700 - Crestwood Killer Century

It was the toughest century of the year but with perhaps the most spectacular views. Bill Pustow captained one of Rory's old rides from the nineties. For a while, this ride was a yearly regular, long before the Mad Dogs got their names. The Crestwood killer features seven major steep climbs of up to 500 feet putting the OKHT Pottershop Century to shame. The route took us through Oldham, Henry, Trimble and Carroll counties with a stop in Milton, KY for lunch. This was the last "Tour de Mad Dog" century of the season; so, the group also passed the traditional Hot Pickle for tasting at the Bray Orchard store stop. This century came with great vistas, hard work, and a tremendous feeling of accomplishment as riders from age 28 to age 73 tackled the climbs.

Here's what I had to say about the ride after returning home that evening:

Bill,

Thanks for a great 107 miles today which included beautiful vistas and the most climbing I've done on a century in a long time. It was a great ride (you sadist!)

The peach ice cream at Bray's Orchard was an especially nice treat after climbing up Gills Ridge. I promise that Perry, Logan, Ike, Mike, Brian and I were thinking nothing but kind thoughts about you on the way up. By the way, it was especially nice the way you arranged to give us Gills Ridge at mile 70!

It is a shame Timmy wasn't along today as I'm sure he would have had something pithy to say to Ike (Zeke) Wartman. Despite Ike’s strength, both Logan and Mike took some green signs from him with Perry eventually chiming in, nicknaming him "Ofer" (0 for three.) Ike was determined to win back his honor. After a grueling climb up 1472, he saw his chance, a flash of green just barely visible beyond the trees--the sprint was on! Brian Blackwell picked up the challenge and was hot on his tail. They zipped around the last curve and upped the pace to 30. Finally! Ike had won a sprint! Unfortunately, Ike got hosed in the end--literally. The sprint for a green sign turned out to be a sprint for a garden hose—a very large spool of green garden hose! As standup comedian Bill Engvall would say, "Here's your sign!"

It wasn't until much later in the ride (after the laughter died down) that Ike was able to redeem himself with some bona fide green sign victories. As always, he was a great sport throughout the whole hosing debacle.

Later, at the corner of Old Zaring Rd and Glenarm, Ike further earned our admiration when a cute solo cyclist gal stopped to ask him for help with her gearing--Ike gallantly obliged as she "oohed" and "ahhd" over him and overflowed with exuberance as she learned of Ike's hilly century adventure. Reluctantly, Ike finished up and tore him self away as the rest of the group had departed and was about to disappear over the next rise.

Ike had a big day of evolving nicknames--from "Zeke" to "Ofer" to "Hoser" to "Babe Magnet."

Larry