2010 Back Roads Century Rider Comments

Monday, 22 November 2010 14:52

Here's what our participants had to say about the 2010 Back Roads Century...

WHAT A GREAT RIDE! Thank you so much. It was so well organized. The course was beautiful, the food was delicious, I almost did a second loop just to get another round of potatoes and tomato sandwiches! I love my shirt and water bottle. The "after party" was great at the high school. An all-around fabulous day! I can't thank you enough! My only complaint is that it's only once a year! Already looking forward to next year’s ride!

Sincerely, Meg

It was a great day! Everything during the Century was done so well. It was safe, superbly staffed and directed. The cue sheets were perfect. Thank you so much for all you and the staff did to create such a wonderful opportunity and experience for everyone that participated

Ed and Trudy

Just a note to thank you and the entire staff for sponsoring a great bike ride. It is my first since doing tri's many years ago, and I had a great time. The course is so unbelievably beautiful and the goodies, just perfect. I look forward to next year. The musicians at the 13 mile rest stop were terrific; I could have spent a whole lot more time just hanging out around them. What a treat.

Best regards, Barbara

Just a quick note to give you a big THANK YOU for the club sponsoring such an great event yesterday. It was our first Potomac Pedalers event and I can guarantee you it won't be our last. The support/logistics/everything was first rate and we know that took a tremendous amount of effort with all the volunteers. Lastly, we truly appreciate you arranging the gorgeous weather for the ride- it was just about perfect!

Lisa

My dad and I did our first half-century ride last weekend at your Back Roads Century ride. We had such a great time! Back in early August I was trying to decide which half-century we should pick to ride in the fall. Out of about five different rides in the VA/DC/MD area I picked your ride. (The main reason why I picked yours was the outstanding website- you had all of the info about the ride, but also a wealth of training information, tips and things we wanted to know for our first half-century. Kudos to you for having such a great website!) We had so many rides to choose from this fall. We are so thrilled that we chose yours! We loved the route, the rest-stops, the finishers shirt- everything! I took some pictures along the ride- I wished we could have gotten a picture of every beautiful view of farms , pastures and horses! Once again- thanks for putting on such a great ride!

Meg

We had a great day, everything about the ride was as near perfect as you can get, the route was delightful, who needs cue sheets when it was so well signed, the countryside, horse farms were lovely, the weather ideal, and the rest stops! What can we say about the food, the drinks and the helpful volunteers, they were the best stops we've experienced on many rides. And the organization before, during and after the ride was superb. So many thanks to all involved.

Roger and Naomi

We had a great time at your event. i can't even imagine how much work you all put into it, but you did a great job! Thanks for a great time. See you next year!

Krissie

I just want to say thank you for putting on a perfect Century. I saw some of the club members complaining on the PPTC website about the ride being sold out early, etc. All they had to do was register early like the rest of us. Hopefully they won't make that mistake next year. You put on a first class event. I know it’s not easy to pull something like that off. I have ridden in many centuries and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Of course the weather was very special this year so that really added to the experience.

Anyway, thanks again!

Best Regards, Vince

It was my inaugural ride and I could not have been more pleased with the day, the organization, the camaraderie...a home run all the way.

Donald

Congratulations on a job well done. This was my first PPTC Century and I thought it was great. Registration was easy and there should be no apologies made for selling out early. People need to know that this is a popular ride and they need to register early. Good things sell out early - that's life. Cue sheets were perfect (right down to it being easy to fold!) and the roads were well marked. Rest stops were well stocked with good food and friendly faces. Routes were good. The website was very well done. One of the best I've seen for a Century. I love my jersey and t-shirt. Great job!

Mary

I just read the post-ride newsletter and would be remiss if I didn’t send along a brief note. Having just moved to the DC area after several years in Europe I have not had the chance to ride in any events over here so I don’t have anything by which to benchmark the Back Roads Century. But I have ridden in several well-established events in Europe including the annual de Gordel ride in Brussels (which has been running for more than 30 years) as well as this year’s E’tape du Tour which is a closed-circuit timed ride held during the Tour de France. The Gordel is a less formal affair, although costing similar to the BRC; the E’tape is a full-blown event with some entrants paying thousands between entry fees, travel costs, etc. The Back Roads Century far exceeded the rider experience from either of these events (though, admittedly, the col du Tourmalet is still a bit more exhilarating … ;-) Everything about the ride was really a super experience. The course was well marked; the rest stops were properly spaced and incredibly well-staff by the volunteers who I thought were absolutely incredible !! And, the camaraderie amongst the riders was very, very pleasant !!! Thanks for making my first experience here such a memorable one.

Best, Joe

I just want to personally thank you for such a wonderful event. The Back Roads Century was wonderful with great weather and even better volunteers. I will definitely make the Back Roads Century an annual ride.

Sincerely, Greg

That WAS as superbly run ride. Thank you for all the planning and logistics that you and your team accomplished to make it so enjoyable.

Jennifer

It was a great day: brilliantly organized, well-staffed, good century route. I just LOVE the spuds at the Mill - a stroke of genius. It's one of my favorite centuries of the year, and I'll be back as soon as registration opens again

Tim

I was just going to send you a thank you note. Well, here goes. THANK YOU AND ALL WHO MADE IT HAPPEN. I finished the English Century (the only century I do every year). I started first off and came in around 3:30pm. Not a speed record by any means but I did it and that's all that counts.  Again, thank you.

Andy

This is the 4th year that I have participated in the PPTC century ride and this was absolutely the best! I really appreciated the emails and the web site - both were very professional and brought the whole experience up a notch.

Karen

It was a wonderfully supported ride. I liked how the different routes overlapped so that my wife and i could ride some of it together and i could still catch up to my friends doing a longer distance. We are all planning to ride again next year.

Graham

The ride was awesome, my 1st century in 20+ years, had a blast! The forum was a great tool - I managed to gather a group of about 25 riders at the beginning. What a difference that made - both in the fun factor and physically - you guys did an awesome job,

Thanks, look forward to it again, Jerry

This was my first organized ride and man I had a great time!!! Everything about the ride was professional and painless and the volunteers were kind and courteous. Registration was a breeze, great communication leading up to the ride via email and cue sheets and road marking were great. I plan to invite a friend to do the full century next year. Thanks for all your hard work. It was a wonderful and memorable experience.

William

Can't find words without using superlatives to express the fantastic experience we had last weekend. Thank you so much for the brilliant organization and let me assure you it did not go unnoticed: every aspect was so well covered so much that none of our group of 4 riders had nothing but amazement and a sense of gratitude. And to know that you still have some funds left for charity makes it even more awesome in our eyes! On the down side, you have set the bar so high that we dread the upcoming xxx xxxx century event in MD - we fear nothing can be as perfectly organized as you did here, and we thank you and all the wonderful volunteers that made it such a wonderful experience for us. And by the way - good job on getting the weather on board as well:) Though the metric century turned out to be quite challenging for us, no doubt we will participate in next year's event.

With best regards, Diane and Helik

Thanks for doing such a great job with the Back Roads Century. It was a fantastic ride. The route is superb. The food was great. I appreciate all the hard work done by the volunteers. My hats off to them. I look forward to riding again next year.

Ron

This was our first organized ride (we did the metric 100) and we had a truly wonderful and memorable experience! We thought everything was well organized and appreciated all of the volunteers that assisted the riders…….thumbs UP with the tomato sammies! Thanks for your hard work and others who made this possible….what an amazing day with amazing weather.

Kind regards, Beth & Joel

My name is Al and had first full Century last weekend. I've done 2 metrics in the past but I so fortunate that my timely Full Century was when PPTC finally had their Event in Full Swing. Everything was perfect, the "find a ride partner" was also a great idea, I started with a good group of rider. The food was abundant, i felt sleeping at one rest stop. You guys did a good job and wish you guys continued success. Thanks for a wonderful time. Also, i like the way you guys break down the mileage of the full century

Al

Thank you Mark for a great ride. We lucked out with the weather but all the planning and efforts of those involved are appreciated. Great route, well-marked, plenty of porta-potties for us old guys, and lots of snacks and food, particularly the tomatoes at White Post. What more could you ask?

Thanks again Andy

I just wanted to tell you what a great ride my husband and I had today. The cue sheets were excellent and the roads were well marked. We did only the 24 route as we are in marathon training and had sore legs. So we only saw one rest stop which was wonderful. The Rita’s ices at the end were perfect. Thanks again for a great time today.

Meg

You asked for comments, so here are mine -- it was uniformly terrific. The route was wonderful (my wife and I did the 50 mile route), the rest stops were great, and the overall organization seemed to make everything go very, very smoothly. And nice work on the weather!! We'll definitely do it again and recommend it to friends - thanks for putting it together.

David

I want you all to know that I think that the Back Roads Century was the best organized ride I have ever experienced. Good for you for having limited registrations so that there were not too many riders to overwhelm the rest areas. And the rest areas – positively the best with the nicest and most helpful volunteers one could ask for. And the picnic at the end was abundant and delicious. I can appreciate what a gargantuan effort it was to so well organize a ride that covered such a large area. This was my first Back Roads and I eagerly await doing it again next year.

Yours very truly, Paul

Wonderful ride on a gorgeous day. The support for the ride was SUPERB. I had a flat in the first 5 miles :( and SAG support was there in a few minutes. I had fixed the tire with a new tube I had with me, but your support team gave me another tube so that I would still have a spare! The potatoes at the first stop on the Metric ride were great. My only substantive suggestion for next year is to have potatoes at every stop. Great ride. I'll be back next year.

Chuck

Everything about the ride was perfect!! It was the best organized one-day ride I have ever done!!

Kathy

The ride was absolutely fantastic!! Your karma must be great because there couldn't have been a more beautiful day for a ride..........wow. Your organization was super: directions clear, plenty of volunteers; lots of terrific food (couldn't believe the sumptuousness of it)...the rest stops were too much fun.....didn't really physically feel like stopping but the stops were waaay too great not to stop; people to help w/ bike problems; even though I heard 1350 people signed up the roads weren't at all crowded. Many thanks for a wonderful ride.........it was truly a "feel good" sort of day.

Katharine

Congratulations on a fabulous Century! I have ridden a large number of centuries over the years, but this one was the best organized. My best to the huge staff that made all this possible.

Edgar

Really great event. The effort you put in shows. I look forward to next year.

Stephen

This was my first time riding this ride. It was awesome. I completed the 50 miler. The rest stops were amazing, the cue sheets perfect, road markings visible. It was so organized. I will definitely be back next year and hope to bring more friends.

Thanks for a great day Debbie

I would like to thank your organization for hosting an absolutely wonderful event.

Thanks, Eric

Thanks for a wonderful day!! The ride was hard but fun. I came by myself and ended up meeting some new people. The ride was well organized and well-marked. See you next year.

Tom

All I can say is great job! You and your support team did an excellent job all around (well-marked routes, visible SAG support, plentiful/good selections at rest stops, nice route). This was my first time ever hearing of the BRC (completed the full century) and I look forward to next year and will hopefully have a few more of our members participate. Two other firsts...boiled potatoes, tomato and cucumber sandwiches...loved them! Great idea to have mechanics at each rest stop...nice touch even though I didn't need assistance. Nice balance of riding terrain...flats, plenty rollers and just enough hills to keep everyone honest :-)

Thanks, Charles

You did a fantastic job...thanks. Everything was perfect.

Linda

This was the first Century that my husband and I have ever participated in – and it definitely won’t be the last. We had a great time…the weather was unbeatable, the routes were beautiful, traffic was light and the rest stops were awesome (can you pass along our thanks to all who volunteered there – and particularly to the church ladies that made homemade banana bread for their rest stop – YUM!!!). Thanks again for a great event – it was a positive experience and we hope to come back next year!

Kim & Bob

A thank you to everyone who made the day such a success. This was our third ride in Berryville and as always--- it was great. We are looking forward to another ride next year.

Jean

This was perhaps the best organized and best enjoyable event that I have attended. Everything was first class.

Martin

I just wanted to thank you for the fine organization for the ride on the 19th. This was my first ride and I enjoyed it even though some of the hills were tough. The rest stops were well stocked and maintained with friendly people and I enjoyed the picnic after the ride. I’m already looking forward to next year.

Carl

I just wanted to say thanks to you and your team for an excellent event on the recent BR Century! Things I liked included: (I did the 65)

  1. How smoothly everything seemed to run---you made it look easy when I know it takes huge efforts to make it "look" that way.
  2. The directions painted on the road were helpful and numerous to reassure us when we became separated from the pack that we were on track.
  3. Rest stops offered great variety---including the glorious tomato sandwiches!
  4. Everyone was in a great mood and helpful.
  5. Weather! awesome!
  6. Beautiful countryside--this was my first time.
  7. Great jersey commemorating the event---the bright colored sunrise has been getting raves from all my jealous friends plus many oooohs and ahhhs. Well done.
  8. Great customer service---when I sent you a question in email 2 days before hand when you were probably busy as all get out, you responded in 4 hours---unbelievable!
  9. Great to have a few groups for us out of towners from Philly to ride with--- We had a great time.

Thanks again for making it a great day--do we have dates for next year yet??

Bill

Thank you for a wonderful ride. I've ridden loads of centuries and this one is up there among the best. The scenery was great, hills were manageable, food stations were well stocked, in short it was a great ride. I look forward to riding Back Roads again next year.

Thanks for a job well done! Natalie

All in all a great ride and we all look forward to next year.

Bill

First of all nice job! What a great ride it was, and you couldn't have dialed up a more perfect day. I live in southern New Jersey, but my wife and I used to live in Leesburg VA up until about 7 years ago. It turned out to be a great weekend for the two of us, sort of a home coming after being away for so long. We stayed at the Hillbrook Inn just off of Summit Drive, and a short walk from the first rest stop. My wife walked over to see me at the first rest stop at the South Jefferson Elementary school, and she ended up helping staff the rest stop until the last few riders trickled in. Normally she doesn't have much involvement with my bike habit, but after the ride she told me how much fun she had stocking up the fig newton’s and answering questions from all the riders. She told me that everyone was so polite and thankful for their support; all the way home she just kept going on about how much fun it was. A small interesting side note, my wife and I got engaged at the Hillbrook about 17 years ago, so the weekend was meaningful for a number of reasons. Thanks very much for a great weekend, I'll really be looking forward to this next year!

Ken

I had the pleasure of participating in the Back Roads Century ride on September 19.  I want to take this opportunity to express my thanks to your organization for such a great time.  I rode the entire 100 mile course.  On top of the weather being terrific, the course was well marked, the support was wonderful, the rest stops were well placed. I had a thoroughly enjoyable ride.  It is the first time that I had ridden that far in one day in many, many years.  I look forward to participating next year.  Thanks for a wonderful day!

Sincerely, George

Congratulations and thank you, to you and all the PPTC volunteers who made the century possible, enjoyable, and successful.   Your hard work in planning, attention to detail, and follow-through was very evident on how smoothly everything went.

Thanks again, Ray

First time for this ride. I rate it excellent. A superior organized event. I will plan on it again. Thank you and the volunteers.

Ken

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