I rode the 28 mile route in Blue Ridge, Texas. The Happy New Rear ride. Pretty good roads, really out in the country. Well organized and a great way to start the new year. I will do it again next year.

What a way to start the new year. Beautiful weather for January. Lots of hills but nothing really challenging. the usual north wind made for a great ride out of town and a little rough on the way back but only on the roade that went directly north. Some of the roads were so country we came across a large dog laying in the middle of the road. Being a very nice dog, he ignored us as we rode by.

Very nice ride again this year. Weather was beautiful. Chilly at start time but warmed up nicely. I rode the 40 mile route and directions were great. Roads were clean. Wind about 10 to 12 out of the north. Looked like there were more people this year than last few years. Yummy cornbread and black eyed peas to bring in the new year with good luck. Brought my personal "Mimosa" in my water bottle to celebrate myself during the ride. Challenging ride with some of the hills but that is what makes it along with the nice scenery. Thanks.

This was my first time doing the Happy New Rear. I did the 40 mile ride, and I thought the course was somewhat challenging with the hills and wind on the way back. I just really liked the atmosphere around the ride—the riders were friendly, the volunteers were helpful, there was a short welcome and pep talk before the ride and off we went. What a great way to ring in the new year!

Always a great ride. This was my 7th time to bring in the New Year with Bikin Mike. Flawless in every way. Beautiful scenery and spot on directions. Very friendly volunteers. Delicious Black Eyed Peas and Corn Bread after the ride to warm you up. This year the winds were not too bad, 10 - 15 mph out of the North that diminished some later in the day. Was very cold though, about 33 degrees at ride time which started at 10 am. I generally always celebrate with a Mimosa in one of my water bottles. Route was slightly different this year and I loved it. Thanks Mike and Happy Cycling to all.

This is a very nice ride. The mid-morning start is perfect. The route is mostly flat. It was great to have a post ride bowl of black eyed peas included with our registration. This was my third time for this ride.

An Awesome ride again. It gets better and better each year. Chilly as always this time or year and no better way to bring in the New Year than on your bike. Yummy black eyed peas and corn bread after the ride with southern hospitality. Mike you are the man.

This is my 3rd. HNR and the weather has been different each time. This year it was cold but there was no wind and the sun was out for the entire ride. It's ideally what you would expect for a ride on Jan. 1 in Texas. Mike puts on an excellent ride with a great route and awesome support. I love the pre-ride pep talk and the option to start anytime between 10AM and 11AM make it a convenient start no matter what your New Years Eve was like. A scenic route with very little traffic make it an ideal ride for all skill levels and the rest stops are well staffed and stocked. The black-eyed Peas and Cornbread in the warm Community Center at the end make it desirable to stick around after the ride. This ride will always be on my calendar.

I love this ride for its laid-back atmosphere. Great way to start the year! Easy to get to the start location. Pre registration ensures the latest edition of the great long sleeved tee shirts. Mike and his volunteers are so welcoming and made sure everyone was attended to quickly. No big bang start, just Mike on a car talking and telling us to be safe. No out of control speedsters or super serious folks that want to break the land speed record. Just a bunch of people that enjoy a friendly ride in the country. The ride is a little hilly, nothing too terrible, but combined with that crosswind, it became challenging just to hold your line. We did the 28 miler and enjoyed a relatively traffic free ride. The route back to the Community Center had more auto traffic than earlier in the day and there are always some nuts in cars that think we cyclists should stick to the sidewalks, but no worries. Wind seemed worse on the way back in, but that made the cornbread and black-eyed peas (cooked by Mike’s volunteer staff) that much more enjoyable. Overall a great ride and thanks to Mike, Mom and the crew for an enjoyable New Year’s day ride.

This is a nice ride - more people than what I expected. The course is hilly so be prepared. This year the wind was very strong from the South, which meant that the first 13 miles were torturous! The rest stop at mile 13 was disappointing - no food at all, only water and gatorade. It was in front of a convenience store so people were buying snacks there, as I did. After the stop the route headed back North so we had a tailwind which made it a lot easier. I did the 28 mile route so didn't see the other rest stop. Back at the start/finish the blackeyed peas and cornbread were good but the portions small. I would do this ride again but bring my own snacks - lol.

As usual, a great, low key ride to start out the new year. I did the long route and added the short route with the "big" hill for a 45 mile ride. A stiff wind from south made for a challenging first leg down to the first stop at Princeton and finish into Blue Ridge. Although the wind also made for a fast ride out of Princeston and New Hope. I was amazed at how much the chip seal on 545 into Blue Ridge had degraded since August. It definitely wasn't as bad as it could have been. Kudos to all the volunteers that braved the wind and cold to support the riders and Mike for putting on a fun ride.

As "rookie" I found this to be an enjoyable ride. To be with my wife and my son - both new to riding even on their own, we opted for the 13-miles - liked the hills! Everyone very friendly and the black-eye peas / cornbread was a nice touch at the finish. Hope to add more rides and distance in the future but a nice start to enjoying rides with others.

Thanks for putting this ride together. I had a great time riding the 28 mile route.
What little traffic we did see was very rider friendly.
Also, the cornbread and black eyed pear were delicious.
A great start to a New Year!

Great ride, adequate support for the distance; did the 28 mile route due to wind and hills. First part down 1377 was okay but a bit hilly for my taste. Going back north was rough due to wind. Routes were okay, mostly roads with little use. Definitely recommended. Register ahead of time if you want a shirt!

I rode the 38 mile route. I didn’t pre-register because I wasn’t sure I would be able to attend. No T-shirt, no promotional bag for walk ups. However, I was put on a waiting list for a T-shirt if there was a pre-register no show, and I did get one (the logo is great). The terrain was fine along the route, mostly flat with some mild hills. The road surface along FM 1377, at the beginning was rougher than the rest of route. There were moderate headwinds that made miles 22-30 taxing. Rest stop #1, at mile 13, was at a convenience store you had to go into. I didn’t so I don’t know what they offered. Rest stop #2, at mile 26, was more typical where you could pick up some goodies quickly and go. No signs along route only little white arrows painted on road and HNRR (Happy New Rear Ride)at turns but you had to look close for them. I was concerned I would miss an arrow and get off route. Back at start was I was given a little slice of corn bread and a spoonful of black eyed peas. They wanted to be sure they had enough for the 200 plus riders. Over all it was a good way to start the year.

I’m glad I showed up for this one… The last time I did this ride was a few years ago, when it started at the Youth Park… We started out at about 10:15 a.m., and for most parts, the roads had very little vehicle traffic. The temperature was not a big concern for me, since I warmed up nicely a few miles into the ride. Even on the way back, with the headwind, I felt quite comfortable. The wind, and the hills made for a nice challenge. Overall, I give this one high marks. Thanks again Bikin’ Mike… You and your team did a fine job. I’ll see you again in April, for what I consider to be the “Most Fun Ride of the Season” – Tour Dallas. I plan on being back next year for the next HNR ride.

Great ride as always. Bikin Mike does it right. Looking forward the 2009’s

Cold. I mean, really cold.
The routes were the same as last year and traffic was minimal along the routes. This is just a simple ride with some rolling hills in the outskirts of suburbia. I really enjoy the fact that the turnout isn't massive. It seems that this ride isn't for those who are looking to set blazing times and keep a heartrate target. Its for those of us who enjoy riding and being around friends on the bike. Very laid back feel with the open start. Registration was fine, no problems. 2 rest stops along the 38 mile route. I had a great time and enjoyed burning 1500 calories for the feast later on that day. See you all next year.

Thanks Mike for putting on this ride. I have ridden this ride for the last 3 years and could'nt think of a better place to have it or be on the first day of the new year. I filled one of my bottles with Korbel champagne and orange juice, just to toast the new year on my bike. Blue Ridge is beautiful this time of year. I did the 38 mile route, clearly marked, plenty of sag support and rest stops were nice. Overall a very nice day, bit chilly and wind at 10 mph. Its awsome to have black-eyed-peas and corn bread after the ride. Any ride that Bikin Mike has anything to do with,
"I'm There".

We rode in the early 10:00 am ride and 38 mile route..
Registration:  You could register on the web using active.com, which I did.  There was some glitch in the registration which caused my name not to show up on the pre-registered list, but the volunteer looked through the packets and found mine and brought it to me in the parking lot.  I therefore give the registration 5 of 5.
Parking and Traffic.  Although the lot looked full when we got there 15 minutes before the ride, we still found a parking place right away.  There was no noticeable traffic leading to the staging area. I therefore give Parking and Traffic 5 of 5.
Packets:  No junk in the packet, just a "really cool" long sleeved T shirt which was quite comfortable to wear after the ride.  Packet gets 5 of 5.
Route marking and directions:  The arrows were few and far between, but they were there when you needed them.  There were no signs, but they probably would have blown away in the wind anyway.
The route generally had very light traffic and no noticeable chip seal.  My only concern was the last eastward stretch along FM 545, but that turned out to have very little traffic as well, even though there were some riders arriving for the 1:00 start time.  I give the route 4 of 5.
Now, Bikin' Mike had no control over the strong south wind that was blowing on that day, but I am glad he had the route start out into the wind.  That way after you have struggled into the wind and gotten all tired at the beginning of the ride, the last half is with the wind at your back and makes for a much easier finish.
Rest Stops:  On this ride there was an economy of rest stops. Instead of every 10 miles they were approximately every 15 miles. This is a ride where you want to carry a water bottle or two.  The refreshments consisted of gator ad  e, water, animal crackers, pretzels and trail mix.  Since I am on a New Year's resolution diet I drank only water.  I give the rest stops 3 of 5.
We enjoyed this ride very much and will definitely do it again next year.

I hope that most of the folks who were so vocal about the Collin Classic came out to this ride to see a preview of the new routes that Bikin' Mike has set up. This was a great route, bar none. The only thing that kept average speeds down was the south wind, which was merciless. The option of 10am and 1pm starts ended up with a more friendly atmosphere during the ride. There wasn't the usual clamoring at the turns during the start.
What I really enjoyed was the back half of the ride, which ran through some curves and hills on FM 545. Had there not been a cross-wind, this would have been a stretch where I might have gotten a bit more daring.
I think a lot of thanks are due to Mike and his volunteers for coming out on a Sunday as well as the scouting work they have done for new roads. I was very pleased with this ride and I can't wait for the Collin Classic to arrive.

Rode the ride starting at 1:00 pm. Decided on doing the 38 as we heard incoming riders from the morning say that the wind would be at our backs coming in. I guess it changed directions because it was a fight the whole time. That is not the ride manager's fault. However, considering the wind slowed down riders and only a few of us braved the longer route it would have been nice to have had a little more support coming in. When we got in they were out of the black eyed peas which we looked forward to enjoying - we were offered some left over cornbread (thanks), surely ride manager, and the local police were getting ready to tow off vehicles that had parked in front of the fire department (thank God we didn't park there but I felt sorry for the riders out on the route to have to come back to no vehicle and a rude ride manager who seemed put out that anyone actually started a ride at 1:00 pm and had the gall to go the whole distance). Rest stop volunteers were nice, but animal crackers and pretzels? The last long stretch of road in had a very, very narrow margin of shoulder, if you could call it that, and traffic was heavy. Although we kept a straight, tight line hugging that narrow bit of margin it was amazing that the traffic wouldn't slow up nor give you a little room. Will not ride this ride again, and probably not any other rides this manager hosts. Also, who thought it was a good idea to plan a ride route past a large landfill? We ride about 100 miles a week with no support and own a surly teenager so there is no point coming out for this ride as we can get it at home for free.

January 1, 2005

I was one of the lucky few who participated in this year's ride. What a beautiful day it was. Almost ideal weather conditions, great starting time, easy to find start location, very friendly support staff at sign-in,  and good communications (one week before the ride via e-mail for those pre-registered and before the start of the ride). I can't stress enough how nice the weather was - most riders wore cycling shorts, and short sleeve cycling shirts. The choice of roads was right on - challenging, but with very little automobile traffic. All rest stops were well stocked, and manned by friendly staff. I had a great ride. Those who chose not to participate made a mistake. Thanks to Bikin' Mike, and his team for a great effort on this one.

Enjoyable ride with 200 riders attending. The weather was more like what you would expect for late March or early April. I did the 45 mile route which follows the old Collin Classic route from when they started at the Youth Park. Just like Collin Classic, the first half of the ride was very fast thanks to a substantial tail wind and relatively flat course. The last 20 miles of the ride, like Collin Classic, was a real fitness test with the strong 15 mph south east wind and the rollers. The "chip seal" on sections of FM455 made the second half of the ride even tougher. The rest stops were bare bones but were well placed and had everything we needed. I really enjoyed the blackeye peas and cornbread that was served at the end of the ride. Looks like another rally I will add to my "must do's".

This is a warning to those who do not like chip seal:
If this is the same route they plan on using for the Collin Classic, then you may want to adjust accordingly. Miles and miles of chip seal are now in place where decent road was. I don't mind a little here and there, but this route had too much. Hopefully, some adjusted routes will be set up by June.

January 1, 2004

I only had time to do the 20 miler, but it was a great ride. Mike and company did a grand job, I will be back

Great Ride! foggy and a little wet, but good time had by all. I only did 20 miles, but a lot of friendly people, nice roads, good support, and the hot black-eyed peas and cornbread at the end hit the spot exactly. felt great about starting the new year this way. I will be back.

I had a great ride. The weather was a little damp, but it was warm so it kept down dehydration. I will definitely return. Real cool shirt!!

Very well organized ride. Small crowd due to weather (100-150 riders), very little car traffic. The route follows the old Collin county route which is
all smooth roads - a few moderate hills that even the novices can handle (misses the big hills on the new Collin county route by the 75 service road). Will be back next year - hopefully the weather will be dryer (cold is okay)

This was my very first ride. I would not advise first timers ride this one, I almost thought I was going to die coming up some of those hills. They are HUGE !!! It was a major accomplishment for me and I'm glad, now, that I did it, but at the time I just wanted to cry. I thought everything was very well marked and the support was great

A Great Ride ! ! ! Weather was a bit soggy but that only added to the fun and atmosphere. Met and had the pleasure of riding with some very nice folks and really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. Rode the 20 miler. Rest stop was well stocked and the folks were very nice. Good SAG, nice well marked scenic (and smooth) route. The cornbread and black-eyed peas at the end were a nice touch. A perfect way to start of the new year. We will be back.

ear.