[DVBC] Savage Review

[dcunicelli at rcn.com]

Hello Everyone, 
What a great day to ride copious hills and enjoy amazing scenery.  The crisp start to the morning made it enjoyable, if not neccessary to ride a few hills.   
The Savage is pretty tame until mile 22 where you leave the first rest stop and climb and endless assortment of hills until mile 81.  In those 60 miles, which included 1 very wrong turn, the ride gives you about 6500 feet of vertical fun.  (The brandywine by contrast does about 6000 for the whole 100.) The vistas at the top of some of these hills were awesome with clear views for miles.  
I rode with 4 friends who had a cycled a combined 0 centuries in the last 4 years.  By mile 32, we lost our first to serious bonk.  By mile 50, we had taken a wrong turn when we followed an errant sag vehicle for a short tour of surrounding hills, had 2 flat tires and run out of water.  By mile 56, another of our group was falling off the back but pushing through.  The 4 of us made to the last rest stop together.  I split off after the stop and went on alone.  In some part of my fogged brain, I took another wrong turn and added yet another large hill to the day and about 4 miles more of riding.  I ended up finshing after my friends in what has to be a lesson why it never pays to leave your friends.  
the ride is gorgeous, but the markings are weak.  i've done it 2x and been lost 3 x.  for the unprepared, it can be a nightmare b/c once you pass the cut off for 60 miles, you are in for serious hills with only 1 rest stop between mile 21 and mile 56 then another 26 miles before the last rest stop.  In any case, i love this ride warts and all and encourage anyone who like a challenge to try it next year.
david c