I've done the tour twice
A couple notes. Last years SUCKED! I first did it a few years ago and it was a blast. They did a great job organizing it. Hell, some high school band came out and sang the star spangled banner. The break areas were organized and there was plenty of fruit, energy bars, gu, and cytomax to go around. They were spaced evenly apart and the turn off for the 20 mile option was easily detected.
Again, LAST YEARS SUCKED! First of all, it started at 7am, and was practically still dark! A buddy of mine and I took a newbie to riding on the tour w/ the promise of a good ten mile ride, w/ the option for 20 if he was up to it. I promised plenty of rest stops for food and drink. Unfortunately, that was not the case. There was only 1 rest stop, and that consisted of a couple jugs of cytomax. The energy bars were gone, and there was no fruit, PB and J's, Gu, etc, and no one manning the station... More importantly, either the 20 mile sign was not there, or we missed it (3 sets of eyes may have missed it?), and the newbie had to do the 20 mile loop, which w/ his fitness level and asthma, nearly killed the poor bast*rd! In essence, this ride turned off a newbie rider to the sport, and I do not believe he's been back on his bike since!
Hopefully, the organizers read this and they go back to the way it was in years past. I inadvertently turned off someone to riding last year, but the first tour a few years ago, I turned my wife on to riding because it was such a fun good time for us.
