The Bee-17s will ride a 48 mile chunk of the "Battle of Olustee", Saturday, December 31st

Note: What the heck is the Battle of Olustee you ask? It is a somewhat unsupported unofficial ride of approximately 116 miles that wanders north of Gainesvile and Lake City, which takes place in January, when the days are really too short and often too cold for such frivolity. Some people can ride the Battle before the sun sets without any problems, but as Ethyl Merman sang in "Gypsy", "some people ain't ME." Therefore, for us non-A riders with older knee caps and smaller legs, we will stage two shorter "Skirmishes" instead of a full-fledged "Battle", breaking the ride into TWO separate rides on two different weekends. If anyone contemplating riding the Battle wants to preview the route by riding with us, you can begin next Saturday, secure in the knowledge that you can drown your sorrows and muscular cramps in New Years Eve champaign Saturday night. If you sample the route with us, you may find out that the actual 116 mile Battle might better be avoided by diplomacy, when it arrives on the calendar.

The Route: We will start by riding north from the Gainesville Northside Park on SR121 through Worthington Springs, then go west on CR18 to CR241, which we will take south to Milhopper Rd, and follow that east back to SR121 (NW 34th St), then take that north back to the starting point at the Gainesville Northside Park.

The Ride: This is an moderate ride of ~48 miles, with a few longer hills and mostly smooth roads. Expect ride speeds of 17-19 mph with a target pedaling speed of 17 mph and an average speed of 16-17 mph. This is a no-drop friendly ride for riders in reasonable physical condition; we will soft pedal as necessary to keep the core of the group together because riders on this ride are expected to be able to ride at the stated group speed; nevertheless we will wait for everyone to regroup at each major turn and after fun sprints, if necessary to prevent drops. Helmets are required, appropriate winter wear, and some onboard snacks are recommended.

The Start Point: Will be at the Gainesville Northside Park, whose entrance is located on NW 34th Street, just south of the county DMV office where car tags are issued, a short distance south of the DMV drivers license office and Florida Highway Patrol station on 441. This is the location of the new Gainesville Senior Recreation Center, but it is not in full operation yet and will likely not be open on Saturday morning when we leave; there is a crude park restroom (prison-plumbing-fixture type) located at the east end of the parking lot for the Senior Center in a concrete block building. This is not the exact starting point of the Battle of Olustee, but is close to the actual route, and better suited for our "skirmish" loop.

The Ride Aids: If you want a preview map of the ride or a Garmin .tcx file, email Ed at the address below. A map showing both parts of the two-part ride and Battle route can be provided as .jpg files. A copy of the General Plan for the Bee-17s has been posted on the GCC mail list and is available upon request from Ed.

Weather: In the event of questionable weather as we near ride time, a GO or cancellation notice will be posted on the list server approximately 1 hour or sooner before posted ride meeting time; if you don't see anything by then, the ride is most likely a GO; if you still have concerns or useful specific information about bad weather along the ride route, please give me a call.