ThermionicScott 

Finally, a win! I rode the Apple Valley 200k Classic with my buddy on Saturday. It was cool weather (45-55 degrees F), which helped make hydration less of a problem, but there were some bigger hills than either of us were used to, and the wind didn't seem as mild as promised by the forecast. Still, we found it to be a really enjoyable course and finished in just under 12 hours. We were both fairly exhausted, but contact points all felt good and we bounced back pretty quickly. I had to agree that getting a 200k solidly under our belts before tackling longer rides was the right choice. We're debating whether to do another 200k before a 300k -- it'll probably depend on what training we can get done between now and the next ride.