chatting. The groups splinter slightly but continue to plow along at speeds between 20 mph and 25 mph. Some riders half-wheel. Others stay on the back. A few brave souls take Hurclean pulls to impress complete strangers.
3. Miles 40-60 – The separation begins after checkpoint #2 (mile 45). On a 15-mile climb averaging under 7 percent gradient, voices go silent. Heads begin to bow. Shoulders rock to and fro. Sweat falls from chins. The fun is officially over for riders who realize it will be a long day (and part of the night) in the saddle.
4. Miles 60-80 – Descending toward vastness, and suddenly wondering why anyone would live in Shoshone.
5. Miles 80-100 – Climbing for another dozen miles. Then descending. Then climbing another half dozen. At one point you’re at 3,200 feet of elevation. Then, you’re below sea level.
6. Miles 100-120 – Saying hello to the wind. It’s blowing in your face. Makes flat terrain more testy. Pull out iPod.
7. Miles 120-140 – Badwater. Why the name? Not sure. Great scenery, though. Course now looking like a war zone. Riders from the Century ride and Double Century ride sharing Highway 190. Gentle rollers. And more wind. It’s getting serious.
8. Miles 140-160 - This is where the brain must tell the body to remain happy and relaxed. At mile 147, you’re at the Furnace Creek Inn checkpoint, where the whole thing started at 6 a.m. It’s not over. Fill bottles. Keep moving. Stovepipe Wells is 23 miles north of here before you’ll get to turnaround and come back to the “finish.” Checkpoint? Finish? It’s all semantics.
9. Miles 160-180 – Flat. Big ring. You can smell the end game. You see the fastest riders coming in the other direction. Waves exchanged. This is getting good.
10. Miles 160-196.4 – Where’d the sun go? The sky goes a brilliant dark blue. Then fades to black. Rain clouds form all about the rim of the valley. Dust swirls. Heavy side gusts toss you around and make a mockery of your 50mm aero rims. Big drops of water begin to pelt face, limbs, enthusiasm. Equaliberium is tested. You’re in the middle of nowhere. The Garmin battery dies. Time to ride on feel. A long river of flickering LED lights approaches. Waving to passing riders is out of the question. It’s enough to concentrate on the road. You turn the cranks, roll up to the finish and have your number marked and time recorded. Where’s the shower? What’s for dinner? Why do it? The fun, I tell you. The fun. (166 miles of it, before battery died.)

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