Jack Rabbit Stampede, Forney, TX

September 8, 2007

This was my families second time to do this ride. I was again impressed with the registration and friendly people that greeted us before and during the ride. The rest stops were manned by friendly people that were there to make sure we had what we needed to continue the ride. The boy scouts offering to hold our bikes was a special touch but the rest stops were just to far apart. I realize there were aid stations along the way but during the heat, of this time of the year, you need more than just water and gatorade to make it. If they had just been three miles closer, it would have helped. Now, my main complaint. I think, after 14 years, it's time to rethink the route for the 40 milers. 14 years ago Hwy. 148 was probably a small back road that didn't have alot of traffic. Now, with all the new housing devlopments and build up of people in that area, that road is unsafe to have that number of cyclists on the road at one time. I can't tell you how many times I almost got swept off the road by a big dually truck. The traffic on that road would stack up behind you, sometimes six cars deep and then when they finally got a chance to pass you it was scarey how close they came to you. I was never so glad to get off a road in all the many years I have done these type of rides. The signage was adequate but there was a fork in the road when we headed south, after going over 175, that no one knew which direction to go, north or south. Many people went north and ended back on 175 itself (very dangerous). You have to remember, most cyclists might carry the map you give them but don't have it in front of them when they come to an intersection like that, we have become accustomed to having signs, if not people, at intersections like that to indicate which way to go. Put someone in a lawn chair with an umbrella at these intersections to make sure cyclists go the right way. Many of the cyclists were really upset at the confusion. There also needs to be more help at major intersections. We got a police escort to start the race and someone was at the first intersection, as we left town but I never saw anyone else along the way to help cross intersections except a cyclist, participating in the ride, that stopped and help direct traffic, once, at a particularly busy intersection to help his fellow cyclists at the intersection.

Registration was excellent, fast and organized, nice t-shirt, no ride number instead a color wrist band indicating the route was issued.
The ride director really needs to rethink this route. SAFETY FIRST!
Mixing cyclists with gravel haulers and vehicle traffic on roads without shoulders can only spell disaster.
I had several close calls with frustrated motorists, one car had plenty of room to pass but decided to try to run me off the road just for kicks.
The signage was sparse, many times I wondered if I was really on the route. I rode the 60 mile route but ended up with 67 miles.
The hotdogs and Coke at the end of the ride was appreciated.
I will not return to this event due to major safety issues.

This was my first time doing this rally and unfortunately, the last. The thought that kept going through my mind over and over again was, "Never again!" I was even saying it out loud.
Trying to find this place was difficult (and I just live down the road in Mesquite!). After passing the turn off on my first two attempts, I finally got in line behind other vehicles with bikes and was able to locate the starting point.
I rode the 62-mile route. Some of the roads we were on were just downright dangerous (Texas 34, for one). That is a busy 2-lane throughfare with virtually no shoulder. One black pick up truck felt compelled to come dangerously close at a high rate of speed and narrowly missed us even though there was plenty of room for it to move over the yellow line as the cars in front of it had all done. Other 2-lane roads were just as bad with 18-wheelers and gravel trucks passing and pick-up trucks (in succession), feeling the need to blow their horns at us as if to say we had no business on their roads.
As for the number of riders participating, there just weren't enough (in my opinion), to warrant a 62-mile route. With Hotter 'n Hell over with, not that many riders are looking to ride long distances (unless they're training for an ironman). There were times where we would go for long stretches without hardly seeing any other riders and we stopped to check the map a couple time to make sure we weren't off course. At times it felt desolate - like we weren't even part of a rally. The volunteers at the rest stops (bless their hearts), did the best they could, but there was no shade at the stops we visited (with one exception) and the offerings not very enticing. One of the last rest stops was already shutting down as we rode by even though there were more riders far behind us.
Sag support...virtually non-existent during the latter stage of the ride. I've done many rallies over the years and this was one ride when I would've gladly accepted a ride back to the finish and not cared what anyone thought!
I passed on the cotton t-shirt and passed on the hotdogs at the finish. If I could give input on improving this rally, I would say first and foremost, get some better routes on less busy/dangerous roads, and consider replacing the 62-miler route with a 50.
Not everything I have to say about this rally is negative. The one and only bright spot of the entire ride (and the only thing that brought a smile to my face), were the enthusiastic boy scouts who were manning one of the rest stops. Even though we didn't stop at this particular rest stop, they sprang into action and came running to the edge of the road offering refreshments both times when we passed. If only for the sake of those little guys, I would like to see this rally become a success, but other than that, I have no desire to ever do it again.

The poor reviews from previous years unfortunately proved to be true. The roads were rough and there was no curb to ride on any of the roads, which was needed since the roads were narrrow and full of traffic - especially large trucks. Very dangerous rally! Very poor signage on the rally, which caused many of us to miss a turn or two. The only positive feature was the nice volunteers and well supplied rest stops. Thanks, Brad

September 9, 2006

This was my first time riding this and I really enjoyed it. Boy Scouts at the rest stops were ready to deliever refreshments and even hold your bike for you. Plenty of ice cold gatorade, water, fruit and nutrigrain bars at the 4 rest stops I saw on the 40 mile ride. Some of the roads had some chip seal but the smooth ones in between and at the end made up for that. There was one spot that was a bit confusing and would be good to stick a sign there. Didn't see a sag wagon, or at least a marked sag wagon. There were a few cars going fast but it wasn't a problem until I made the rookie mistake of passing and not looking over my shoulder until I was en route. Registration was simple and the Lions were very friendly. Not too many riders but enough to make it fun. Overall, a great ride and I will stick it on my calendar next year!

did a great job. The rest stops and signs were ok. But the 66 mile route had some of the worst surfaces I have been on this year. We're talking about chip-seal bad enough to make your water bottles self-eject, or riding surfaces almost as rough as a rumble strip. Even the folks with wider tires were complaining. Thankfully about 15 miles were relatively decent including a silky-smooth shoulder on 548 within 5 miles of the finish, which gave my parts long enough to recover from the jarring. There were cracks and holes in the pavement big enough to eat your entire bicycle and these should have been marked.

All-in-all, not a bad little ride… The roads were pretty well chosen, though, this being Texas, no one escapes the dreaded chip-seal! And, as someone else mentioned, the smooth surfaces in between those stretches of chip-seal more than compensated for the rough roads elsewhere. The rest stops were well and enthusiastically manned (Props to the scouts!). There was a point on the forty mile point where a directional sign would have been nice but other riders nearby knew the way…so, no harm, no foul. The weather was beautiful and the course was fun leaving a lasting good impression.

The folks of Forney put on a nice, well organized ride. Registration went smoothly. Routes of 62, 40 and 15 miles. I did the 40 mile course. Flat and fast course on mainly good road surfaces, through beautiful farm country south of Forney. Course was very well marked with signs at all the important spots. Traffic wasn’t a problem until the 40 mile course turned off towards Crandall. Apparently, there was a football game in Crandall, and a lot of people were on their way to game, creating a somewhat hazardous situation for riders. Aid stops were fine. You should do this ride next year.

This ride had a lot of promise: easy registration, nice ambience at the start, prize money for the first person in each distance, etc. However, the roads were the worst I have ridden anywhere this year. A friend lost a water bottle just from the shaking to her bike, and my entire body started itching from the constanst vibration. Also, there was large quantity of traffic (going about 60 mph) on several of the roads which was compounded by the complete lack of shoulder. We were even forced to sit in stop and go traffic about 1/2 way through. The condition of the road surface was a shame b/c the ride itself was very nice: fairly flat but with enough small rollers thrown in to give it a little variety. Everyone working, from registration to the rest stops, was very friendly. Kudos to them. However, I won't ride the Jackrabbit Stampede again b/c I prefer a smoother ride.

This was my third year in a row for this ride and I will keep coming back. I was surprised at the low turn out. One of the Lions told me there were about 250-270 riders, way down form the 600+ they had last year. It was a beautiful day for a ride, so I don't know where everyone was. I did the 40 mile and the roads were pretty decent, even the chip n' seal, and that last 5 miles coming in was smooth and fast. Didn't stop at any of the rest stops, so can't comment. The signage was decent, but you could make the arrow heads a little bigger. From a distance it was hard to tell which way there were pointing. Good job to the folks in Forney.

Although there were no outside toilets the high school had nice inside plumbing. This did not stop some riders from peeing on the front side of the building. C'mon guys. We're guests and we're supposed to be civilized. If the potty line is too long at least go where you're not in plain sight!

Jack rabbit Stampede: This is the first time, out of 9 total 2006 rides, that the rest stop placement bothered me. I found them at 5, 15, 20, 35, 50 and 57 miles on the 65 mile route. I rely on the stops for routine drinks and snacks. They surprised me when they appeared 5 miles after the start, or after the previous stop. Then there were long gaps between. Possible that I missed one because there were NO SIGNS indicating ANY of these were really rest stops. Most were simply a table with food and two people. Easily mistaken for a yard sale or private road-side fruit stand. Never was sure if they were meant specifically for cyclists.

Roads were good, only one speeding Trans-am whizzed by. Volunteers were genuinely hospitable. Lions + cub scouts were great!
As a casual cyclist I felt WAY out of my league. Seems the small attendance (150-200?) was all the types who earned the "jackrabbbit" name. Admittedly, I consider rides a fantastic way to go from rest stop to rest stop. But, I didn't think averaging 14.9 mph was turtle speed. Yet I was THE LAST RIDER on the last half of the 65 mile course. I was even lapped by Iron-man trainee Cindy who did the 15 mile + 40 mile + 65mile routes in succession. Brochure stated course closes at 2pm. At 12:30 everybody was long gone - but me. Hope for better turnout for you next year. Gotta go take my vitamins now.

September 10, 2005

A top-notch ride. If you missed this one, you missed a good event. It looks like the Lion's Club worked very hard to solve past problems. Everything was well-organized and well-executed. I rode the 40 mile route and had no problems with signage or support. The road surface and scenery were great. The rest stops were adequately stocked and had very enthusiastic staff. I'll be back next year for this one.

I didn't attend last year's rally, but was wary from the comment that were posted. However, we were pleasantly surprised with this year's effort. The morning temperature was perfect, the winds were light, and while the road had its' share of chip-seal, there were several miles of great, smooth pavement out there that broke up the rumblies. The event was well-staffed, and there must have been hundreds of volunteers. Marking was good, though the arrows might have needed a bigger arrow HEAD, pointing in the direction we were to take. Also, some of the intersections had volunteers out with flags, but not all of them were out there directing us, or traffic. Still, based on last year's comments, this was a far superior rally, and we'll definitely return next year.

We were pleasantly surprised!!! My husband, son and I decided to give this ride a try, even with the comments from the last several years and we were glad we did. It was well organized, the 40 mile route was good, there was some chip and seal roads but I have seen worse, the signage was good, as well as the support vehicles. Someone would have to really be looking to find something to complain about on this ride. It had all the elements that any level of rider could want. You could really tell that the Lions Club work very hard to fix the problems from the last several years. We will definitely be back.

Gee, so a lot of people were so hot to b*tch and complain about last year's ride, but where are the GOOD COMMENTS from this year's ride? Did all those people really not go to this year's ride? Well, too bad for them and good for the rest of us. I, too, was wary about riding the Forney ride and was glad I went. If there was an award for "Most Improved Rally" or "Best Recovery From a Nearly-Dead Rally", the Forney ride gets the TOP SPOT. What a difference from 2003 when I rode it. Lots of good signs, better organization at registration, much better rest-stop locations and a nice finish. There were only a couple of places that I didn't see a sign. Unfortunately I don't have my map right now to reference the locations, but I do remember that the first missing sign was a left turn near the first rest stop. A "flagger" was approaching the intersection when we went by. Bottom line, I'll be back next year. Great job, Forney Lions Club !!

September 11, 2004

I think we'll have a  better ride this year. This year's Ride Director is Mark Madrid  and he's implemented several changes. 
 1) We eliminated the 75 mile route. There is no shoulder and there are  just too many 18-wheelers and dirt trucks on Hwy. 34.
 2) Since we dropped a race, we upped the prize  money -- $100 male/female 15  mile, $150 male/female 40 mile, and $200 male/female 62 mile.
 3) We have large 2' x 2' signs with large colored  arrows. These will be before and after intersections.
 4) The 548 bypass is open now (with wide shoulders), so riders coming in on the end of the route won't have to come through  town.
 5) We have accurate county maps colored for each race.
 6) The confusing intersections will be manned by Lions, and the dangerous  ones will have cops as well.
 7) We'll have staggered starts. 62 mile at 8am, 40 mile at 8:15am, and 15  mile at 8:30am. 
 8) We'll have a Lion with a sign at the first split that confused many of  last year's riders.
 We've also been getting a lot of support and  promotion from Bicycles Plus. In fact, they sold us a $600 Scott 5 bike at a discount for a raffle we're  promoting; tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10.
 We know it won't be perfect and we won't please  everyone, but we believe  this year will be a much better experience for the  riders.

This was a poorly organized ride. They need more intersection patrol. It was very dangerous at most of the intersections. Also, the entire peleton missed a left turn only a few miles into the ride. Some larger signs would have helped. I would suggest the the Lions Club get some help from the Rockwall Rotary Club. Those guys know how to do it the correct way!

First of all I would like to thank coordinators, sponsors and all those that volunteer their time to help organize races/rallies for bicyclists. Your efforts are to be commended and we appreciate all that you do..
As to comments on how to improve this event I would like to suggest the following.
First of all mark all routes by painting arrows (route colors) on the road. It was difficult to find the signs for the first half of the ride and
caused tremendous confusion and disarray for all those participating in the race. This also eliminates potential sign misplacement or lack there of. Secondly, do not hand out any checks until each rider has been validated (checking color of # w/ appropriate distance) . I "officially" won the 62 mile race and yet the money was already awarded to another girl that was riding the 75 mi race. Halfway through the race she opted for the shorter route so that she could claim that prize money instead. This is wrong and should NOT be allowed. If this continues, it will only encourage  dishonesty and unscrupulous behavior for future races. Thanks again! 

This ride was much improved from last year. Registration was a breeze, the volunteers were friendly, and the routes were clearly marked. One nice touch would've been to have a person standing at the first turnoff for 15 miles vs. other routes, as many riders missed the turn. Turnout seemed low, but this is to be expected following the 2003 fiasco. As with any ride, there is always room for improvement. One thing the organizers MUST understand and communicate to the riders and volunteers is that once you sign up for a certain route, you stick with it. The women's 100K winner arrived at the line and found that a woman who had bailed on her original route (probably when finding the competition too stiff and/or the pace too fast) had "won" the 100K route and had run off with the prize money. Color codes MUST be honored at the finish, or why bother having them? The organizers might also consider staging the races at the start line, and should definitely have a motorcycle or automobile escort for the leading male and female of EACH route to ensure fairness at the finish line. I say this as someone who was cheated out of prize money last year for the very same circumstances. I will say that the volunteers at the finish line were very apologetic to the true winner and said they'd try to get her prize money back. Overall, this ride has improved...and that's something worth noting.

Never again. After reading the 2003 reviews (should have prior to paying $25 for this year), mostly reflecting the need to improve the route marking, it's pretty clear the Forney folks just aren't interested in making any improvements from one year to the next. Signs were too small, turn indicators too small, placed too close to the turn, not boldly marked. The single sign marking a turn on the 75mi route was the size of a shoebox lid stuck on a lame stick off in a ditch...10 or so in a fast group on the 75mi course all missed the left turn.we ended up in Ennis. 75 mi race became 90..
I can get in 75-90 miles in traffic for free.
To all the guys/gals that hooked up for the "Ennis ride"..great to be with you all. I enjoyed the company and fast pace.

This is one of the better rides, but with several opportunities for improvement.
The start was late and no one seemed to know who was supposed to do what to get the ride going. The starting line should be moved so the riders do not have to negotiate gravel and chug holes as they turn out of the school onto FM 741. Moving the start line back 100 yards from the highway and using the street going to the stadium would be an improvement.
The route was generally good and relatively safe except for the portion on Highway 34 going northeast to Kaufman. This is a BUSY two lane highway with no shoulder at all and heavy truck traffic. The rolling hills and curves also allow motorists to come up on cyclists very suddenly. I saw two 18 wheelers lock up their brakes to avoid hitting cyclists.
More direction signs are needed, particularly as the ride re-enters Forney and approaches the finish. Riders get concerned when they go through 6 or 7 intersections with no signs at all. Reconfirm periodically that they should continue to go straight.

Registration was easy, nice t-shirt.  I liked the route this year and didn't feel unsafe except on Route 34.  The signage was still poor.  Many of the early turns weren't marked and there seemed to be a snafu at the 62/75 miles split...many riders joined me in turning the wrong direction on the 62 mile route.  The signs this year were very small and difficult to spot...I recommend they paint the road with all turns for all routes...every other rally seems to do this and it works great.  At the end, have accessibility to the showers...it was a long ride home stinking up the car.  All in all, it seemed most folks I was riding with at the end weren't happy with the poor signage and I know it will keep many away next year.  As for me, I am undecided.

You've probably received enough notes already concerning the signage, but just to emphasize that a little pavement paint, or even chalk with colored arrows would help.  There are many 90 degree turns on this route and when you're in the pack going 26 mph it's kind of hard to see a 3" sign on a 3' post (if it's marked at all).  In my case, it turned a nice pack ride into a solo ride for over half the course (bummer)
Someone needs to consider providing race times to racers.  If you're going to charge money to race, have volunteers, issue entrance numbers, a simple timing stamp or the like at the end of the race would be great.  Post the results on your site a week later.  It's done every weekend for 5k and 10k foot races and isn't expensive.  
Overall, on a scale of 1-10 I give this year's race a 6 based on route management alone.

Being that this was my first Jackrabbit ride and after reading all the "bad press" from last year, I should have taken heed. For next years ride here are some tips: BIGGER SIGNAGE either side of the road or in the road, better marshaled corners, and the two-lane highway (1388??) was totally insane. An 18-wheeler came right up next to me, I swear I could touch it and he made no effort to slow down. At the start, have everyone start in the street right at the high school instead of negotiating a turn in GRAVEL. The rest stops were OK - I've seen better. Also, more signage to ensure riders that they are going the right way. For SEVERAL miles, I didn't know if I was still going the right way. Sorry, but not sure I'll be back to this one next year.

I'm not one normally to write stuff, but I felt it necessary after this ride. First of all, let's thank all of the volunteer's for their time and effort and the Lion's Club for the ride. A few changes and it could be an excellent event. Saturday was a perfect day for riding; cool, no wind, and plenty of football games to watch once finish with the ride. Problems developed within the first few miles; missing the first left turn with the police officer blocking the highway. One would wonder what he was doing. Things went well until we (the group going to Ennis) realized we must have missed a turn because we ran into I-45! My suggestion is that people or large sign be place so that you CAN'T go off course as far as we did. We also asked one Lion's Club member about marking the roads; he said the Texas DOT said they could not; what about chalk???

This ride has an ideal staging and for the most part roads really do have low traffic. The signs this year were an improvement from no signs last year but lets shell out a few bucks bigger signs or get people out on the route at major turns. If think the Forney Lions Club means well by their event but they need to recruit a bicyclist to raise the bar. 

Couldn't believe that this is the 11th year and it was a mad house out there. This was a poorly unorganized ride to say the least. . Got lost 3 miles into the ride and really got lost at the 75 mile segment. The signs were small if there were any. The 75 miles ride didn't have any sign. I was lost for about an hour and almost call 911. One of the organizers found my stranded butt and gave me a lift to the last water/food tent. The only water/food tent I saw was 10 miles before the finish line. All the volunteers were in the tent, enjoying the shades, except for the riders because there was no more room. How difficult can it be to get volunteers at the intersections with flags for 5 hours? And don't tell me that you can't find any volunteers for this is a benefit for Forney High School. From my experience, it felt like this is the first time you guys ever did this race. In my opinion, I was out there to ride and enjoy myself without having to look at them map for directions. The chance of me returning to this race is very slim. I apologize for being so rough on this review but it was my second ride after the HH100 two weeks before. Guessed I am spoiled.

Never again! This ride was with out a doubt the most unorganized bike rally I've ever done. Mass start up a fairly steep incline where the road from the HS met the street, wasn't a good idea.
Less than a mile into the ride, a police car sat in the road at a turn (policeman in the car offering zero help), when literally half the rides turn left and the other half go straight. Of course there were no markers in the road offering any sort of direction/route information. People who turned left turned around and went the other direction only to be met by people who initially went straight and turned around. People were turning around trying to figure out which way to go for several minutes. This was a total cluster fornification for the Forney fornicators!
Anyways, the 75 mile route turned into about 90 and for those of you who followed us to Ennis, thanks for the ride.

Forney Lions Club
Thank you for have the 11th Annual Jackrabbit Stampede. I had a great time, the weather was prefect and the folks at the rest stops were very friendly. This was my 8th bike ride this year. A couple of things you need to improve before next year. I was in a group of about 100+ ride and missed a left turn very early in the ride. It only took a few minutes to figure we were going the wrong way. You need to have a couple of people at every major turn on the course. Those little signs are hand to see and sometimes get blown down. Add some different course distances, my wife likes to ride the 20 to 30 mile distance, 15 is to short and 40 to long. Also the cookies at the rest stops were great, but they don't have to waste the zip lock bags, just put them in a box, like at most rides. Early packet pick is a must for me, all I want to do on race day is get my bike ready and find the restroom, not have to mess with shirts, numbers or a bag. Hope to ride next year. Thanks again.

As I was coming up on the left hand turn and saw a lot of riders coming from the other direction, I knew there was going to be "trouble". That was just about the time I saw the "real estate for sale" size sign in road right of way with arrows showing the correct route to take. I have a feeling one guy missed it, and everyone else followed him. Yes, arrows on the street would have helped and perhaps a bigger sign, but there was sign nonetheless.
Not being a racer, and just doing the 40 mile route, my son and I didn't have too much of a problem with any of the issues expressed here. We enjoyed it.

One of the sponsor members was meandering through the group before the start asking to see ride numbers. He didn't see mine and basically  accused me of being an "outlaw". I took great offense to this and will not be  back next year. The ride chairman needs to counsel his sponsor on  etiquette. If they want to make certain every one has paid they need an official process and not some "do gooder" randomly checking and offending  riders.

hi, I want to let you know that the jackrabbit ride is one of the best. my husband and I really enjoy it. keep up the good work.

This had to be the worst ride this year. I just started cycling in June and did a couple of other rides before this one. If this had been my first ride, I would have sold my bike. This is not the ride for you if you are doing your first one. The bad omen was at the beginning of the ride when the majority of the cyclists went one way and they were supposed to go another. They had signs but you could barely see them, and the officer SITTING in his car while we went in the wrong direction didn't help either. I guess he didn't get the memo stating that he was posted at that intersection to assist in directing the cyclists. 
Then somewhere along the way, after the officer incident, we had to make a turn and there was a cement divider of some type in the middle of the road right before we came up to the turn. There was no warning of it and if you weren't looking, you could have had a pretty good accident. Even so, we were still determined to finish this ride. My husband and I kept going and somewhere along the route we missed a turn. UGH!! We kept going until we realized that we might end up in Ennis, which apparently some other riders did. We double-backed and found the sign that had blown over, the one marking the turn we were supposed to make. We followed it to the next rest stop. At this point, we hooked up with another person and continued on. Unfortunately, we had to stop at every single intersection to look at our map to make sure we were going in the right direction. At one point where we stopped, the rare sight of a SAG wagon pulled over. An older gentleman stepped out and came over to ask if we were okay and if we needed anything. We told him which route we were attempting and we were just checking our map. He said, "Well for that route you can go this way or that way. Either one." We should have known to get in the back of his truck then and there. But noooooo... evermore determined, we pushed on. 
About the last 20 miles that I rode, I couldn't take it anymore. I was tired, hot, and felt extremely defeated. I struggled through it though. What was the point of this exasperating ride? If I want a bad ride, I will do that on my own and save my money. The SAG wagons, if there were any, were a sight that was not seen. I don't know if the Forney residents and other surrounding residents had been informed about the ride, but there was quite a bit of honking and yelling at us as we rode. Quite unsettling to say the least. The rest stops were okay, but the volunteers seemed lackadaisical. Some of them were sitting in shade and not offering it to the riders as they pulled in for a break. I know they mean well and the money is put to good use, but really, what were they thinking? I was beginning to feel nauseous and lightheaded and there was nothing at the end of the ride, no water, snacks, people! Nothing except the blast of cold air from the AC in the car. Thankfully a friend lived nearby and I was able to rejuvenate at her house. My husband and I will not be doing this ride again. - Brandi

September 6, 2003

 The Forney Lions Club wishes to thank all who participated in the 2003 Jackrabbit Stampede.  We also would like for everyone to know that we have reviewed the comments that have been posted to Bicycle-Stuff.com.  We recognize that there were several problems and shortcomings with last year's ride.  Some were within our control; others were not.  Regardless, we are determined to do everything within our power to ensure that this year's ride is an enjoyable and successful one.
We have spoken with Mr. Sadowski and reviewed his Open Letter to Ride Directors.  We are glad that we learned of his web site, and he has suggested several changes and improvements.  He has agreed to review our route and plans, and we appreciate his insight.
One major improvement will be signs and markings.  All four routes will be marked with color-coded signs.  Each sign will also be printed with the route in black lettering on each colored sign.  The signs will be placed along the route early the morning of the race.
We would ask that you please consider riding in the 11^th Annual 2004 Jackrabbit Stampede, on Saturday, September 11^th.  After your ride, we would also ask that you review our ride at: www.Bicycle-Stuff.com.

Tuesday I drove the 40 and 62 mile routes. Most of  these roads I have ridden previously, with RBENT.  They are ALL 2-lane country roads. While you cannot see everything from a vehicle, I got a good idea of the route. I spotted one hazard which the Lions club promised to either repair or post a guard. Next Monday I am going to try do ride the 40 mile route, alone and unsupported. that will give me a real good idea. - John Sadowski

This was my first time for this ride. The website had directions to the facility and I drove right to it. The school was a great place to stage the ride, the volunteers were great and I got signed up right away. T-shirts were plentiful and they had lots of bottled water. I'd be interested to hear how many showed up. The 8AM start time was on schedule and any earlier start might have still been too dark. It was a gorgeous morning, little to no breeze with the temps in the mid 60?s. A rider could not have asked for a better day. The Forney Lions Club fixed some the problems from years before but not all. I can't speak of the stops because I never made any. One reason is I kept going straight at the first turn instead of the hard left onto 2932. I was off course from there on out. The map was misleading and appeared to be a straight road with a hard right to go onto the 15M route. When I got to 175 I met up with a couple of other lost riders looking at their map too. After deciding where we must be, they headed back while I continued down the 175 service road thinking I would get back on course at rest stop 2A, however the service road ended at FM148. I made a left and headed north with a new intention of getting on course at rest stop 1A but FM148 was under construction putting down a new layer of asphalt and after a couple of miles of loose gravel and fresh tar, I turned around. I was frustrated by this point, my average was shot, and drivers seemed to start coming out of nowhere. There was NO shoulder on the roads and pickups kept passing closer and closer. I kept an eye on my rear view mirror and if they weren't slowing down or moving into the other lane, I started steering somewhat erratically so that (1) I would catch their attention and (2) make them a little unsure of what I might do next. It worked ok but dodging pickups and gravel haulers, even on the scheduled route is not fun. After I got back to the stadium I retraced my path (in the car) to see where I went wrong. The map stated that routes will be marked but the only sign I saw up to rest stop 1A was a small construction paper sign at the rest stop with scribbled handwriting. I also think they should have posted the route on the web site.
I have two suggestions for improvements. First, a marketing campaign focused on the local folks to educate them on the event. Put adds in the paper and banners or posters up in local restaurants, clubs, bars, downtown and shopping areas in advance so locals know what to expect. I didn't see one announcement anywhere on the way in or out. It's no secret that the average automobile driver doesn't have much patience for bike riders. Having to slow down and negotiate a pass on a twisting narrow road is a nuisance. On the other hand, this fundraiser would be severely impacted if a bike rider (or two or three) were to get plowed by an inattentive driver or one who's aggressive/short-tempered. It doesn't matter, they're still hurt. Second, it wouldn't take a lot to properly mark the route. Markers spray-painted on the road and 30-40 high quality signs that can be reused would help keep the bike traffic where it's supposed to be. Putting signs after major turns and across major intersections would also serve as a reminder to drivers. I would make them high visibility green, yellow or orange and consistent in design. Even put a sign up on the unused road past a turn or at major intersections would alert riders which route they're on (or not on in my case). I could have corrected my mistake and gotten back on track in a short time (and had a much better ride) had this been done. Had I pre-registered I probably would have had my packet in time to study the map.

Visualize..................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Signs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where to begin. I'm not normally one to give negative reviews, Many of these events are put on by local clubs, and the charity benefits usually outweigh any negatives that come along with the rides. Having said that, the organizers need to improve several areas of this ride to make it enjoyable. The registration process this year had the same problem noted in one of the reviews from 2002: I signed up early at Debo's Cycle, and while I received my t-shirt on the spot, I didn't receive a number, so I still had to visit registration at the event. This makes pre-registration a meaningless exercise. Because of this delay, I missed the mass start (my fault, should have arrived sooner). I too missed the turn at 2932, and ended up at rest stop #5, about five miles later. (I did hear that someone had taken up all the signs they had put out, which caused many of the problems. However, knowing this they should have had volunteers at the major turns on the route.) After studying the map, I determine that by backtracking to 2932, I could follow it and then take 148, which was the road that the 62 and 75 mile routes were taking, to salvage at least part of the ride. On the way back to 2932 I stopped to help a fellow cyclist air up a flat tire. The SAG truck that stopped as we were working on the tire was completely unmarked. SAG wagons should always be marked--someone not stopped on the side of the road may have a need to flag one down. If you don't want to tape on signs, white shoe polish is cheap, and it washes right off the windows. I too got into the one-lane road construction fiasco on 148. After that, it was fairly enjoyable, except that much of the roadways were covered in fresh chipseal, which is about as much fun to ride on as sand. The traffic seemed plentiful and not very bike-friendly. On a positive note, the rest stops were well stocked with bananas, oranges, and apples, and the volunteers were very friendly. And they had free hotdogs at the end.

What a way to ruin a beautiful day! This was the worst conceived and organized ride I've ever been on, and I'll never be back. I rode the 75 mile route, and the vast majority of it was on two lane roads with high speed traffic and no shoulders. I would never have knowingly ridden on these roads. The signs that did exist (hand scribbled on cardboard) were virtually unreadable from more than about 50 feet. At one point just outside of Kaufman, they disappeared all together. I am one of a couple dozen riders who spent close to a half an hour in Kaufman trying to figure out which way to go. Once I did get back on track, I had to stop at each major intersection to check the map, which in itself was barely legible. Someone speculated that some prankster had stolen the signs the night before and suggested that this absolved the organizers from responsibility. Wrong! In competently managed rides, someone drives the route in the morning before the start to make sure the signs are up. Add to the signage problem the crew laying fresh black top on FM148. Again, competent ride organizers find out about construction on the route in advance and change the route, or at least warn the riders. Most of these problems could have been mitigated by adequate SAG, but there was NONE. We were out there on our own! The organizers of this ride are clearly not bicycle riders and clearly do not care about their ride participants. I am hopeful that no one was hurt today, but I can tell you this: If someone is hurt in the future, the flimsy release we signed will not be enough to shield these organizers from this level of negligence and incompetence.

To say this ride was a terminal disaster would be kind. The first 30 miles a few or no route markers. After 30 miles it was chaos unleashed. At each junction there was one, two sometimes three choices as to which way to turn. No signs. Had to "guess". The maps were mostly worthless as most found out. After twenty or thirty "guesses" everyone was hopelessly lost. (On the ,longer rides...the shorter rides may have been different) Some toured the city of Terrell, others Kaufman, some just ran out of water and pulled in somewhere to desperately call for help. I ended up in Terrell and had to get to Forney up Rt. 20 and 80. Want to experience Terror? Try riding on Rt. 20 and Rt. 80 for 10-15 miles. Sheer horror.70-75 mph trucks and cars passing inches away. Real fun experience. One woman just sat on the side of the road crying in the arms of her male ride companion. Real fun. At almost every intersection there were conferences of two to a dozen confused, frustrated, and angry riders trying to figure out where to go. This  is no ride for unescorted female riders. Finding yourself all alone in bubba land with a bunch of drooling red necks following you and making lewd
comments can ruin your day. Even worse. Think about it. Again...real fun huh?
A friend talked to the ride director afterwards and he said the "Signs had been stolen". Yeah. Sure. To experienced riders that excuse ranks right up there with " the check's in the mail", and "my dog ate my homework". First: cars should be sent out 15 minutes in advance of each route start replacing any missing signs; Second: There should be a volunteer stationed at every turn or intersection where confusion could occur, and thirdly: Lose the Mickey mouse cardboard signs and those little yellow rectangles with red arrows. Use large white corplex signs 3'x3' with dark arrows. Put up signs 200 ft .before the turn, at the turn and 200 ft. after the turn. Just what is so hard about all of this???  If volunteers can't be found then scrap the ride. They have no business endangering the lives of so many people just because they are incompetent, inexperienced. or short handed. A ride event is a serious event. For 25 bucks the riders deserved more than a morning of "terror-on-the-road "by the Forney grave diggers.
Anyone foolish enough to participate in this ride next year will deserve just what you get. Pass the word...this dog needs to be put to sleep. Chinese Monkey Dancer

About twenty people from our office rode in the Jackrabbit this year. It will be the first and last time for most. No signs. Confusion, scary routes, no water. How can a ride like this be allowed? Isn't there a some kind of law? If not there should be.

Terrible ride. Routes that went nowhere. No signs. Everyone got lost. Was this somebody's idea of a cruel joke? Bummer.

I have ridden in this ride many times. No more. The lack of signage meant everyone got lost and ran out of water. Just what do they expect us to do then? Just who was responsible for this mess?

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was this ride always this bad? Seems everything went bad...and no one seemed to give a damn. 62 mile ride ended up being 81 miles. No choice. I won't be back next year.

"I had intended to cite my reasons for why this ride was SO BAD, but the previous reviewers have already done so thoroughly. Of the seventeen events that I have participated in this year, this is the only event that I will not return to. To the ride organizers: 'Guys, you better stick to the bake sales and bingo games, you surely don't know how to organize a  safe bike rally.' Ride Director, got anything to say about this fiasco?"

The Good: Indoor registration and indoor bathrooms in a new high  school facility -- so there was air conditioning. Parking was a  breeze, plenty of spaces for everyone and then some! T-shirts were  good. The roads were about 1/2 chipseal but not NEW chipseal (thank  God!). The route was well-planned and the drivers weren't too  obnoxious. The start was on a road that drivers were prohibited from  entering, so getting started was pleasant and safe.
The Bad: ROUTE MARKING -- if you didn't study the map, there was  little to no signage on the roads found. I did the forty-mile route  and at mile 30, had I not followed the cyclists in front of me I would  have been so lost. The styles of the few signs they had changed  mid-route. Some signs were cardboard stapled to wooden stakes and some  were TINY black arrows on orange plastic. Experienced riders  shouldn't have had too much of a problem b/c the maps were accurate  but newbies might have been understandably frustrated. For this being  the TENTH year of hosting this ride, you'd think the organizers would  have figured out how to properly mark the route.

To the race organizer- Before you EVER consider designing another race go pay a visit to other directors in the area such as Mesquite or Rockwall. Do you realize how many lives you endangered with your lack of organization skills. If it wasn't for the wonderful people at your rest stops I'd probably still be out there aimlessly lost with a "Deer in a Headlight Look". I'm sure many other riders shared that same look when they passed right by 2382 and said to themselves "Which Way Do We Go?" And hats off to the Forney Kindergarten Class for making the route signs. Next year let the kids use larger markers and cardboards so we can see them. Maybe the director can place anti-theft devices on each of them next year!!!! Here's an Idea:: Lets just put the director on a bike and let him ride down a one lane construction site and release on coming traffic his direction at 50mph around a blind turn and see if he survives. For that we should've just offered a case a beer to the first dunk hunter we passed that would take a few pop shots at the director instead. And what about some other refreshments before starting the race other than water???
If there was anything good about this ride it was the registration set up. Very good job there
All and all though, this was my first & last Forney ride. God knows it should be the last time its EVER done, considering the Forney folks don't take kindly to cyclists. Did anyone else get honked at??? To sum it all up... I WANT MY $25 BUCKS BACK!!! I'd never spend money to be tortured like that. I can get that for free by sitting at home and watching Anna Nicole Show re-runs!!!!!!

Why add to what has already been said. When my daughter was young, there was a popular song that went like this "I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign". My eyes were open but did I see the sign? I heard from ride organizers that somebody stole the signs on the route. That is why road markings or people at critical turns is essential to a ride. This group is very well meaning but really took it on the chin. Look to one on the better organized rides for some help! To be honest I think if they would just take care of the route marking issue, most of the riders could overlook the other minor problems.

I had the 100K race and $150 prize money sealed up...until my group missed a turn, or two, or more. Infuriating! I've never had problems with this ride in the past. What gives? I hope the organizers can get it together and save their ride before the few people who want to go back don't arrive alive at the finish. It's that serious. As an experienced rider, I can deal with disappointment, getting lost with a course map that sucks, having no SAG or water support, having my 62-mile ride cut short to 50 as I try to find my way back, etc. The fact remains that the inexperienced riders outweigh the experienced, and many of them are families with kids to protect. I feel badly for the inexperienced riders, even though we were all duly cheated that day

I agree with all the other e-mails. It takes a lot for me to complain about rides; usually, I am grateful for the volunteers and the fact that I have a few people to ride with. I've never felt the need to complain before. But this ride is horrible. I don't need a T-shirt or a number or even great rest stops. I can even live with unmonitored intersections. I just need to know where in the heck I'm supposed to go. For $25, a few signs aren't too much to ask. If someone steals the signs, paint an arrow on the road. I rode the 100k route and we had no clue after the first few miles. The map didn't help at all, but even if it had, try stopping to read a map every few miles when you're in a paceline. It defeats the purpose of riding with a group so you can get better. I hope the organizers see these e-mails, although in reading these over the years, it doesn't look as if they care.

After this ride was over, I said to myself: "I can't wait to read the reviews on this ride!". I've read the reviews and have obviously concluded that just about everyone who rode this ride got lost, including me and the group I was with. Our 75 mile ride turned into a 67 mile ride. The fix to this problem is to have bigger signs and volunteers at the intersections to stand guard over the signs, or figure a way to paint arrows on the road that would be legal with the State. Will I be back for this ride next year? I'm not sure, it depends on whether the ride director mentions anything on the website about addressing the sign problem.

Jackrabbit Stampede -- The weather and parking was great. I have read all of the negative reviews and think that maybe we cyclists have become a bit spoiled by well administered rides such as Rockwall and Mesquite.  I rode the forty mile route and had some minor problems with route marking, but was able to stay on course by simply referring to the map, which was accurate for my route at least. (Don't know about the longer routes.) The intersection with 175 in Crandall did need someone to direct cyclists to the 175 access road.  I too was startled by the guy in the pickup with the airhorn.
As these rural areas continue to develop at an alarming rate, I realize that it is becoming difficult for directors to continue to find roads with low traffic. I hope that we don't discourage these folks from conducting future rallies, because I think that this could be a safe and enjoyable event for everyone with a few minor improvements:
1. Place a human being at dangerous or confusing intersections.
2. Place color coded route arrows on the pavement.
3. It would probably be a good idea for the organizers to visit other cycling rallies in the area to exchange ideas and find ways to improve the event. The Rockwall Rotary Club seems to have ironed out most of their problems over the years and could possibly be of some help.
Bottom Line -- the rally could use some improvement, but I would hate to see it canceled. We have already lost a couple of rallies this year. Safety must be a prime concern.

Great day for cycling. Good staging area, plenty of room. Started on time. Racers were well escorted - good thing because the course marking was really POOR. I had a mechanical and had to drop out of the race just prior to the 40/62 split. If I had not gotten a map at the start, I would have made several wrong turns. Course was flat to rolling and it finishes with a northward leg so you get the nice tailwind for the end.

The Forney Stampede was my first organized ride in 1994 and also my home town ride. I have always supported the Forney Lions by participating in the this ride. This may very well be my last. Ditto on ALL of the above reviews. New stadium parking lot, great registration facility, pre-ride restrooms...great. That's where it ended. It seems that from the last years' experience of putting together a bike ride, the tenth one would be easy. My impression was that they collected my 25 bucks, pointed me in an easterly direction and fired the starting gun. See you later. Thanks. On the 40 mile route, 15 miles to the first rest stop. A little far but that's OK with me. Five miles to the next? Too soon. Then 10 more to stop 3. That's basically one stop every 15 miles. If I had not been on previous rides, I would be lost going through Crandall. Zero signage. Where are the police and sheriff officers that were at the major intersection as in the earlier years? If the Lions Club want to keep this ride in business, then they should, in addition to correcting the faults listed by the others reviews, comp or offer the ride for a few bucks. Otherwise, next year will be the last ride that NO ONE shows up for. A fellow Jackrabbit...

We rode one of the shorter routes and didn't have the problem of getting lost that those on the longer ones had. (Or maybe we just go the signs before the thieves did.) We don't know the local geography, and maybe the last few miles was the only way back to the school parking lot, but that part of the ride was, frankly, less than pleasant. Little to no shoulder and lots of traffic. We've adopted a sort of "wait and see" view of returning. We really hate to miss a rally but dueling for space on the pavement is not our idea of fun.