Another D2R2

Cool guy with a cool jersey.

The D2R2 is getting super popular. Almost 1,000 people signed up and despite Hurricane Irene, it appeared that a lot of them and more showed up. The expansion does not seem to serve as a detriment to the logistical execution of the event. It's super-well run and the volunteers are awesome. Also, there are so many roads that they easily absorb the thousand riders. None the less, the increased popularity is making it lose its weirdness and gain some feel of a charity ride. Obviously, I have no claim to cred, because this is only the third time I've gone up there. I can still observe, though.

Anyway, Dario, Peter and I rode the 100k in matching jerseys with camaraderie and style. We managed to miss a turn on the return trip (which made for a lengthier trip and had a pretty sweet road descent down Shelburne Road), but since I didn't want an asterisk next to my name, I rode up and down Hawks and Taylor Roads. It perplexed the people going down the road as well as my riding companions. My 100k became more like a 125k. It was fun, but the 180k is better. The majority of the highlights of the 100k are from the 180k and the 180k has even better parts. It's nice not to commit to waking up at 4am, though.