Well, I did it.  I rode a metric century (100 km / 62 miles) for the 2013 Chicago Tour de Cure!

That’s the longest distance I’ve ever ridden in a single ride.

I also raised $5,291 for the ADA. That made me a Champion on a Mission. A big thank you to everyone who sponsored me.

I’m super proud of myself for both achievements!

I was quite worried about the weather.  The forecast was for rain, but thankfully the meteorologists were as accurate as usual, and the weather was perfect.  Sunny, warm, but a bit cool at the start.  Perfect riding weather.

I rode with my friends Marty & Steve. Due to allergies, lack of sleep, and the remnants of a bad cough, Steve wasn’t able to finish.  Steve did do 45 miles which, under the circumstances, was pretty darn good. Marty and I finished the ride with few problems.

Below is a map and statistics of the ride from Strava…

The leg south from the 3rd rest stop (Aquavina Winery) was especially brutal … although it was largely downhill, we had a 20 mph headwind … so it was a struggle to maintain 7-8 mph.

At the end of the ride I was cheered on by Ginny, my Dad, brother Dan, and niece Naomi. Even from a few blocks away, and across the street, I could hear Ginny whooping & hollering.  Yes, she knows how to project her voice, but I’m also rather attuned to it. It was great seeing my family at the end.

I received donations from all over … including overseas. If you’re interested in seeing a map of where I received donations from, take a look at the donation map I put together.

Speaking of family … I think bike riding is infectious … Ginny indicated that she might like to try the 20 mile route next year … and my dad showed me HIS recent riding that he’s been tracking on his iPhone.  Maybe we’ll have to form a sub-team of Team RED: “Team Gibbs”.  We do need to get Ginny a better bike though.  Her bike is pretty old and very heavy. I think she would do well with something like a hybrid bike that I currently have.

Speaking of bikes … I’ve pretty much decided that I need to buy an additional bike.  The Specialized Sirus Elite, which is a hybrid (has features of both a trail bike and road bike), is fine for most riding … but everyone I’ve talked to says they have both a road bike and hybrid bike, and they get 4-5 mph more speed out of the road bike when riding on roads.

For this reason, I’m probably going to invest in a road bike for next year.  I’ll keep the Sirus for trail rides, but use the road bike when I’m actually riding on the road.

Road bikes can get expensive … so I’m going to have to decide what features are important.

All in all, I had a great time, and I’m looking forward to doing next years Tour de Cure.  I’ve already committed to being the Team RED captain again.