2019 - The Tour de Mulberry Century - CIBA Gran Sport Ride

A version of this Ride Report appears in the June, 2019 edition of CIBA News, the newsletter of the Central Indian Bicycling Association – CIBAride.org.

A total of 7 riders participated in the first CIBA Gran Sport ride of 2019 (and the first under the new adopted guidelines), on Sunday April 27, 2019.  Starting from the north side of Carmel, the Tour de Mulberry century has been a spring tradition for a circle of north side riders (and my family) since 2005.   Why ride a century in April? To prepare for the annual TOSRV ride in Columbus Ohio in May, which includes TWO centuries when you do the full ride.  And why ride to Mulberry? Well, it just happens to be 50ish miles to Mulberry from the end of my driveway; riding 50 miles from home and then turning back is a simple way to get in a 100 miles!

Finishing up brisk miles.

Another aspect of this route is the option for riders to join along the way.  The route passes through Sheridan, Kirklin, Frankfort (Indiana), and over the years, riders not ready the full 100 would join in along the way, and this year’s was no exception. Three riders started from my driveway, another joined us heading north on Monon Trail, and another tandem couple met us for lunch in Frankfort on the return leg. Gran Sport rides are self-supporting, so we “sagged local” in the small towns along the way. This included our 60-mile lunch stop at Arni’s in Frankfort.

Gran Sport ride are based on speed groups, and the Tour De Mulberry goal was for 15 mph – or 7.5 hour century (riding time).  And while we were all ready for that pace, the challenge is always presented by Indiana’s spring winds.  The course is North/Northwest going out, and South/Southeast for the return, and this year we were dealt a steady 10-15 mph wind out of the Northeast.  So while we had some favoring winds for much of  the 50 miles out, and managed a little faster, our return ride required good team work, and some tandem help, to maintain our pace heading in.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the inaugural CIBA version of this annual ride!

Lunch in Frankfort at 65 miles.

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