Waco Wild West Century, Waco, TX

September 29, 2007

The Waco Wild West Century committee would like to thank all the participants, sponsors, and volunteers that made this years ride a great success. We had over 1100 riders and proceeds were donated to the United Cerebral Palsy Children's Camp, the National Bone Marrow Registry, Mother Neff State Park, Texas Bicycle Coalition and Cameron Park Bike Trails.
One of the Waco Wild West Century reviews posted on bicycle-stuff.com stated that the 26 mile route was actually 34 miles. The distance was rechecked with a calibrated bicycle computer and the route length is in fact, 26 miles.
We appreciate the feedback we have gotten about our ride. We will continue to make improvements to insure the Waco Wild West Century will remain one of the premier rides in Texas. The 24th annual ride will be September 27, 2008.
Rusty Hansgen
Waco Wild West Century Committee Member
wacowildwest@aol.com

Excellent support, route markings, and a challenging 100 mile route. It’s really nice to hear the guys with the PA sound as excited when you finally cross the line as the ones who made it more than 3 hours earlier! Rest stops were well stocked and eager volunteers. This was a challenging route, with wind, hills, gravelly road (in spots) and little shade outside the rest stops, one that you say thanks when it’s over but think creative wording when you see another hill into the wind. Thanks!
What can be improved:
Put an contact number on the route maps. Useful if someone needs SAG support or is simply lost.

THE GOOD: What a great ride! Lovely country, GREAT route marking - an arrow painted clearly on the road at EVERY turn and a few on the straight. Excellent traffic control with real police at most intersections. A great ride for beginners as it's mostly flat and there's even a 10 mile for families with little ones. I went down the night before from Dallas so had paid for the spaghetti dinner. (Not bad, and some fruit and snacks to take along after.) Very organized start, friendly and well stocked rest areas (fruit, water, gatorade). Nice t-shirt, too.
THE BAD: The one concern I had with the second rest stop on the 26 mile route - POISON IVY. Quite a bit and no one pointed it out. Some of those Camp Fire Girls who were running around barefoot may be in for a not so nice surprise. Also, I saw another rider almost lay her bike down in it. It was right beside the drink tables. The 26 mile route was actually 34+ miles long by cycling computer. The map showed the route "starting and ending" a little way out from the line, but that's another 8 miles, folks. I would have eaten something at the 2nd rest stop and conserved my water better had I known there was still that far to go. Why not just call it a 34 mile route? By about mile 33, I was pretty thirsty.
THE UGLY: The left turn at the soccer field park is dangerous and needs a policeman. You have to come to a complete stop right before a pretty good hill and there are cars coming fast in both directions. Those cars coming over the bridge cannot be seen far enough away to make a safe left turn. I saw a few riders dismount and "run" their bikes across the road. I probably should have done the same. (Ride organizers this was the green marker with the "frowny face" - I assume for the upcoming hill.)
In all one of the very best fall rides on all counts. Everyone who organizes a bike ride should go do this one and copy their fabulous plan. I'll be back.

YEEEOOOWCH! No one can predict or control the wind, but shoot....I forgot how hilly the 50-mile route was! Challenging ride, good markings on the roads but very few intersections with traffic control (not even volunteers with flags). The few SAGS I saw were near the end.
SUGGESTION TO ORGANIZERS: I saw the T-shirts from previous years for sale at registration, and I thought the 2005 design was most excellent (that year's ride cancelled because of Hurricane Rita). Do ya think we could see that design for 2008? Thanks for the nice blue shirt this year.
Rest stop gangs were super, and a big "ATTA BOY(S)" to the Boy Scouts and Dads who were doing the 50-mile route!!! Kudos, as always, to Gene & Annie in the REI van for your support (ummmm....beef jerky!) K' Duck

October 1, 2006

Here is a elevation chart gor the 102 mile route as recorded on a Garmin Edge 305 (JPG)

I rode the Waco Wild West Century, 100 miles, for the first time. I’m not affiliated with the ride, its sponsors or any clubs and have ridden most of the rallies this season. I was nearly first in line at day-of registration ($25) so I can’t speak to how well they handled the late arrivals. They did have a spaghetti feed the night before and pancake breakfast the morning of the ride at a nominal cost. The goody bag contained a t-shirt and water bottle and the volunteers were all friendly and helpful. Maps were available at registration. The starts were staggered by distance with sub-categories for tandems and 18+ mph 100 milers. I guessimate about 1000 riders attended. The course was about 50% chip and seal and marked with color-coded paint for each route. I particularly enjoyed the section through Mother Neff Forest which had a fast downhill and was not only shaded, but helped cut the wind. The rest stops were staggered a little farther apart than some century rides I’ve done. Most rest stops had signs and were represented by different groups. I stopped at the 35 (???), 57 (Boy Scouts) and 85 (Masterfoods) mile rest stops and they all seemed to have enough energy bars, bananas, oranges, ice, and Gatorade except the 85 mile stop had “run out” of Gatorade by the time the 100 milers arrived. Police support was hap-hazard. Only a few intersections had them actually directing traffic. Some seemed to merely sit in their cars and monitor the situation. I only noticed SAG four times on the route and most of it was in the last 15 miles. There were a few volunteers cheering at the finish line even for the 100 milers. I wish the same could be said for the food vendors which were long gone with the earlier crowds from the shorter courses. They had more bananas, oranges and free water/cola, but nothing with protein available to minimize 100 mile ride recovery. This is not a pampered ride so don’t expect free food or masseuses at the end. Come prepared to be self-sufficient with bike repair and some of your own food/hydration to fill in the weak spots in support.

For me, this ride is a mixed bag. I did the 102 mile route which overall is well laid out on fairly good roads. There were some rough spots, but not nearly as bad as I remember from previous years. The 20 MPH wind out of the south was pretty brutal from Canaan Church to Mother Neff State Park, but once past Mother Neff, it was mostly a tail wind. (When the wind is out of the north like the last couple of years, the stretch back from Mother Neff is torture). I stopped at the Oglesby, Mother Neff, and Masterfoods stops. The volunteers were all great, and each stop was well stocked except for Masterfoods which had run out of Gatorade. When we were still fairly close to Waco, SAG support was apparent, but it seemed to be absent on the far reaches of the course. Traffic control was lacking at several major intersections. My biggest complaint is that the food vendors at the end were gone by the time I got in. I’m not the fastest guy in the group, but I finished a little after 2:00 and there were still lots of folks behind me. It sure is a let down to do all of that work only to get back and find out that services are already being shut down. Anyway, it’s an OK ride; I’m just not sure it’s worth the 2 hour drive from Dallas and back.

This was my first 100 mile Waco Wild West Ride. I have to say it was very "challenging" given the head wind and the heat. For the most part I enjoyed the ride and the scenery. I was a witness to an automobile wreck (pickup truck and Van) about 5 miles before Crawford. Fortunately I was about 100 feet from the accident otherwise it would have been really bad and I probably would not be writing this review! The rest stops were good and friendly, however, at least four of them I stopped at either had run out of ice or were waiting for ice...not sure how much of the weather played into it. I was disappointed that nothing with salt/sodium was provided at the rest stops (pickles, pretzels etc...). The hills at the 80 mile mark were very challenging for me given the fact we were fighting a head wind most of the day. On one of the hills I had to stop at a Veterinary clinic to douse my head with water to cool down. I had to ride the WWW to get in my 100 mile ride this year since I was cut off early at this years HHH. Needless to say this ride was more difficult for me than the 3 HHHs I have participated in. So, if you want a challenge...do this ride! (especially if it is hot and you have a 10-15mph head wind)-Kevin

Great helpers at start/finish + on route. Lots of smooth roads with a variety of climbs on the 65 mile route. Rest stops were decent, with bananas, oranges, cookies, and tons of Skittles etc candy.
Clever routing made double use of one rest stop as riders passed by initially, and again if they took the extra 15 mile loop. Unfortunately the stop was not equipped for handling double the visitors, they ran out of ice early. It had only one water and one gatorade drink jug causing 12 minute wait (~25 people) in line for a drink.
Candy factory stop was nice surprise - it was not shown on the map. LOTS more candy and Snickers ice cream bars!
Most routes had few traffic lights because of the rural location. At MOST lights it looked like Waco police used remote controls to put traffic lights in our favor.

Overall experience was great. Registration the night before was quick and all the volunteers were great. Pasta dinner the night before is always nice also. As far as the ride, I thought it was brutally hard b/c of the wind and heat. We had a strong head wind for most of the first 55 miles and the temperature was unseasonally hot with a high near 97. I rode the full century, which ended up being about 103 miles, so the temperature became a factor at the end. Roads were pretty rough(chip n seal) compared to other centuries in Texas I've done, but did have some scenic views in a few spots that made it worth the extra effort. Course markings this year were excellent. The route is mostly flat w/ rolling hills except for a few short steep climbs. The hills near miles 75-80 on the highway access roads will get you breathing pretty hard, but fortunately they are short. Traffic control has room for improvement as there are some crazy highway crossings that you really have to stay alert for. Aid stations were some of the best I've experienced. Definitely nice to have so many friendly locals. My favorite was the last rest stop about 10 miles from the finish. I believe it was manned by a local church and they helped me forget about how tired I was for a few minutes. All the free candy from the local Mars/M&M factory is an extra incentive to come ride. I'll be back next year!

MY......what a BRRRROWWWWWNNNNNNNN T-Shirt! (Quack) - K-Duck

October 2005

The 2005 ride was cancelled due to Hurricane Rita

October 2, 2004

In the 20 years of the Waco Wild West Century Ride, this is the only time we have had rain! We (the organizers) had to hustle to figure out how to cope with it, and we have learned how to be better prepared in the future.
First of all, the road markings. Arrows on all routes were freshly painted with chalk paint on Thursday. Usually, this paint survives a couple rains before fading away. The hard rains of Friday night washed many of them away. As soon as we realized that was the case, cans of chalk paint were sent out with every sag vehicle and some of the ham radio trucks. In the past, we have posted signs, and experienced having them torn down or moved (misdirecting the riders!) Paper/cardboard signs would not have fared well in the heavy wind and rain Friday night. Parts of the route got 3" of rain and had tree limbs down from high winds.
The bridge - on the afternoon before the ride, volunteers went to the bridge to clear a path through the dirt piles. Coryell County employees were working on the bridge and told the volunteers that the dirt piles would be removed that afternoon and the bridge reopened. Obviously that didn't happen!
The rough roads - the highway department loves chip and seal - what else can I say! They are everywhere in this area.
As far as the sag trucks at the finish. Not all our volunteers are able to commit a full day to this job, so some of them only sagged the 10 and 25 mile routes. Perhaps that is who you saw at the finish. Also, several riders were driven back to the finish line in sag trucks. Perhaps they were having a cold drink or a sandwich before returning out to the route.
Thank you for the nice comments about the rest stops. We will pass them along to the groups that man the stops. For several of the groups, this was their first year to participate.
We really appreciate the feedback given on this site. We listen to all of it and try to make improvements. The Waco Wild West has been held for 20 years, but we still try to get better every year!
We realize that the maps were inadequate, especially coupled with the washed away arrows. That is certainly an area we will work on for next year!
Before I got involved in the organizing committee of the WWWC, I too critiqued many things about rallies I went to. Now that I know what a monumental job it is to put on a ride, I look at things a lot differently. I would recommend that all rally riders become involved in working on the their local rallies for an eye-opening experience.

Wind was tough!!! No matter which way we rode it always seemed to be in our face. And speaking of tough...the roads were quite rough. We did the 50 miler. Seemed like the whole ride was on the ol' chip and seal surface. I've never ridden a rally that had such rough roads. There were tons of flats (as in tire punctures) on this ride. I stopped counting around 22. A lot of people had problems with that. There seemed to be a lot of traffic too. We rode a lot on highways instead of rural country roads. It would be nice to see the routes take more advantage of the less traveled country roads. There were some challenging hills that made for some huffing and puffing, but the majority of the ride was flat. The colored arrows on the road were quite faded. I assume they were last years and they didn't bother to touch them up. There was even a route change along the way and at one intersection, if the cop hadn't told us the way to go we would have been lost. In fact I nearly ran over one volunteer who was hastily painting arrows for the new route! I "ran" into him again a few miles up painting more arrows. That could have been done sooner and cross out the old ones. At one point you travel down a two way access road and the oncoming highway traffic exits in front of you. Your traveling 16+ and they're exiting 60+. You have to really watch and anticipate them. It is a bit intimidating and perhaps unnecessary. The rest stops were friendly and attentive. The candy stop is always a highlight. The start was well organized and efficient. The start announcer was getting annoying though. I have ridden other rallies with better roads. I might not do this one next year. It makes for a long day from Ft. Worth.

Saturday morning on my way to Waco Tx. No rain until the last three miles. The ride started off wet but the rain delayed was only 30 min. to let the roads clear up some. The rain had quit about 8 AM but most riders were still in the parking lot. I have ridden the last two WWW rides ( 2002, 2003) on the 100 mile route when the weather was hotter. This year started off wetter and cooler. We were told at the beginning that a bridge was out on the 100-mile route. It seems someone should have know about that one. My friend that rode the 100 miles this years said the mud was 2 to 3 inched deep at the bridge. They had to dismount and carry the bikes. The sign up was well organized and went smoothly. Overall the ride this year was just OK. Not as good as last couple of years. The rain on Saturday night might of had something to do with that. The 62-mile route was closed after the lead group could not find the route markers on the road. The lead car on the 100 mile route took a wrong turn adding a couple of extra miles for the lead riders. The route markers had washed away overnight and I guess there was not enough time to remark the route on Saturday morning. The road surface was good on the 50 / 62 mile route. The rest stops I stopped at were good with plenty of friendly help. Number 3 was the most out going and the Skittles candy had the largest selection of goodies. I guess what made this years ride just an OK rating is that I had two flats along with a lot of other riders. Many people were having flats I guess because of extra trash wash onto the edge of the road. None of the rest stops had a high pressure pump. None of the asst. trucks I check with had a high pressure pump either. I did get an extra tube from asst. truck that I ended up using before the end of the ride. While I was fixing the first flat an asst. truck drove by but was in to big of a hurry to stop and see if I needed help. At the end of the ride there were two asst. trucks parked near the finish line with hundred of riders still out on the course. I wonder why the trucks would be setting at the finish line not being use. The problem may have been just to short on volunteer help.
The T- Shirts were the best color ever. I will probably be back next year so please try to work out the problems between now and then. Oh yea! A better map would have helped. The map looked good until you tried to use it. There were not enough road numbers or names listed to actually use the map. David In Azle, Tx. 

The morning started out with sprinkling rain, so I was glad to see the medium chip/seal roads which helped to keep me from slipping and sliding. The wind was out of the northwest and later changed to being out of the northeast, making only one 30 mile tailwind stretch (on the Century Loop). We can't blame the organizers for the weather, though! All in all, I rate this ride above the Hotter 'n' Hell Hundred because of the better rest stops. This ride has several points of interest, from President Bush's Crawford Ranch to Mother Neff State Park, to the Mars Candy Factory. It's definitely not a boring ride and I appreciate the varied terrain.

The Waco Wild West Century is a great ride. This was my first time and I found it well-organized and fully supported. The 102+ mile route through the pretty, rolling countryside was very well-marked over mostly good roads. There were a few sections, some lengthy, where I was glad to have my cushion saddle and  shock-absorbing post. But I doubt if you can find many 100 mile circular routes in Texas without some of that. 
I know young riders eat this kind of course for lunch, but for this guy in his 60's, it was a hard ride. The long climb out of Mother Neff park straight into the north wind is particularly memorable for the colorful language it evoked. Speaking of the park, the rest stop there at about 57 miles gets my vote. All the stops I visited had friendly, helpful staff and were well-supplied, however the park is beautiful, has clean restrooms, and the Moody student council girls in their fat-lady-in-a-bikini costumes gave us some laughs.

I did the 102 mile course...sorta. Overall I enjoyed the ride, and the volunteers were very friendly and helpful. Most of the roads were in good shape, and the start was well organized. Some very challenging hills. Negatives: 1. Course marking was poor. I was with a group that got lost...missed an arrow somewhere. We called in and, although we were  at the intersection of two county roads, the person in the command center couldn't tell us how to get back on the course. A local drove by and pointed us  in the right direction. The command center should have a map with every numbered or named road in the area...I am sure the fire dept has one. I recommend placing a volunteer/policeman at every intersection/turn and/or putting some vertical signs; if you are riding in a pace line and the  lead rider misses the arrow on the pavement, there is a good chance that everyone else will miss. 2. A few sections of the road were very bad. The worst was at about 87 miles, I think it was real old chip/seal and there was a whole lotta loose chips...essentially a gravel road. 3. Intersection control was great at some places, cops just sitting in their cars and watching at others, and curiously absent at some intersections. The icing on this cake was the intersection just before the finish line; no one controlling  that intersection and the light changed as I was approaching...twenty yards  from the finish line and I am stopped, waiting for a green light. 4. The mud at the previously noted bridge under construction was really dirt piles about three feet high at both ends of the bridge. Had to walk around the piles to get in only a few inches of mud. There was only one guy working at the bridge, and the folks in my group each expended about 1/2 of a water bottle trying to get the mud off our shoes. I recommend that if this happens again the race organizers drive out there with some gravel or boards to create a temporary path for the bikers.

As I drove into Waco from DFW, I wasn't sure if I was going to ride this one, but as we approached the start time, the rain diminished and 
pretty well stopped after the "delayed" start time - I think that that was a good call on the part of the organizers. As it was, I thought that it turned out to be a pretty good day for this ride... cool, and overcast. For at least the first half of the course, the roads were wet, but not soaked. Had to watch how close I followed others, in order not to get sprayed by their rear wheels. The start was definitely organized / managed, but the time gaps between groups could have been reduced I suppose, but no big deal there. 
The roads were rough, and busy with cars. I wanted to do the 62 mile route, but  was turned back about half way in the loop. Don't quite know why, but  that's OK as well. The course was relatively flat, and as advertised, with a few challenging hills - hills are a good thing. The rest stops were great, very well stocked, and manned by friendly volunteers. The "T-Shirt" was nice, goodies plentiful, SAG was visible, and the finish line area was pleasant, with the tent covered tables to rest at, and recover by. Hey.... I even won a tube of "Chamois Butt'r". Good ride. I'm glad I participated.

After having rode the Waco ride Saturday, I wish I could be more  positive. It was one of the roughest courses, along with occasional rain, and strong wind to make things worse. I cannot fault the ride's organizers, and the sponsors had some good rest stops {especially the candy factory}, except for the poor job of marking the course. The painted arrows on the  pavement were either faded, or there was none at all. Even a few signs would have made it easier to navigate. The group I was riding with did the 100k, and We took several wrong turns when We were out in the rural roads, There were gravel patches and mud in several spots, and I have never been through so many busy intersections, and had to make so many turns on a 62 mile ride. Again, even small garage-sale sized signs would have helped enormously, 
and made the ride a lot faster and safer. I understand that volunteers can be hard to come by, but We hardly saw anyone to ask directions from, or to assist when We had a breakdown. I am still thankful for those who did help, and I would like to return next year. But I hope they can do a better job of marking the course,  and check out the roads before the ride to mark hazards. - Scott 

I rode the Waco Wild West Century and enjoyed reading all the reviews. I rode this for this first time (the 50 mile route). I come from the Dallas area and have learned that it is a lot more fun and less stressful to go to these rides that are a few hours away the night before and stay at a hotel/motel within riding distance from the start line - I think of it as a mini-vacation. We got there Friday night and really enjoyed the packet pick up. We got not only a ride t-shirt and water bottle but TWO different Skittles t-shirts, a skittles travel mug along with some other goodies and a bunch of candy. Unfortunately, the storms that night caused the electricity and phones to go out at the hotel all night and we almost missed the start of the race fumbling in darkness on the 3rd floor unable to find the exit to the stairwell! But all was well with the start delayed. I must confess, the rest stop at the Skittles factory is what drew me to try the 50 mile route (the furthest I'd ridden in a rally previously was 40 miles). I'm not a big fan of Skittles but I was curious. What a treat...they had chocolate treats galore (LOVE CHOCOLATE)...and Snickers almond ice cream bars. This was a challenge for me with the wind and the hills but all in all, I enjoyed it. I'll be back next year and hope to drag some more friends along, too.

September 28, 2003

The last time I rode this ride was in 1987. It was excellent then and it remains a top-notch bicycle rally. It looks like about 1400 riders participated. I rode the 52 mile route. Before the ride, they warned us of some really bad roads with the infamous chip and seal. However, on the 52 mile route, the roads seemed ok to me although I did experience two flat tires on the ride (the first flat was only 1.5 miles from the start). I think it was just my day to have flat tires. I think the second flat tire was my own fault because it was in the exact same spot on the inner tube as the first flat which means when I changed the tube, whatever caused the first flat was still embedded in the tire. When I got my second flat tire, a sag wagon showed up within a few minutes. Not only did they change my tube extremely fast (faster then I would have changed it) but they gave me a new tube. They were extremely friendly too. To the sag wagon that fixed my flat and gave me the new tube (at approximately 20 miles into the ride) thank you very much again. The ride packet was one of the best of the year. Not only did it contain the T-shirt and a water bottle, it contained a bicycle tube patch kit. Nice touch! The only room for improvement I can see is that towards the end of the route, traffic at some busy intersections was not controlled. There is a lot more traffic in the Waco area then there was the last time I rode, but I generally didn't feel unsafe because the roads all had good shoulders where there was significant traffic. I cannot rate the rest stops because I did not stop at any. At the end of the ride, there was plenty of free bottled water, Dr. Pepper, and if it appealed to you, plenty of free candy, probably from the local Mars factory. I hope to return next year.

Outstanding ride as usual! High speed superior roads with 90% flats and maybe three minor grunts. Scenery great. A Short insignificant patch of chip seal...no big deal) Road crossing support outstanding and rest stops exemplary. Course marking: Right up there with HHH. You other ride directors....find out how Waco does it...AND GO THOU AND DO LIKEWISE! Probably 1,600 riders, butter smooth registration and excellent finish facilities. Any dogs on the course have been properly pepper-spray trained from past rides and keep a safe -nose (and teeth) distance away. (Cows of course still heckle riders as they pass and make obscene hoof gestures). If you didn't ride this one...shame on you. They can repeat this ride every month and I would come!- Norm Weatherby

Very nice ride. My one recommendation would be to have someone directing traffic at the 100K turn off. Quite a few riders in the first group missed the turn. Road choice, traffic control, support, rest stops were all great.

Waco Ride: Fantastic FUN! Perfect day for it! We did the 26 mile route and had a blast. I didn't do an actual helmet count, but could safely say there were around 1,400 cyclists out there. We were warned of a few dangerous spots but I never saw them. There was this incredibly smooth stretch of brand new road which was wonderful. Great scenery. Friendly locals. Great support. No mean dogs, but there was this large bull that wasn't too pleased with us! Actually he just moo'd in our general direction. The police officers were out in full force at most of the intersections. Home baked goodies at the last rest stop! Free candy and treats at the end of the ride. Excellent goody bag with repair kit, water bottle, coupons and t-shirt. Overall, this was one of favorite rides of the last year and will return next year for sure! Team Chowdah had a blast!

This was my first time for this ride and I found it to be excellent in almost every aspect. Registration was very easy and the ride packet and map were well thought out and appreciated. The start was organized efficiently with groups leaving every 3 minutes based on distance to be ridden. My group and I decided to do the 100k. This ride is FLAT! There were a total of maybe 5 hills, if you could call them that - nothing like rides in the Hill Country or in the Piney Woods. With perfect weather and little wind this course was made for riding. A few small complaints. First, the loop that extended the 50 mi. to the 62 mi. was absolutely horrible - the road surface was so bad that we turned around 3 miles into the 12 mile loop. Not worth the distinct possibility of a flat. Traffic control for the most part was excellent. However, at the very last intersection - 50 feet from the finish - the cops were sitting around doing nothing when we came to the finish. So, we had to stop and wait for the light with 50 feet to go - talk about depressing! The rest stops that we stopped at were good - they had water, PowerAde, ice, cookies, bananas, oranges, and candy. It would have been nice to have Power Bars or Clif Bars but, alas, beggars can't be choosers. All in all, I give this ride an A-. It is definitely on my list for next year - I'll be back!

I don't know what ride some of these other guys were doing but the 100 miler was torture. At least 65 miles of the ride was course chip and seal. Some of which was uneven (bumpy). The hills where a welcome change to the other 100 milers I have done. The 2 rest stops I hit were great. The only room for improvement there would have to be ice. The drinks would have been more refreshing if there was ice to keep it cold. Road signs, though simple, where incredibly effective. I have been on other rides with more elaborate signs that just blended into the background to much to see. I don't think I will be back to do the century in Waco unless the road surface changes. Perhaps I will try the 62 or 50 mile ride instead. It might be fun to slow things down.

Finally got around to doing this one and it ranks as one of my favs - great route (50), and scenery. I had to stop at the Mars rest stop (hint: if you have a nice cold Camelback you can drop some of the wrapped chocolate candies between the bladder and the bag and they made it to the end fine). The last rest stop turned out home made cookies, cupcakes and other goodies. Only improvement would be some porta-potties at the beginning (1400 riders and only one public facility with two heads) and some major intersection traffic control was lacking (cops sitting in nice A/C car or off to side of road instead of directing) but overall they did a great job. Signage and road arrows were great. Registration was a breeze. Well run, well done - an A+ event (CitySports),

I agree with the previous guy...the 100 miler (I had 105) was tough...seemed like the only time i had the wind really at my back was coming out of Crawford (my vote for best rest stop). It was a pretty ride-really enjoyed the ride down to Mother Neff Park. Some roads were great, but i thought there was plenty of chip seal also...saw plenty of sags, registration was a breeze and the spaghetti not bad at all. I liked the bone marrow registration being there-something I've thought of doing but never taken the time to do. Originally I was all pumped for the candy rest stop-being a candy head-but it being at 80 miles i was too tired to be excited. I've done 6 centuries and this was the toughest for me-wind and rough road being the culprits...even my 3 centuries on RAGBRAI in Iowa didn't get to me like this...a great ride, I will be back.

I rode the 100 mile route in 2002 and 2003. Other than participating in century rides during Texas Hell Week in Fredericksburg (www.hellweek.com), this is my favorite century. The WWW century seems to be as much of a mental challenge as it is physical. The combination of extremely rough roads, rolling hills (especially the last 20 miles), and seemingly always "in your face wind" combine to make it an endurance challenge. I can ride a century in 5 hours, and always try to maintain a minimal 20 mph average. However, for the first time in my cycling career, and only a mile from the finish, I had to utilize SAG. As I unclipped at the last red light, both my legs seized and I was unable to move. I laid on my back for approximately 5 minutes, and a SAG truck stopped. I told the driver that I wanted to recover and finish. Another 5 minutes passed and I was still unable to regain muscle control. Shortly thereafter, another SAG truck stopped and I accepted the ride. The driver, Brandon was exceptional. He took great care to ensure my safety and even asked to help load my bike onto my SUV. My comments were not meant as a complaint, but rather as evidence of an extremely challenging century. My only suggestion is to place a road Marshall at the cut-off for the 100 mile route (I was in the lead pack and confusion was rampant). I will be back next year, and hopefully my girlfriend will be able to train sufficiently to complete her first century in Waco, 2004.

 I rode the 100 miles and found about half of it to be torture because of the strong head winds. Three guys and I took turns in a paceline, and if it hadn't been for them, I might not have finished. A few years ago, instead of tee shirts, the sponsors gave out small white towels. I wish they would go back to that, for everybody has a jillion tee shirts by now. I used the towel for wiping my eyes at rest stops. Also, I wish they would consider selling jerseys. This is a top Century in Texas and I would buy a jersey to promote it.

My first ever group ride. I went with a couple of fellas who have been on the Waco ride before. Rode the 62 -65 mile course. Bit rough in patches but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, the support, route markings. Will be back.