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A View From The Rear This year's Beauty and the Beast was an enlightening experience. Riding solo for several years before entering a tour resulted in being strong enough to not really know or even think about what was going on at the rear of a tour. Precisely when Bill Cornelius announced only ten minutes before the start, the rear tire on my bike flatted. Three miles into the tour it flatted again, and in about another mile, you guessed it, my third flat. I inspected the tire, rim, spokes, and rim strip every time, but found nothing. Thanks to Kevin from Simpson's Fitness and Adventure Sports, who was working sag support, the problem was finally solved when he found a small cut in the sidewall. I had a Park tire boot, which easily fixed the problem, and Kevin got me under way. No more flats, but by then I thought I must have been the last rider. To my surprise there were still riders approaching when I started the tour for the third time. Coming from the rear afforded me the opportunity to view a different class of riders, for whom I soon developed a respect. Few of them wore fancy jerseys or had clipless shoes, many rode heavy bikes with squeaky parts, and most wore t-shirts and walking shorts. Young and old of all body types were struggling to survive the twenty mile route. I shortly approached what at first appeared to be an accident with a big group walking beside their bikes. It turned out to be a small hill, which I would have hardly noticed otherwise. The look on those people's faces expressed determination and a strong will to succeed. Most were red-faced, sweating, and breathing hard. They were walking all over the road, and I was forced to swing wide due to their lack of road savvy. They were people on a mission, almost without expression and in a deep concentration on the formidable task at hand with thoughts of finally reaching their destination. After witnessing rider after rider in a similar state, I was compelled to stop at the first rest stop just to hang out and observe. I never understood until now why there was even a need for a rest stop after only ten miles, but it was packed with riders, who had finally made it to their half way point. People were refueling and discussing the hardship behind them and the arduous journey back. In spite of having a seemingly rough start with three flats and thoughts of cutting the tour short, the lesson gained from these people gave me the inspiration to finish the course and tackle the beast. While the elite riders leading the pack on the sixty four mile route deserve a lot of credit for their hours of training and level of fitness, the overlooked people at the rear are a group to be admired for their determination. |