Ride Report: The 2025 Heywood 60

Guys, blogging regularly is hard! Getting back into sharing my thoughts in writing is definitely something that is going to take some habit forming.

While I still have LOTS of backblogging to do about Japan, I decided I needed to get over the hurdle of publishing something, so a ride report it is!

The 2025 Heywood was May 17, on a rudely chilly day, in comparison to the midsummer weather we had had leading up to the day. As if the 2 weeks of shorts and T-shirt conditions completely erased my gauge for dressing for 50F, as I packed the night before, I got very tunnelvisioned on my long sleeve Verge skinsuit I normally wore during cyclocross. I haphazardly threw more things like my trusty Podiumwear vest, a longsleeve light weight jacket, kneewarmers, a lightweight Wolf Tooth buff into a tote bag for the morning. Options are good, right? I can’t possibly need all these things.

Well, apparently I did. As we pulled up to the start for Ken’s 110 mile start, I got very conscious of how many other riders had full length tights on, gloves, jackets. Wrapped in a blanket, I stepped out of the car. Yep, it’s cold. Shivering in a sweatshirt and sweatpants to the registration tent, I wondered if the day was going to be a miserably cold affair. Maybe I can just take a nice nap in the car instead?

After sending Ken off, I went back to the car with about 50 minutes to go until I needed to roll. I talked myself into at least starting. What I really appreciate about the Heywood is that there are many distance options, and no pressure to choose your mileage during registration. If I was feeling crappy or underdressed, I could at least do the 30 miler.

I proceeded to put on every single layer of clothing I brought. What was the point of contorting myself into a skinsuit if no one could see that it was a skinsuit under 2 layers???

I headed to the start, and already was seeing so many friends! Having not done very many bike events in the last two years, it was nice to see people.

We started on time, with a pretty stylish lead car for the neutral rollout. It’s been a while since I’ve been in such a big mass start!

While I didn’t have any goals for this race/ride, I was hoping to find a 14 mph group to ride with. As always the start was fast, and it seemed oddly easy to cruise much faster than I normally would. Keeping an eye on my computer, I was doing 18+ mph for some time! This cannot be right. Not wanted to blow up in the first 20 miles even though I was feeling pretty good, I slowed up and let myself drift backwards through the crowd. I started leap frogging people at around 13 mph, I figured I had found my pace, but never really found a group going a comfortable pace for me. They were probably still behind me with my too-hot-for-me start.

Though I had gotten on the bike with the escape route of 30 miles in mind, I completely missed the signs pointing out the turnoff. I guess I was in it for 60 miles. It was okay. The roads and scenery was beautiful, and in the end, all my layers put on resulted in a comfortable outfit for the day. Not too hot and not too cold. Feeling good! Bike was good! Had to walk the Shady Lane climb, but slurped some maple syrup while walking, which was glorious.

And then the coursed turned into the headwind. Now it all made sense why the first 20 miles were so fast. I’ll be honest, the headwind was miserable riding alone! I hopped on a couple speedy trains going by but nothing was very sustainable for very long so I excused myself off.

After 2? hours of nasty headwind that gusted enough to push me around on the bike, the Northfield water tower came into view. I was going to make it! Gravel turned to pavement to bike lanes and before I knew it I was in the finish chute. Took my commemorative clock picture and chatted with some friends (being very glad I didn’t snap my chain, twice), bought some pastries from a local bakery vending at the park, and waited for Ken to roll in.

Thank you, Heywood crew, for a well-run event!

Stats
Bike: Cake Merveilleux (custom steel 650b CX bike), Shimano 105 Mechanical, Nitto cockpit, custom Wolftooth finishing kit
Tires: Panaracer Gravel King Slick TLR 750bx38mm
Gearing: Wolftooth 38T Oval x 11-36 11s
Distance: 58.39 mi
Average Speed: 11.3 mi/h
Mechanicals: None!
Off-bike food: Pre-ride Kwik Trip breakfast sandwich
On-bike food: 1 sleeve Clif Shotblock (salted watermelon), a bag of Haribo Twin Snakes, 100 ml Kirkland pure maple syrup
Next up: Wark’s Cycling Services Hotdish 100

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