It was a year ago that I did my first 100 mi bike ride during this same event. I was very pleased with my performance then, I averaged 19 mph (moving time) and finished in just over 6 hrs including rest stops. Today's ride was a major hammerfest. The guys I was riding with wanted to keep between 22-25 mph and stay together. I didn't know if I could keep up at that pace, but I did manage to stay with our lead group. The legs felt a bit heavy after about 68 mi, but I managed to hang on anyway, thanks to stop lights. On the ride north we got held up twice for drawbridges, but no red lights. Our group got in to a peleton of about 50 or 60 other riders, so it was easy to get pulled along. We stopped at the 44 mi rest stop and most of the rest of the peleton keep going. I needed that 10 min rest, but things got harder from then on. We had one guy join our group, a BF of a girl from the club. He was a very strong rider and pulled us most of the 50 mi return trip, and at a blistering pace in to a strong headwind. He is probably the main reason I did so well this year. I was riding a demo bike. Very nice, smooth and fast, and very crisp shifts. It's amazing what the difference is, but I guess that just shows what an extra $2,300 will buy.