Chile Pepper Ride

    It has been a while since I have done an event, but doing the Chile Pepper Ride was a great way to get back into the swing of things.  Today I finished the 38 mile ride with my buddy Russ.  We started off on time at 9:30.  It felt hot when we left the La Vina Winery and I was a little worried that the heat would make it a hard ride but that was not the case at all.  It was a perfect day for a ride down the scenic highway 28.  The event was well organized and had plenty of aid stations.  The aid station at the halfway point was the best.  One of the volunteers asked if he could hold my bike while I stopped which was really nice.  At the rest stop plenty of fuel was available such as energy bars, fig newtons, and peanut butter sandwiches, which really hit the spot.  After a brief stop me and my buddy Russ were off again.  One of the best parts of the event was riding through the canopy of the pecan trees, it really made the ride worth it.  I finished the race riding at an average speed of 18.5 mph which I was well pleased with. 
    Like I said this event was really well organized and I will do it again.  If I had to complain about anything I would have to say that more outhouses are needed at the beginning of the race.  To many riders were standing in line waiting to go to the restroom.  Also the race packet was really cheap, but on the other hand it did not cost much to join the event.  I just wish a t-shirt would have come with the package rather than having to buy it separate.  Over all I highly recommend this event and hope to do it again next year.  If God is willing I would like to do the century or metric century.