Madder 'N Hell Bicycle Rally

May 27, 2006

This was my first time riding the MADDer N Hell, and unless some serious changes are made, probably my last. Based on previous reviews, I expected this to be a well organized ride. To start, there were no signs directing you for parking, I saw many cars drive right by the school. The registration was smooth and easy and the people were friendly. I did not register early, but questioned why they would want to charge someone $10 for a t-shirt (which, by the way, they were giving away after the ride). The ride was supposed to start at 8:00am, but it started closer to 8:30am, but no one gave an explanation for the delay. I had planned to ride the 50 mile route, but the wind was just incredible, so I opted for the 25 mile route (which was actually 30). The route itself was pretty good, the roads fair to good. However, there was not a thing on the road to mark the course. If there were signs, I never saw one. We were told later that there were signs, but one of the volunteers had turned them around before the start of the rally. We even asked at the start if the course was well marked. I made a brief stop at the first rest stop to ask if I was going the right way. I heard later that there were riders going all different directions due to the lack of signage. Lastly, another rider and I came to the intersection of FM 428 and Hwy 377. 377 is an extremely busy road and the speed limit is 60 mph. We had to turn left on 377 to head back toward Pilot Point. The was absolutely no police presence, or anyone at all, for traffic control. And when you get back into town, you have to turn left back into the school. Again, no traffic control. For an organization like MADD, who is trying to promote safer driving, putting cyclists in dangerous situations is uncalled for.

I saw one (count em - one) sign and it pointed the wrong way but there were two motorcyclests there to point out the correct direction. Perhaps I came thru at a different time but there was a police presence or somebody at every turn. - John

This morning I looked at the T-shirt which has a map of the route. The 25 mile ride was supposed cloclwise, not counterclockwise as so many did. That explains the sign in the wrong direction and the lack of signs on the 25 mile route.. It looks like everybody turned with the 50/75 mile riders then rode turned left at the rest stop. I think the organizers should be commended for discovering the error and getting police and others out there to give directions.

I did the 75 mile route and it was challenging to say the least!! There were more hills than I was expecting and the wind was out of the south at about 78 mph. While there were no route signs on the route, somebody was always stationed at a major turn. The map was helpful and easy to read. The 75 mile route was essentially four right turns. I found this to be one of the safest rides I’ve been on. We had the Blue Knights, motorcycle officers, Air Force personnel, patrol cars, medical vehicles, comms vehicles, sag wagons and the Bluebonnet Bicycle van all out patrolling the route. I don’t think 15 min. went by when I didn’t see someone. I got in right before 2 and there was still food available for us slower ones! I’ll do this one again.

This was my fourth rally this year and I would rate it last by far. Someone mentioned the start time and I was confused with this as well. When you look at the website it says the start is at 8am but when you print out the brochure it says 8:30. The ride did start a little late even for the 8:30 start. The signage was a huge problem as well. I would not have known where the 25 mile route was if I wanted to opt out of the 50, which was actually 45 miles by the way. Apparently, the 50 has been 45 in years past but the web is still advertising it as 50. It would be really nice to have a route on the website so riders have a better idea where they are going. Rest stops were average at best. The first one was on the other side of a busy freeway forcing riders to cross the street just to get there. This course has potential to be a fun one. It is a very fast ride on decent streets. The wind was just brutal at the start and the last 7-10 miles. I
chose not to stay for lunch so I cannot comment on that. If another ride is available next year, I will be doing that one instead.

This rally has a lot of decent attributes: a safe start, decent roads (no chip and seal), scenic, and lots of SAG and motorcycle presence on the course.
I did the 50 mile route and had no direction issues except at the 50-78 split. It was really busy at that spot, with a rest stop to the right, and a busy intersection.
It was at this intersection that the 50 went right and the 78 went forward. They had a military guy there, saying which way to go, but he was standing past the turning point.
When I asked which way it turned into a conversation as to which route was I taking, etc. I finally had to stop, clip out, and do a U-Turn. Nice guy though. :)
I am not too fond of the 377 finish, somewhat busy of a road (but with nice wide shoulders). Lots of BIG roadkill.
It's obvious most cirtters don't stand a chance crossing this road! It didn't help that we had to pass these carcasses going 9 mph into the head wind…
They did provide food at the finish. Hot Dogs. No vegetarian for low fat options. I don't do these rallies for the food anyhow, just FYI.
Love the shirt--they probably learned their lesson about trying to get people to buy the shirts, so no need to comment further. Could have been a reason for the low turn-out though.
I recommend the ride--it's for a good cause. Parents who lost children to drunk drivers thanked us for coming.

I did the 45 mile route and found it to be very scenic and flat and on good road surfaces for the most part. Circled the lake, and went by several horse farms. I’m glad it was only 45 miles – the last leg coming into the headwind was brutal – we were going 9 mph on flat terrain! Not a lot of cyclists for some reason, probably due to it being Memorial Day Weekend. Registration and parking were very easy and convenient. All in all, a nice ride.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
The Good: Volunteers and motorcycle support along the route (72 miler).
The Bad: Start delayed by 30 min. This is unacceptable. I was told it was due to hwy/traffic problems causing arrivals to be late. Again, unacceptable. The rally has to accomodate those that are there on time. I'm sure many had other things going on later in the day, only to find out they would be delayed by 30 minutes. Also, many riders plan their pre-ride meal, hydration and fueling based on a particular start time.
The Ugly: No signage, volunteers it all the major turns were nice, but how were we suppose to know that in advance? There has to be signage indicating all turns, signage to indicate the correct direction at other intersections, and signage along the way to indicate one is on course. I turned around once and headed back to the 30 mile rest stop to make sure I was headed in the right direction. Then again later in the ride on the long westerly stretch on the north part of the route. I should of seen this coming when there was no signage to indicate how to get to the ride start off of hwy 377. Organizer's, you may know where the middle school is, but out of towners sure don't. Give us an address so we can find it.
I won't do this rally again until after future reviews indicate that the "bad" and "ugly" have been corrected.

I showed up expecting a great ride based upon reviews from 2005 – I should have stayed home. To start, a Middle School employee gave me and others an earful for taking up the parking lot, “How long are you people going to be here – this is a work day for some of us!” Definitely not the friendliness welcome I’ve ever received at a rally! I won’t belabor the point that has already been made about the nearly 30 minute late start – “unacceptable” is a good word for it though. An occasional sign saying, “Yes, you’re going the right way” tends to keep mass confusion from setting in. Also, a sign that says “Turn here” can also be very helpful from time to time. The only way I knew I was on the right route was from all of the guys on Harley’s riding back and forth. By they way, what purpose did they serve? I saw several of them pass stranded riders. What were they doing? Policing, patrolling, showing off? By the end of the day, I was going deaf from their 180 decibel motorcycles. The really nice guys running the rest stop at the 50/75 mile turn seemed to have a clue – maybe they should be in charge of next year’s rally. Too bad I won’t be there to find out. The sad thing is that attention to the little details would have made this ride much better!

May 29, 2004

Fantastic ride. Lots of goodies. Great support. Way too much wind. Good job

One of the best organized rides in the area. The start was staggered and the riders spread out nicely to ease the usual congestion. Lots of local police and National Guard support -- and appreciated the guard keeping riders from going around the railroad gates at the 50 mile turn when a train was approaching. Rest stops were spaced 10 miles apart and there was plenty of SAG support seen frequently. The gym bag full of goodies at registration was a nice surprise. I'll definitely do this ride again.

The volunteers and sponsors of the Denton MADD Ride can take pride in another job well done. It is hard to find a better ride in Texas. Super fast roads (All the guys with those TT setups and Tri-spokes were in heaven) , 90% flat with occasional mild rollers. Registration, rest stops and finish line chow were all first class. The course monitors were everywhere. Generally speaking the course markings were good. National guard, police, volunteers, sag wagons, motorcycles, ambulances, right out of the HHH catalogue on "How to succeed in Bike Rally's."
I rode the 50 mile route which was only 45 miles. This really has to be corrected. 50 miles should be 50 miles guys, let's find another five miles to loop in somewhere. The 30 mph winds made the last 10 miles into the headwind a symphony of pain and grunts. The course layout however minimized what could have been much worse.
Only a few problem areas need to considered and fixed. First there were still various dam or water crossing areas with too much glass in the bike travel areas. How about getting the county or someone to run the sweeper zambonis and clean this up. 20 volunteers with brooms can do this job too. Too many flats.
Next there was the area at Sanger where the 50 and 75 split off. Not good enough marking there. Too many missed the routes and riders who went the wrong way. Suggestion: Right before the rest stop/ turn area put a really big sign showing "75 straight ahead and 50 turn right." with big arrows. Then after the turns put another sign for each showing that they are on the right ( or wrong) route. This would spare lots of frustration.
Lastly there are a few areas of safety concerns, not anything like the "Forney-Death -Ride", but a bit scary anyway. That's where we run out of shoulder and are on shoulderless high speed roads with fast moving cars and trucks feet/inches away. Bad idea. This is dangerous in high cross winds like we had. A gust of wind, a wind induced swerve to the left, and we have another fatality. Please find another route to detour around these shoulderless areas.- Norm Weatherby

Overall, nice bicycle rally. Directions to the rally were good. Registration and parking were easy. The ride packet was second to none and the post rally lunch was nice. I rode the 45 mile course (was going to do the 75 but changed my mind due to the strong winds). The road surfaces were good and I had no trouble following the course (I rode by myself most of the way). The course was very flat and easy except for the wind (20-25 mph I think). The last seven miles were directly into the wind and that was punishing. I think about 500 - 800 riders participated. Thank you MADD for organizing this rally. I hope you make lots of money for your cause. I feel my entry fee was well spent.

This was one well supported ride. I rode the 72-miler. While the wind  was quite an obstacle, the registration, rest stops and ever-presence of SAG as well as police patrol were wonderful. Met some good folks along the ride, and while I was one of the last riders in, there was still a cold Coke and some warm food. As one who's done a lot of paid rides this year I can say, this one I'll do again and would recommend to others. 

This was a great ride that I decided to attend on the spur of the moment. I'm glad I did. Great rest stops placed just right and I thought the route should stay as is. I was appalled by the actions of some during a crossing at the train tracks. The gates had come down and the train was less than 30 seconds from crossing. Yet, some bikers felt it was too long to wait with the rest of us as they weaved through the gates and crossed the tracks. I really hate it that their actions reflect on the rest of us and I wish there was a way to take some punitive action against such people.
The headwind at the last 8 miles was a killer. I guess it wouldn't be a rally without such. Loved the duffel bag and goodies. One complaint: The t-shirt. I won't wear it due to the fact it has the word "HELL" emblazoned on it. That may be prude, but I don't want my kids saying it, so that ends the argument. I would suggest leaving it off next time. I'll be back next year!

It seems.. as a novice, that every rally is an adventure and a "learning experience".: in other words something that "builds character". This rally really did some of that character formation. What support! A better more enthusiastic organization will be hard to duplicate. My participation in this rally taught me many things. Mostly...it is not good to have a flat...and a flat ...and a (count em boys..) a flat. But to have a motorcycle there as soon and I pulled over....and willing teammates and fellow cyclists there...."priceless".
I had a teammate stick with me, through all of them, and though she could have made the best of her ride, she and I rode clean up through the miles....all 72...and she would not allow me to sag. That is the real story. We did not end up last, once the tail wind became our friend we made up some time. That sag wagon cruised along behind us for quite a ways...checked in on us.....And to the guy at the final rest stop who mentioned a killer hill...I kept looking ...never saw it. The high point for me was that one terrific downhill. When I saw that, slope I thought.. well look out I am gonna have some FUN!!! I flew down that hill without a thought of brakes.... That last stretch was a real test of will. Knowing I was just miles from the end kept me going ....I was never so glad to see the end. But learned a valuable lesson...its not always about the ride...sometimes its about the people you ride with PS Thanks Myra.....

This was my first bike rally and my first 50 miles. Everything went great and I would recommend this rally to anyone. Very friendly people throughout the course, from start to finish. As others have mentioned the wind was a killer. I am looking forward to next year