The March Migration Project Is On

The March Migration Project is a bike tour unlike any other.  The Migration includes seven days of extensive mixed-terrain riding in some amazing places.  The Migration also includes good food, good company, and lots of sleep between rides.  And it's all happening close to home in central Georgia, USA.

We chose Georgia for many reasons, including:

  1. Fantastic singletrack.  Great dirt roads.  Excellent pavement.  Some of the longest continuous rideable tracks we’ve ever done.  You can read the daily ride itinerary here.
  2. Easy journey.  It's a very short flight.  It requires no acclimation.  Has no jet lag.  No time lost means more time riding.  It's also an inexpensive journey.  
  3. Warmer than New England.  For example, typically about 20 degrees warmer than Boston. Middle March in Georgia offers a daytime high of about 65-70 degrees.

One of the secret dirt roads you'll be riding in Georgia.

What Is Included in the March Migration Project?

  • Seven days of amazing riding.  You can read the daily riding itinerary here.
  • All accommodations for six evenings and seven days.
  • All food and drink:  Breakfasts, on-bike foods, lunches, snacks, dinners.  
  • A custom special edition Overland Migration jersey.
  • Two full-time ride guides:  We have additional rider support people, too.
  • Support vehicle that follows along the route each day.
  • Mechanical bike support.  On-staff full-time mechanic always available.  Your bike will be maintained and tuned each evening.
  • And lots more.  See full details here.

The price of this seven-day all inclusive trip ranges from $2,695 to $3,395.  We have a few spots still available.  We hope you'll join us!  Contact us with questions.

One and done:  This is a one-time project.  Don’t say, “I’ll do it next year.”  Because there will be no next year.  Once we’ve done this, it’s not happening again.  If you miss it, you’ve missed it forever.

Here's one of the transition points between stunning singletrack to more dirt road.  An abandoned silo stands watch over our group.

Recap: The Formidable Pavé Ride 2015

We were told that It was, as promised:  Formidable.

What a way to end the season.

"Thank you for all you do to make every ride the best ride ever." -- M.H.

The smell of hot biscuits welcomed all, as sleepy riders opened the doors to Ride Studio Cafe at 5:30 am.  Appearing a bit groggy from tool little sleep, participants imbibed caffeine and as much food as they could shovel.  The 6:30 am roll-out arrived much too soon.

Just before sunrise, on a chilly quiet morning, the first riders headed out into the fog.  The next two waves of riders -- teams and the 100-mile riders -- soon followed.

These are the riders we want to ride with.

The day slowly warmed up, reaching about 60-degrees by 3pm, while the quiet roads went on and on.  The rare stoplight or stop sign were some of the only signs of structured civilization.  The changing foliage was a good distraction from the mounting miles and staccato ascents.

By mid-ride, riders passed the always stunning Quabbin Reservoir.

We then headed back into the canopy of color-shifting trees.

Riders had two food stops along the way.  Hot items were the marker of the day:  hot cider, hot soup, hot cobbler, and hot coffee were a few of the items offered.  

As we headed west, the colors got brighter.  The roads got longer.  The climbs got steeper.  The smiles got wider -- or were those grimaces?

When the sun threatened to set, the trees looked like fire, and the pace seemed to become a bit more urgent.  The last riders to the finish were in well after dark.  Rider comradery seemed to increase in inverse relation to the quickly dropping temperatures, and the number of light systems with failing batteries.  We were so impressed by everyone's teamwork and shared experience.

Photo Credit:  Matt Roy

Photo Credit:  Matt Roy

Defined

We've learned that the only consistent aspect of Overland Base Camp events is that the riders make the ride.  We were so fortunate with the people that registered for the Formidable.   All good attitudes; even the final riders, that rolled in well after sunset, were committed to helping each other safely complete the ride.  So many warm smiles throughout the entire day.  These are the riders we want to ride with.

Firsts for Overland

This was our first Formidable, our first 100% pavé ride, our first point-to-point event, and our first bus project.  Lots of firsts -- and it all was so well.  We're ready for the next one!

Toughest

We are more confident than ever that this is the toughest ride in Massachusetts.

Perspectives of Others -- Worth Checking Out

Thank You

If we've learned anything, it's that the riders make the ride. Great riders, attitude, and commradery mean a great ride. is only as good as the riders.

Thank you to all those that joined us for the ride.  You took a big risk to sign up for the unknown inaugural Formidable.  Everyone rose to the challenge.  We were impressed with what each rider accomplished.

Thank you to the Overland Crew:  Chantal, Patria, and Lauren.  They worked tirelessly behind the scenes to organize a very challenging event.  They make it look easy.

Thank you to Ride Studio Cafe -- particularly Patria, Roger, and George -- for helping all the riders wake up, solve last minute problems, and roll out on time.

Planning the 2016 Formidable

We have big ideas for next year's Formidable.  We have the date set and we'll be posting registration to bikereg.com right after the new year.  In the meantime, save the date.  We hope to ride with you next year.

Formidable 2016:  Saturday, October 8, before the sun rises.

Be both the hammer and the anvil.

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This Happened: 2015 Honey 100!

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A thick calm mist cloaked Lexington in a quiet blanket of fog.  This very peaceful beginning to the day belied the controlled mayhem that was about to ensue.

"The hardest ride I've ever done.  And the best and most rewarding."   --  M. B., finisher of the 100-mile route - that ended up being 105 miles somehow.

Wow.  

A word we heard a lot this past weekend.

Honey Stats

  • 198:  Number of miles for all three routes.
  • 141:  Participants
  • 133:  Biscuits eaten.  The rest of them were quickly devoured by the "Crew & Fixers" for the Honey 100.
  • 36:  Flats.  This is an estimate based on feedback.
  • 4:  Riders that did the full 100 miler.  An impressive group with a touch of crazy.
  • 3:  Rear derailleur mishaps - ripped off or bent beyond repair

Thank You Honey Navigators

These are the people that made sure everyone that began the ride, somehow got back to the Studio.  One of the toughest jobs that you can do on a bike.  Thank you to all of them!  In order of roll-out, here's the Navigators - as the crowd roars:

  • Mike:  He did the impossible job of navigating the fastest riders through 100+ miles.  They were out on the trails for about 10.5 hours.  They were sort of smiling when they returned - after they had a warm meal in their bellies.
  • Jenny:  She led the first 100k ride of the morning.  Still foggy upon departure, Jenny kept her diversely skilled group in check, and on pace, throughout the day.  Everyone returned to the Studio with a smile on their faces.
  • Nancy:  She was Navigator for a challenging segment:  the Fun 50.  A very wide range of capabilities and speeds, Nancy kept her group together through some challenging terrain.  We heard the most positive feedback about her ride!
  • Roger:  Always ready to help do anything for Honey and Overland, Roger navigated the ride as he always does, smooth, level, and PRO.  He even brought back all of his riders!  He is the stalwart that never gets props for his quiet hard work.
  • Leon:  He hopped on his bike after being away for a while and maybe feeling a bit rusty on the bike.  No one in the second largest group of the day could have known because he navigated like the PRO he is and got everyone home safely.  It's difficult to match Leon's infectious smile but we know his group each came close.
  • Michele:  she remained on call, just in case we needed her help as a Navigator.  truly at the eleventh hour she received the call from the beekeepers and she stepped up.  It's hard enough to be a Navigator for the Honey 100 but she didn't know she'd be a Navigator until hours before the ride.  And, she led her group flawlessly.  All PRO all the time.
  • Bradford:  He had the doubly difficult job of managing the largest group of the day and the fastest group of the day.  Fortunately, he had the Drifters to help.  Bradford also had three participants on road tires that slowed the entire procession.  Bradford was resourceful in how he managed that challenge and everyone rolled into the Studio in happy fashion.
  • Dan:  He stepped up as a Navigator with very limited experience with a Garmin GPS unit.  In fact, the unit he intended to use had some challenges so we swapped him out at the last moment.  New Garmin, new route, new group.  No one would ever know that Dan wasn't a seasoned expert at navigating on tricky trails.
  • Henry:  He helped navigate at the last moment.  He recently completed the Paris-Brest-Paris and we imagine that he's still feeling it.  Regardless, he went out early on Saturday to check out the trails and then led a 100k group at just the right pace.
  • Patria:  She navigated the final group of the day, feeling pressure to get to the Ice Cream Stop before all the ice cream was gone.  And, she did all this after nearly staying up all night making 150 biscuits and lots of slow cooked oatmeal.  Mmmm.

Thank Your Honey Crew & Fixers

This is the term we use for the people behind the scenes that made this project happen.  Without them the Honey 100 would not exist.  They are the Crew that takes care of you.  And so much more than a crew; they are also the Fixers of everyone and everything that's broken.

  • Patria:  She helps scout the routes, baked the biscuits, slow cooked the oatmeal, coordinated Ride Studio's support team, provided feedback and development for the Honey 100 plan, and so much more.  Oh, yeah, and she was Navigator for one of the rides, too.  Does she have a twin?
  • Chantal:  Managed the Crew, the schedule, most of the logistics, and all the perishable foods.  And managed the lunch stop -- solo!  And so many more elements of the project that no one will ever know about.
  • Lauren:  Managed the vehicles and that went into them.  She managed most of the non-perishables.  If you needed a tube you can thank her.  She also made sure the biscuits were warm and helped with lots of the other food. 
  • Marc:  Managed two stops!  The first stop and the Ice Cream stop - the stop everyone was jealous of.  somehow he can be in two places at once.
  • Kristin:  Made sure the fruit-salad was the best, made sure we didn't run out of any food, and did so much of the cleanup - the most thankless of jobs.
  • Roger:  Helped keep the bike world in order by seemingly being in five places at once, again and again.
  • Drew:  As he often does, did a lot of everything from creating perfect cappuccinos to helping with last minute bike adjustments and keeping everything cool and level.
  • Jessica:  She held down the cafe fort, making drink upon drink with singular focus.

We are so thankful to have such a fantastic group of riders join us this year!  We're already scheming about next year...

You are all part of the scheme.  See you out on the secret legal trails!

Formidable Pavé Jersey Deisgn

We're really excited about the 2015 Formidable Pave Ride Project.  It's turned into a big ride that's going to be really challenging.  

The jersey design matches well to the spirit of the ride:  solid, serious, dark, and well made.  Each Formidable participant receives this jersey.

This is a special edition jersey, made in Italy, and finished in New England.  It's only available for Formidable registrants.  

This customized jersey would retail for $220.  The price of registration is only $95.  You do the math.  It's probably worth signing up for the jersey alone -- even if you don't ride!  But of course, we want you to ride with us, too!  We hope to see you at the Formidable Pavé Ride.

 

Jersey: made in Italy, by our friends at Velocio Cycling Apparel.  

Designer:  Overland Base Camp

Poison Ivy Protection - Proof

Well, I finally did what I always tell people not to do:  If you want to avoid poison ivy, don't crash into a poison ivy patch.

I landed on some rocks, and poison ivy got crushed between stone and leg.

On a slow technical trail section I went down on my left side into a big ol' poison ivy field.  It was, by far, the worst poison ivy contact I've had.  My left arm -- from hand to shoulder -- and my left leg, from hip to calf, all took the brunt of the contact.

About two-hours later into the ride, I finally stopped and wiped off with a Cat's Tongue cleaning towel.  I've used these before as a poison ivy preventative and felt they helped keep me from getting poison ivy when I've ridden through it, or brushed it while riding.  However, I've never really had strong proof of their efficacy as a protective measure.  Well, now I have all the proof I can stand.  I wiped off and cleaned my left arm, including my hand, with the towel.  I didn't clean my leg -- for three reasons:  1) I thought my arm took the worst of it; 2) I thought my bibs would protect me from most of the contact; and 3) I wanted to run a control test to see if I would get poison ivy on my leg, arm, or both.

Well, the test was too successful.  I never got poison ivy on my arm.  And the control area - my leg - got poison ivy, and then some.  Surprisingly, I got a lot of poison ivy oil - urishiol - through my bibs. I don't think I'd ever have that happen before.  The best I can figure is that my hip and thigh landed on some rocks and the poison ivy got crushed between stone and leg.

So, the lesson is, Cat's Tongues work flawlessly as a urishiol remover.  Even a few hours after extreme contact.  This is not a promotion of Cat's Tongue towels specifically; I'm sure there are other items that may work in similar ways.

We've written about poison ivy before and have a list of what to do if you get it.

Now, back to the trails!