I took this picture a minute or so before my wave, the second of two, was given the "go" signal. I was suprised at how casual everyone seemed about getting started, myself included. I guess the competitive riders were already an hour into the 100-mile or 85-mile rides by then. I put my phone under my seat here and didn't get it out again until the ride was over.
The post-ride meal was a choice of tacos, pizza, or bar-b-que. Okay, maybe not the healthiest choices, but I had no complaints with my pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw, and potato chips.
/
I used my two drink tickets for Gatorade (instead of beer) and took the can of Michelob Ultra I was handed at the finish line home to drink later.
After-ride hanging out at a suburban shopping center. Not the most picturesque setting, but obviously some people came in groups or met friends there and had a good time.
That's the Start/Finish line, during a lull of riders coming in. Riders tended to finish in groups, which no doubt was helped by all the traffic lights we had to stop for in the last couple of miles. Everyone was as bunched up toward the end as we were at the the beginning. By contrast, in the middle of the ride, I found myself completely alone with no other cyclists in sight a couple times.
There was an announcer with a microphone at the finish line and he commented on some of the people finishing, like the guy with a stretched utility bike with huge boom-box speakers mounted where oversized panniers would go, people dressed in costumes, and so forth. The coolest thing I saw was when he said something like, "Hey everyone, let's welcome in this young rider...[pause]...what?...[pause]...His name is Aiden! Let's congratulate Aiden!"
I was eating on a bench and watching people finish. Well, this kid was about four years old and wearing a full-face helmet on a small bike without training wheels, riding next to his grinning father. He got a huge standing ovation from the crowd and everyone was shouting his name. I bet he enjoyed that. Soon after I saw what must have been the grandparents taking pictures. Pretty neat.
There were three aid stations along the way with water and food - energy bars, gels, oranges cut into wedges, bananas, etc. I stopped at the middle one to refill my water bottles and inhale a bar I had brought with but got going again as fast as I could, while some stayed to socialize. The aid station pictured above at the finish line had the same stuff as the others but also cold, wet towels.
Oh man, was that a treat! I had previously gone to my car to put my bike in the trunk and change out of my cycling shorts before eating, but I was still grateful for that wet towel for my face, neck and arms in the hot sun.