Wild Ride at Wildflower - Richardson, TX

May 17, 2008

There is only 1 suggestion for the Wild Ride and that is to have SAG support or more of it out there, I didn't see a vehicle marked as SAG the entire 64 mile route. I did see the black motorcycle doing some SAGGING but that was it. Otherwise this is a must ride for everyone to attend. The registration went very smoothly, there were coffee, water, muffins, donuts, fruit at the beginning for everyone to enjoy. Each rest stop had plenty of port-a-potties and alot of volunteers ready to assist you in any way. The roads were overall in good shape, intersections were well done with a min. of 2 up to 4 people at them directing traffic. Road signage and road arrows were easy to follow. Thank you to all the volunteers who made a great day for me, I hope that you had as much fun as I did!!! I'll definitely be back next year.

Rode the 16 mile route. Great weather, big crowd, fun ride. Most of us in the 16-mile group at the starting lineup couldn't really hear what was being said in the speeches. Start of the route was well marked, less well so toward the end. The one rest stop I went to (#4) was well stocked, but then that was before the 40- and 64-milers got back to it. Roads were mostly in good condition, with all but a couple of intersections manned by policemen. The cheering squad was nice coming back in, and good pizza and coke topped it off.

Another top notch event from the time we arrived and were guided in to parking to the time we left for home. The 64 mile route was well marked with plenty of marshals and signage. The traffic control was noticeably beefed up this year which made a huge difference at the intersections, especially later in the ride when there were more cars and cyclists sharing the roads. The only thing that I really noticed this year, and I mean really noticed, was a lack of SAG vehicles on the long route. I saw one motorcycle once heading back in towards town early in the ride, and one Bike Mart van heading back into town later in the ride, but that was it. There may have been more vehicles out than that, but if so they sure were not easy to spot. Unfortunately there were a large number of riders this year who were having trouble in the last 20 miles of the route. Dozens of folks all along the latter part of the route were cramping up, pulling up short and doubled over along the road, or sitting it out completely on the side of the road in the shade. Many of these folks were clearly stranded, but I never saw any of them getting any assistance from anyone other than their fellow riders. That can’t be can’t right can it? It definitely isn’t safe. That is an area that will need improvement for next year. Otherwise, thanks to all of the volunteers who helped again this year. We appreciate you!

This is an outstanding event! My 3rd year to do it – 64 mile route. Registration and early packet pick-up was convenient as always. Parking was also convenient. Traffic control was outstanding, the roads along his route are as smooth as any you’ll find, the rest stops were well stocked, and did I mention the excellent traffic control? Post ride pizza, cookies and variety of drinks were also very well done and appreciated. Congratulations to the sponsor for another excellent ride. Also like the smaller logo on the front of the t-shirt. See you next year!

May 19, 2007

This ride was a real joy. It was raining when I got up but the streets were mostly clear by the 8am start. I like the idea of the proceeds going to fight cancer. As a survivor myself, it has special meaning. They staged this ride in order of ride length. Most of the short route cyclists were already done by the time the 64M riders came back through. I was pleasantly surprised at how much traffic control there was despite the warnings that it wasn't protected. Most intersections had 2-3 police or firemen. I was amused at the railroad worker standing guard so we wouldn't get mowed down by a locomotive. I even had the opportunity to run across the famous John Sadowski (who runs this website). Good seeing you, John (both times). Great route, great stops, a bunch of friendly riders and one awesome kick-butt drink called "180 energy drink" by Anheuser-Bush.

Two years ago, I participated in my first Wild Ride. That day I went out too fast, the temperature spiked unexpectedly into the mid-90s, and I had myself a Death March. Still, I could tell that this was an event I wanted to try again. The 2007 Wild Ride was a very different story, in some ways: the day started out a bit rainy, and much cooler than in 2005, for one thing. The walk-up price was higher than in 2005, for another. What had not changed was the efficient organization of the ride. Parking and set-up went smoothly, and the rider groups for the various routes were staged and sent off in an orderly fashion. For the first several miles, we had three full lanes at our disposal, providing enough time for the riders to space out a bit before being funneled into a single lane by peace officers. Once again, I was impressed by the extent of the intersection control this ride provides. If there was any negative to this it was that some riders became complacent, riding out into uncontrolled intersections without looking to see if they had the right of way-but that's the fault of the rider, not the ride organizers. The rest stops were not extravagant in their selections of snacks, which is not a negative for me since I really only stop for the porta-johns, these days. I did enjoy the 180 energy drinks available this year, however. The 64-mile (okay... 65-mile) route was a joy to ride, with lots of beautiful scenery, not too much bad pavement, and enough climbing to keep me honest without turning a nice ride into Work. Now that I know what I missed, having to turn back at the 20-mile mark that first year, I'd be hard pressed to ever take one of the shorter routes. My wife (a handcyclist) did have a bit of a problem at the start of the ride, when we discovered that not one handicap-accessible porta-john had been ordered, but the ride director was sincerely apologetic about this and promises to ensure this doesn't happen in the future. My only regret is that I have to wait until next year to do it again!

This was our first WildRide, which we decided to do after reading the great reviews from last years event. We also liked the fact that the ride coincided with the Richardson WildFlower Arts and Music Festival. We stayed at a nearby hotel which was right around the corner from both the start/finish line for the ride and one of the entrances to the festival grounds. We were fortunate that the weather was nice and moderate so we were able to open the balcony doors to hear the live music filtering in from the festival. Really gave us the “party atmosphere” the whole weekend. My fiancé really appreciated the staggered start preventing any potential ‘run ins’ with any other cyclists who were slow to start. It seemed to me the participants in attendance were of the more experienced road cyclists and teams more familiar to these kinds of events. The Richardson Bike Mart crew was awesome and like always (at the other rides I have attended) always accessible. My portable air pump ran out of charge the night before and I was able to top off my tire pressure using one of their manual pumps at the start. We did the 40 mile route and there was always one of the RBM trucks close by or stopped on the side of the road helping a distressed rider. The community of riders was very friendly and helpful, which seems to be the standard at these rallies. The fanfare at the finish was not as elaborate as say the Tour Dallas ride or Lancaster Country Ride, but with the Festival going on right next door there was no need. The rest stops were plentiful and well stocked with fruit (bananas and oranges), Oreo/chocolate chip cookies, and good selection of drinks (water, Powerade, Gatorade and carbonated-canned energy drinks). Naturally there was a long line for the port-a-johns at the first 10 mile rest stop due to the fact that the 3 starting groups of riders had yet to be naturally dispersed but no lines at the remaining stops. I was very impressed by the volunteers and police force that was out to direct traffic which provided first priority assistance to the cyclists. We only had to stop at a handful of intersections. There were signs at every turn that I could see alerting riders to upcoming turns where there weren’t volunteers or police present. I even saw signs posted informing motorists of the bike rally and to be mindful of the riders. Overall this was an outstanding experience and I am planning to do other rides especially this one (next year) and hope they are all as well organized and fun as the WildRide was.

I have ridden this rally every year since it started. For me, it is by far and away the best run and supported ride of the year. Everything from the pre-registration and package pick-up at Richardson Bike Mart, and the volunteers who support the riders, to the routes and traffic control is first class. I love the cheers at the rest stops and at the finish too! All the rest stops including the finish area were well stocked and maintained even late into the ride and after the event. I rode the full 64 mile route and couldn’t have asked for a better ride or support. You could sure tell that a lot of hard work went into all of that. Many thanks to those who volunteered to support the riders and event!

The only issue that I can see needing some attention for this ride is the condition of the roadway crossing Lavon Dam. This year it was a flat fest and I couldn’t believe how many riders there were strung out along the dam road attending to flats. It looked like one giant mile long bike maintenance class was in session. If this is going to continue to be offered as a part of the route, which it surely should be, some provision should be made for cleaning the rocks, glass and trash off of the road surface before the riders come through. I can’t even begin to imagine how many tires, tubes, patches, pumps and CO2 cartridges the Richardson Bike Mart “donated” by having their mechanic standing by at the rest stop #2 area on the east side of the dam. When I came through on the outbound leg his line was longer than the one for the port-a-potties. And that is saying something! Props and many thanks to RBM for all the help they gave to get everyone back on the road. The Lance autographed raffle donations were terrific as well. Thanks to all of the other corporate sponsors as well. Kudos!

Good job all the way around to those who stepped forward to organize, staff and support this rally. It looks like a ton of money was raised again this year for a terrific cause. Thanks for another Wild Ride!

Rode the 40 mile route and not a bad ride for being in the big city most of the way. I got uneasy about the traffic a couple times on the major thoroughfares but the police kept the intersections under control. Couple of bottlenecks at the first hard right hander that slowed things down, but hey, sometimes that happens. Weather was ideal, cool and overcast. SAG was in evidence although there were a LOT of flats on the dam. I counted at least 6 one direction and 2 coming back the other way. I only stopped at the rest stop by the dam and there was plenty of everything when I was there. At 10:35 when I got back, there was also all the pizza, muffins, bagels, soda, juice, etc that you could handle still on hand.
Best sight was the guy riding the old cruiser-stye newspaper bike with the big wire pannier racks on the rear wheels. He looked like one of ZZTOP with the hair, beard, and was riding BAREFOOT. Keep on truckin, man! Also, thanks to the four people who clapped as I attempted to sprint the finish line.
Thanks and keep up the good work on your website. I have tried to find similar ride information in other cities that I travel to and have not found very many that are as all-encompassing as yours.

I was impressed with the ride - this was my third year riding it and the weather was awesome. I thought the police presence at intersections was improved over past years. About 30 minutes after my 40 mile finish, I received a call from my 14 year old daughter who was going to a graduation in Garland. They were sitting at an intersection (not sure where) and a woman bike rider went through and was hit by a car. She went flying off her bike and just laid there. She said there were two policemen at the intersection, and didn't know how it turned out as they went on. I guess you can't be too careful, even with support. There are quite a few major intersections on this ride.

It was my first time doing the 2007 Wild Ride and I'll definitely be back next year. From the start to the finish everyone who volunteered did a excellent job. My only recommendation would be that if you don't wear a helmet then the SAG vehicles should stop you and deliver you back to the finish!!! This needs to be strictly monitored at all rallies also, irregardless of a individuals religious practices. GREAT JOB EVERYONE!

May 20, 2006

I am very impressed with this years wild ride.
Went smooth as silk for me all rest stops were staffed with very helpfull people and had lots of water and food.
So to all the volunteers thank you for making my ride so much fun.
Also thx to Jim and Rhonda Hoyt for putting on such a fun event.
The young man who was a tech for RBM at rest stop 1 i'm sorry but I cant remember your name he was the young fellow with the blonde dredlocks and he fixed my front derailer in less than 3 minutes. Jim Hoyt if you read this take that young man out for lunch as he was of great service to me and im sure many others and is a credit to your dealership. Look foward to next years ride thx again

This ride was AWESOME! The routes were great and pretty well marked. The rest stops were well stocked and the volunteers were fantastic. There was more than enough food and drinks at the finish line. I was a little disappointed I didn't win the L.A Trek bike but oh well, maybe next year. After today, this ride has become a favorite for local rides. WOW. The race coordinators and race co-chairs really put their heart and soul to make this a great ride and theysucceeded in my book without a doubt. Thanks again. See you next year!!

First time I did this ride and was impressed that the route overall had very little car traffic. I like the Lake Lavon dam route. Good support on the route and
at rest stops. Well organized ride by RBM!!

A+++; a perfect 100grade: For an intermediate experienced cyclist this is without a doubt the very best ride in the metroplex. The late registration at $35 is alittle steep, but is well worth the funds due to the red carpet treatment that is provided. Heading out of town on a high traffic street with the cyclists designated to have their own personal lane along with the cones, in addition to police working all the intersections at this juncture was a class act. Their were hardly any stops for lights.
The 64mile course is mainly flat with very light rough chip and seal, less than 1% of the course to my estimate. Crossing the Dam at Lake Lavon from a bike provided a breathtaking vista.
The muffins, and orange juice etc.. at the start additionally, is not be ignored. Ride registration was 100% painless. I stuffed some provided bottled water in my ride jersey, and was able to ride 64mile route without stopping at a rest stop--The pizza at the end along with the orange juice, and rock star drink provided topped off a virtually perfect organized ride.
As the word gets out, this ride will augment its attendance, for the benefit of abating cancer, and for why we will additionally show up The Red Carpet Treatment.

Great ride. Great routes! Lots of concrete roads (more than I've ever ridden in a single rally). Some chip seal that had been worn smooth (the kind everyone looks for). Very little rough chip seal. Very good intersection control with cones to mark of a "bike only" lane on some of the larger roads - only two left turns across a major road that I can think of. Good signage - no way you could get lost. Quick registration. Good rest stops from what I experienced (I stopped at two) with short lines at the toilettes. Scenery was good. Hilly for this region of the state. Hot weather and moderate to high winds added to the diffculty but that goes with the season. Some overlap on the out and back stretches of the route but the view from the Lavon dam was worth a second look. $35 on-site registration is higher than normal but mark it on your calendar for next year - it's worth it!

One of the best rallies around! Breakfast before, lunch after (enough pizza to give away whole pies to those who wanted them!), enthusiastic volunteers everywhere. Kudos to all of the friendly law enforcement officers for traffic control, too. Minor snag at the 16 mile/40/64 split: folks (including yours truly) headed in the wrong direction because of blocked signage behind traffic...could use a volunteer here. All in all, a rally not to be missed, especially to support a great cause! Thanks to all who devoted their Saturday to work this event! Kathy "Duck"

What an awesome ride! Traffic control was the best I think that I've ever seen. The rest stops were well stocked with provisions and enthusiastic support staff. The course (64 miles) was really good with a route that minimized rider exposure to chip seal to just ten miles or so. I don't know what more a rider could ask for from a ride. The pizza at the end was a welcomed necessity as were the folks who cheered us on as we finished. This ride reflected excellent planning and execution by Richardson Bike Mart, the police department and the volunteers. This is how a ride should be organized and executed!

This was my second year attending the Wild Ride. I came back this year because I enjoyed the ride so much last year. Let me start off by saying this is still a good ride, and the volunteers were friendly and helpful, but I do having one major problem. I had planned to ride the 40 mile route, but as I was riding along E Plano Pkwy, I went to change lanes and caught my tire in a rut, or gouge, or gap, right at the edge of the lanes (it was not easily visible, nor was it expected on a smooth concrete road). Of course this caused a pretty bad crash in which I unfortunately took another rider down. We both got up, made sure there were no broken bones and started checking our bikes. Well not two minutes later, another rider went down in the same spot. After they got up another rider went down in the same spot. This was an obvious hazard that should have been marked prior to the ride. I made it to the rest stop of the 16 mile ride. The volunteers called a mechanic from Richardson Bike Mart to come out and make sure my bike was safe enough to ride in. However, the one thing I could have used was a first aid kit. I suggest they have one at every rest stop next year. I was able to ride back in and I asked to speak to the ride director. I explained the hazards like this need to be marked. He did say that they marked hazards on the rural roads, but they rely on the City of Richardson to mark hazards on the city roads. As the organizers of the ride, the ultimate responsibility for a safe ride falls upon them. I hope they make a concentrated effort next year to ensure all the roads are safe. That being said, I do intend to return next year, and a special thanks to Mary Wylie, or Richardson Regional Medical Center, who lent a sympathetic ear to my problems, and to the nice people at the first aid tent who attended to my cuts and scrapes.

I was reviewing the reviews for this year's Wildflower ride. I don't disagree with a thing said but I note that one person gave all of the credit for organizing the ride to RBM. Is this correct? Did any of the other sponsors contribute to the organization ? I don't know one way or the other and I don't mean to slight RBM and their contributions to biking in our area BUT I would hate to see a major sponsor of this ride to get slighted - we definitely want them ALL back next year.

Sponsors rarely get reviews. I do know that bikemart had a BIG hand in this ride. Rhonda worked rest stop #2. Jimmy drove a sag wagon. I saw bikemart vehicles all over the route. I know for sure that Bikemart personel designed the route, isn't that right, Jack? What else can you ask - John.

Online registration and early pick-up went smooth. Estimated 1500 riders in all, my jersey number was in 1700's so maybe more. Plenty of porta-lets near start and DJ/announcer on loud speaker with music. Staggered starts for different distances with police escort. Routes clearly marked with big paint arrows on roadways. Virtually all turns had orange flaggers or police traffic control. 64 mile route was mainly East-West making South wind of 10-15 mph of minimal impact. 64 mile route was mostly flat and smooth except for a couple of rolling hills. Traffic was light and well behaved in most places thanks to the police presence. Encountered no loose dogs, but did get momentarily confused by a pack of riders that were not part of the rally and that lead a few unattentive riders off course. Rest stops were well supplied, had plenty of porta-lets, eager volunteers and even music. SAG support was visible. Finish line had cheerleaders greeting riders and plenty of pizza and water to go around. I saw some riders carrying a whole pizza box with them. Shade trees and grassy places to sit were a big help to those finishing in the heat. Finish/start area also had massages available. This is a well-supported and supplied ride. Excellent for those not wishing big hill challenges, head winds or an hour's drive from Dallas to the starting line. Minor recommendations would be to paint up some of the few road hazzards (pot holes, cracks, etc.) that I couldn't see/almost hit and maybe have fewer train track crossings. I think we crossed the same set at least 6 times and eventually had to stop for a train at one of them. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this ride and will do it again.

I just want to add my sincere thanks to Jim & Rhonda Hoyt and to all of the staff at RBM for organizing a first-class ride. Every recreational cyclist in this area owes them a huge debt of gratitude.

Unfortunately I had an accident at mile 15 before the dam and missed the rest of the ride. I wish the cement blocks had been moved over a little further, but it serves me right for looking at the scenery more than the road. That said, I had about ten riders stop to help me - they were SO nice and concerned. And the policeman who helped was great as were the volunteers who drove me and my bike back to the start. GREAT people. What little I saw of the ride was so pretty. I will be back next year - and I plan to FINISH!

I attended the May 20 Wild Ride. I was in Dallas on a business trip from northern New York and decided to give it a try. I rented a bike from Richardson's Bike Mart, with no problems. They even delivered it for me to the Wild Ride start.
The ride was well supported and it was the best day I've had on a bike this year. Thanks

May 14, 2005

This was a great ride. What ever issues some of the folks had last year have all been worked out. The routes were very well thought out, the directional signage and arrows were very well placed and obvious to even the most tired of cyclists. The support was excellent although the rest stop by the dam ran out of water by the time I got there on my "return" trip around 10:45 AM (I was doing the 64 mile loop). The pizza and drinks at the end was an excellent idea although it took me about a half an hour after I finished the ride to develop any sort of appetite. The 70's and 80's retro music at the finish line was also a good touch. One point of suggestion though, I would like to see some mist fans set up near the main tents at the finish line

Well this ride certainly much good to say about it! The roads are mostly good to excellent and the markings make sure nobody gets lost. Special thanks due the police and Richardson Bike Mart whose volunteers were located at most critical locations. However there were a few things. The heat was not their fault, a scorcher at 97 or more and reflective road temps of 120 degrees. But, they needed rest stops closer together. People were running out of water. Bad Mojo. One critical stop around 50 miles just said "Rest stop 1 mile ahead". Then no stop was to be found. Nothing. Desperate riders were peeling off the course in search of water at businesses and homes. I don't know if there was a rest stop but if there was they sure succeeded in camouflaging it so nobody could find it. Also on the 64 mile route I rode I didn't see a rest stop until about 20 miles. Ok for me but not for someone with one bottle. I carried two 30 oz. bottles.
Also, there were a few critical road crossings where there was no help. Just stop lights. Hey guys, you stop a bunch of overheated waterless riders cold at a stop light in this kind of temperature, with no wind , and they start too cook fast. We need the slight breeze over sweaty lycra to maintain cooling. The course seems to have been designed for elite riders rather than average riders, families, etc. That stretch of road on 344 with no shoulders was a bit tense. Fast cars and trucks roll by just inches away. Luckily it didn't go on too long. Registration and after ride pizza were commendable. Was it just me or did everybody look half dead after the ride? Lost of bedraggled gasping, drinking riders strewn out over the shadowy grass areas under the trees. Kind of quite. They didn't seem to need food but cooling. I suggest a cooling spray next time. Really needed today. This ride was a real task for many riders. I'll ride it again next year though. But please put in some more rest or water stops. This heat can repeat.- Norm

Very well organized event. Plenty of rest stops all well stocked with ice power aid water food etc Very much needed due to heat (reached 100 which is very hot for May) virtually all the intersections had traffic control had volunteers stationed at all the turns. nice post ride party with pizza. 

Another great job by Jim Hoyt and the Bikemart folks. Very well put on and I mark this ride every year on my calendar

This ride improved 100 percent over its first year. They had volunteers with orange flags at every turn, they stopped traffic at nearly every intersection and the return route avoided most of the heavy traffic that we encountered in 2004. I also want to commend the organizers for deciding NOT to stop traffic at two major intersections along FM 544. The traffic tie-ups that caused last year were far more dangerous than forcing riders to stop at the red lights. That stretch went a lot more smoothly this time. Very nice job. This is my new favorite rally. Thank you.

Excellent. Fast and flat. Police support was the best I've seen, controlling busy intersections on the way out and the way in. Most rides have little or no support on the way back. It's much easier to spend a half hour launching a ride than it is to spend half a day supporting the entire ride. It's gratifying to see that somebody realizes it's not over until the last rider is in. Coca Cola and Ci Ci's pizza at the end. -WayneR

May 8, 2004

The first year Richardson Wildfire Ride was a big success. Approx 1,100 to1,200 riders for a first year ride. The event also attracted a fairly fast field. The ride across Lavon lake road was quite scenic. Most of the roads outside Wylie were nice country roads. Even though there were no long big hills, there were numerous short steep hills especially around the lake. Rest stops were more than adequately stock. Nice music and pizza at the
end. This ride should rival Mesquite Rodeo and Collin County in just a couple of years. The organization of the ride is a tribute to the Hoyts and Richardson bike Mart.

Commendations on an outstanding first event!
The start site at MCI parking lots at Greenville and Glenville (A truly huge area) was well selected and marked and could accommodate thousands. Registration was smooth with a seemingly endless number of volunteers manning every position and a swinging disk jockey with great tunes...for a change. The Pizza for the returnees was a nice touch!
The start was well thought out and allowed plenty of room to avoid the characteristic jamming, crashing and screaming too often found at poorly planned starts. The roads were superior in every way, absolutely no chip seal. The course is 80% flat and fast with maybe 4 hills and a dozen or so rollers, nothing serious though. Riders with those Head three TRi-spokes and time trial setups were having a ball!
Signing was excellent with only a few areas that could be improved. Now, the cons: You must do something about the Renner road stoplights. There are about six lights where you have to come to a complete halt, unclick, watch any lead over your friends vanish, the group up front who made the light fade away, tighten muscles up and wait two minutes and crank it up again from a dead stop. This will encourage red light running. None of these stoplights have policemen to help you through. It's hard to imagine that anyone actually likes this.
I suggest you either place policemen at every light to facilitate smooth passage or move the start beyond the lights, or find another rout out of town. How hard can this be to do? Not doing it in effect says to the riders " You die, so what, we got your ride fee."
Next there are at least three truly dangerous places where riders are required to change from the far right lane on high speed 3-4 lane highways over to the left hand lane for a left turn. Any signs are inadequate as they are too small, placed right at the intersection, too late to use. This is hairy. High speed cars approaching from the rear do not expect bikes to be swinging left across the road in front of them. Serious injury or death is only a matter of time. Does anyone dispute this? This absolutely must be changed.
Several intersections later on in the ride had policemen and ride volunteers who appeared experienced and knew just what do do. The passage of Wiley was indeed seamless. Good job there. But, inexplicably, there were intersections with policemen parked in cars just reading a paper, or in one case, munching on food. What's the story there? After you are killed by a car is it their job to climb out, chalk your outline on the pavement for the coroner and call the ambulance? What?
If these policemen are briefed on their job or indeed have a job they need to do it. Otherwise hire some off duty officers to do the job right. Again...inconsistency can and sometimes is fatal in these things as we all know.
On the way back Renner Road is much more dangerous than going out early in the morning. There is high speed traffic which comes to close to riders. I suggest some cones to form a lane to protect riders. It wouldn't take many. Ditto Plano road. The cones on the way out were great. But coming back in they were sitting on the grass off the street.(?) I suggest the cones be moved over to form an return safety lane after the last rider has gone out. This would make a big difference to the tired returning riders climbing the last hill on Plano Rd. next to fast moving traffic.
I suggest adding a 10 mile event to attract even more riders at the beginning levels, but only if the safety problems are corrected.
Any and all shortcomings can be corrected. I just can't see ride sponsors not wanting to resolve these safety problems. There appeared to be maybe 1,000 people there. No reason it can't draw three or four times that amount. People will be watching for the ride directors comments after all these reviews. This ride has the potential to be another Rodeo ride, Waco or HHH.-
Norm Weatherby

Yet another well organized and fun rally for metroplex area cyclists. I think more than 1200 riders participated since they announced they had T shirts for 1200 and ran out. The T shirts are really cool as well. I rode the 66 mile route. Overall the roads were excellent and very well marked. The route was generally flat with a few rollers in the Wylie / Murphy area. I had no trouble following the course. There was plenty of parking and registration was a snap. After the ride the free pizza and cokes really hit the spot. It seems like more and more rallies are serving free food at the end raising the bar for what is considered a top notch rally. I did not stop at any rest stops so I can't rate those. My only complaint was the lack of controlled intersections in Richardson, particularly at the start of the ride. I was in the lead pack going very fast and it is a hassle to have to stop for traffic. Most rallies control the intersections, I hope this rally will do so next year. Bottom line, GREAT JOB, I hope to return next year.

This was their first year for this rally. What a great turnout ! The organizers really had their act together. Lots of police support, plenty of volunteers with flags to help direct you and the routes were clearly marked. The music at the start and at Rest Stop #2 (past the dam) was excellent. Wow, I've never seen so much effort put into a rest stop. Most of the route was flat and very smooth. You don't encounter any significant hills until you get near Lake Erie. Going through the neighborhoods in Wylie was interesting. I wonder if the people that lived in those neighborhoods knew we were coming. Seemed like a number of them were surprised by the sudden "invasion" of cyclists. The pizza, drinks and music at the end were a real treat. I even saw some cyclists dancing a bit to all those great songs. I hope that motorists didn't have too many complaints about how some riders were riding in the left lane and slowing the regular city traffic down. It's hard to believe how idiotic some cyclists are. Despite the behavior of some riders, the motorists in the area seemed cooperative and were willing to yield when you had to make a left turn on the way back on FM544. I give this ride high marks for organization and support. I look forward to next year's rally.

I'd like to echo the positive comments regarding the inaugural Richardson Wild Ride. Many nice touches *HOWEVER* the traffic control heading out of Richardson was effectively non-existent. The Richardson police were stationed at most of the major intersections, but they just sat in their cars and did absolutely nothing to control traffic and facilitate the movement of the riders out of town. As a previous writer noted the constant stopping, clicking out and restarting on Renner Rd was seriously messed up. By contrast the Wylie police did their job quite well. One would think when a group promotes such a large-scale ride that safe and effective traffic control would be a higher priority than an nicely designed tee-shirt. Notwithstanding this one *major* disappointment, the Wild Ride was a nicely organized ride that has potential for large crowds every year. I have full confidence that the ride organizers will address the lack of traffic control next year.

For a first time event, this was one of the top area rides. Parking at the start was excellent with plenty of room and easy to find. Very well organized registration with nice selection of food. Plenty of room on the closed streets for the start. Hats off to the Wylie PD for good traffic control, shame on Richardson PD for sitting in cars at every intersection. Left hand turns across traffic and three lane shifts across traffic require traffic control. The road surface was the best I have ridden next to HHH, with no chip seal and mostly flat surface. The rest stops were fantastic. The food selection at the finish was a nice touch, and the Wildflower festival was a great event. Definitely one of the must do rides if the ride director can correct the Richardson traffic control.

Finaly a Saturday with no rain !! It looked like it might give us a sprinkle, but never did !
I am always a little shy of going to rallies in the "first year" but I am glad that I made this one!! This ride was put on better than a lot of rides that have been going on for more than 10 years. Think it was due to Richardson Bike mart being the major sponsor !! The only down that I could come up with is a couple of more port-a-potties needed at the 2nd rest stop. and having The Richardson police actually stop the traffic for the riders; at least at the beginning of the ride. We had to make a lot of stops and starts at the first of the ride. I really enjoyed the route. The roads were really great and most were very smooooth.... Great rest stops with music !! Great job !!

The people were great, the organization was great, the food after was great. The route stank. I would never again take my family down such busy high speed roads.

I echo all the positive assessments of the ride: It was a great course, rather flat and fast with only a few gentle rollers. I was in the big front chain ring most of the time, and only on a few 4%-5% grade hills did I drop to the smaller chain ring. However, with all the rollers, I still had almost 2,500 feet of ascent on the 66-mile course. Leaving Richardson on Renner Road at 8am on Saturday was fine; passing over Lavon Lake, through Murphy, Wylie, Nevada and Josephine was smooth, with mostly good road conditions - some with great blacktop - and really low traffic. The few drivers we did encounter were really courteous and didn't seem to mind driving a mile or two at 15 miles an hour. The one thing that will keep me and other safety-conscious riders from coming back - and this is crucial for a successful ride - is that the return trip to Richardson later on Saturday morning or afternoon on five or six miles of Renner Road is unacceptably dangerous. The reason we pay $20-$30 for a ride is for a controlled or semi-controlled course. Most people out there can probably ride 50-75 miles on their home course, so we don't do these rides for the mileage - we do it for a change of pace and expect to be reasonably accommodated with safe routes. For those of you not familiar with Renner, it is six lanes with a median, a 40 mph speed limit, and a major intersection about every mile. I almost got hit by a white SUV who didn't want to share the far right lane - some of the cyclists behind me even commented on the close call when they caught me at a light. The other reviewers' comments about Richardson cops at the intersections are not exaggerations: They sat in their cars in the grass; their lights weren't on; they weren't even visible. What was their purpose? I hope they didn't charge the festival any money. They did nothing. Also, as the other reviewer described, we had to turn left off Renner, a move I would not recommend for even the most experienced cyclist. Once you got the end, the finish line was stocked with great CiCi's pizza (which I haven't eaten since my "team party" days), Cokes, massages, a DJ, and dozens of plastic chairs. What a novel - but obvious - idea! Plastic chairs to sit on! People actually sat around, ate pizza and talked with other riders. Also, riders got $5 off admission to the festival, which was a nice touch. If this course can somehow be routed around Renner, or at least have cones blocking one lane of Renner, this ride will soon have 2,000-3,000 riders and will be an early season version of Collin, Peach Pedal, or HHH.

Wildflower 2004 was a great ride. Started very fast through the rolling "bumps" of Richardson (return trip a bit slower). Nice views when riding the long stretch over the damn but keep your mouth closed there are a few pesky bugs out there. Rest stops were nice and very well spaced out. Thanks to Lance for this one.