100 Miles
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Bill Moss (R) rode 100 miles in the recent Tour de Apple Cycling event. Bill Moss is the Publisher and Editor of the Hendersonville Lightning.
After 100 miles and 8.5 hours on his bike, Flat Rock resident Bill Moss cruised to the finish line of the Tour de Apple held annually during Apple Festival weekend.
Unfortunately, by the time Bill, age 65, and his co-riders, Jerry and Brian, arrived at the finish, race organizers had dismantled the finish line and were packing up for next year. But that didn’t dismay Bill Moss in the least. He was just relieved to be done. “It was brutal. Just brutal.”
When Bill describes the route as brutal, he is not exaggerating. Tour de Apple participants can choose to ride routes of varying distances, including options of 25 miles, 45 miles, 67 miles, and - for the ultimate test - 100 miles. And the 100 mile route is not just the longest, it is also the most demanding with ascents of Bear Wallow Mountain, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Terry’s Gap, Jones Gap, Pinnacle Mountain, and just for good measure, a final climb to Jump Off Rock. All together, the ride included 8000 feet of ascent.
Many of us would get winded sitting in our car while doing all those climbs. Bill, Jerry, and Brian had to make the trek with just two wheels, muscle power, a lot of sweat, and an exceptional determination to survive to the finish line. Plus the occasional swig of pickle juice to stave off cramps.
The hardest part of the tour for Bill was riding up Pinnacle Mountain on Cabin Creek Road. “The Pinnacle climb starts at about mile 70 or so. By that point you've already climbed a lot and pushed a lot . I knew if I could climb Pinnacle that I'd make it. So yeah, it worked out. It was fun.”
Clearly “fun” is a relative term. After getting up and over Pinnacle Mountain, Bill faced one more daunting hurdle - a climb to the top of Jump Off Rock. Once at the summit, he knew he could make it to the 100 mile mark. “When you make that u-turn at the top of Jump Off Rock, it's basically going to be all downhill or flat from there.”
Still sitting astride his bike at the finish, Bill was more relieved than over-joyed. “I'll be more exultant about it tomorrow. Or after a beer - or next week.”
Bill also had high praise for the Tour organizers. “I love how well supported this race is, not just at the rest stops, but at the intersections and, and all along the route. I give credit to Four Seasons Rotary, Dick Miley, Barry Macdonald, and a thousand other people that I'm leaving out that are responsible for it.”
What’s next for for the man who just rode 100 miles over a half dozen summits? “Keep climbing, just keep climbing. Riding keeps you outside. You feel great you did it and maybe not right this minute, but an hour later, or a day later, you're ready to hop on again.”
More power to you, Bill. You keep pedaling. And we will keep cheering you on as you ride on by.
