College Tour Ride Summary – By Keith Morical
The College Tour (400K) was an eye-opening experience for riders ready for a new experience!
As pre-rider, Aaron Milbank wrote: “It is a great mix of roads and trails, beautiful scenery, thoughtful controls, and a fun theme (visiting 19 colleges).
And did I ever get an "education" on my college tour. 54 miles in, my electronic shifting went kaput. Rode the next 85 miles in a single gear until it was repaired, very slowly on the flats and as a biped on steep climbs. It happened again with 15 miles to go, but at that point, who cares? I also "learned" what it feels like to hit a possum at speed and in the dark. At least I learned what it feels like from my perspective, not the possum's.
Many thanks to Dan Klausner, who joined me in this adventure and never complained when I was crawling along despite a cadence of 150 rpm. Dan had his own "education" with a multi-flat day but completed his first 400K in style!”
Dawn Piech (RUSA Board member) and Hollie Long came from Illinois, and Hollie was rewarded with a new RUSA ride state (MN). Dawn liked the beauty of the River Falls to Menomonie hills and added positive energy to the entire group. Along with Norman Ehrenreich, the three took the let's enjoy the ride approach, which was easy with the full moon and warm, still air. They finished in about 24 hours.
Chris Alto started and completed his longest ride “amped up.” He initially stated that it was coffee bringing out his energy, but his energetic demeanor throughout suggested that he is a guy who loves to ride. He rode with Tim Donahue (on his single speed) and Keith Morical (using all 22 gears). The three of us were all “training” for the DAMN and rode at a good clip all in very different styles. Although we did make time for a couple of leisurely controls like the Acoustic café because college can be a lot of fun!
