Conquer the Coast, Corpus Christi, TX 

September 30, 2006

This was the second time I rode this ride. It's fun and provides some very different scenery and conditions from what I normally encounter in my rides in North Texas. It was, like last year, very well supported and attended. It was even afforded coverage in the local TV news. The trip across the Harbor Bridge was breathtaking (in more ways than one). SAG support was the best I've seen on any ride.
The trip on the ferry is a gas, but if you plan to ride this one next year, be forewarned. The route down Mustang and Padre Islands, although essentially flat, can still be challenging. There is almost always a head wiind. It was >20 mph this year. Also the combination of heat and high humidity can really sap your strength, so come prepared. All of this notwithstanding, Conquer the Coast is still a ride to look forward to.

October 1, 2005

Well we did it!! We Conquered the Coast!! My husband and son road this ride with me and we all agreed that those 18 miles are some of the toughest in Texas, mentally and physically. This was our first year to ride this rally and it was well worth the drive down there. The ride was very well organized and the markings of the route were outstanding. I don't think I have ridden a ride where we had so many lanes of traffic blocked off just for the cyclers. It was great. The after ride activities were very well planned with the announcing of the time trial winners and good things to eat. The view of the sun as it came up over the the Harbor bridge, as we climbed it, was great. Some of the best scenery in Texas. The registration was the only down side that there was and it was minor. I pre-registered just to miss the standing in line behind people writing checks and/or trying to have a credit card validated. I would have liked a table just for the pre-registered people. A big thanks to Circle K for providing locations for all the rest stops. It was really easy in and easy out. We thoroughly enjoyed the ride and Corpus Christi's hospitality. We hope to be back next year. Thanks!!!n.

The organizers again did a great job for the 2nd annual Conquer The Coast. The participant count increased from 700 last year to 917 this year. The weather was great with the typical humidity for the area and we had the usual 15 mph Southeasterly winds. The road surfaces for the 1st half leading out to the island are great and there was plenty of coned off lanes in the busier sections of traffic. Corpus Christi PD did a great job within their city limits to control intersections as well. As usual, the ferry ride to the island is a unique touch. The organizers changed the Time Trial start procedure from last year. Thankfully, they had us stage in a parking lot then queue up to ride the course solo and advised that drafting was not allowed as a true time trial event should be. The 18 miles (actually a bit shorter) takes you down Mustang Island on Hwy 361. It's as straight and flat as a road can get. The crossing headwind from the southeast was a factor but could have certainly been worse. The surface is fairly course chip seal. These 3 factors make for more of a mental challenge than anything, aside from the occasional numbness in various areas. I managed to take 2nd place and was satisfied with the challenge. After turning back towards Corpus Christi on SPID and going over the JFK Bridge and Causeway, the Naval Air Station opens it's gates to registered cyclists and allows us to ride through. The MP's on the base also did a great job of coning off lanes and blocking intersections. It's really a nice touch to get to ride through the base. After exiting the base, Ocean Drive takes you past the Texas A&M campus and then past some really nice bayside homes. This road, however, needs some definite attention to the road surface. The bike lane is really rough with holes and debris. Last year's headwind made this section a death march but at least this year we benefited from a nice tailwind to make up for it. It then turns into Shoreline Blvd and they allowed us to ride through the barricades where construction has it blocked to traffic all the way to the end. That was also a nice change from last year when we were sent through downtown heading to the finish. The start/finish area was moved from Heritage Park to the Ortiz Center on the port this year. This was a great location and seemed to work out really well. The after party was really good once again with loads of beverages, free pizza from Domino's, free hot dogs from Wienerschnitzel, and free beer. There was also a giant cake for the rally CEO's birthday. The DJ played a decent variety of tunes as well. I finished the ride at 11am and had to stick around until about 2:30pm for the time trial results. Nonetheless, it was all good and overall a positive experience.

This was a well-supported fun ride. The bridges and causeways were challenging, but the views were fantastic. The total distance for the ride turned out to be around 70 miles. The rest stops were staffed with helpful and happy volunteers. They even offered Power Gels if you didn't want the usual orange sections or bananas. The Bayfest Festival afterwards was a lot of fun. Don't miss this one next year.

October 25, 2004

I rode the 65 mile option. After a brief delay in getting us started since they were waiting on the news helicopter to film us going over the harbor bridge, we were on our way for the 1st annual ride. There was a decent turnout of about 700-800 riders. I was glad they had the staggered start for us Time Trialers to prevent mixing the slower and faster riders. Crossing over the 235 foot tall harbor bridge was really great and a fantastic way to start the ride. The roads were really nice prior to hitting the island and the scenery terrific while crossing the long causeway bridge. Went through the towns of Portland, Ingleside, and Aransas Pass. The rest stop folks were doing hand-offs which are typically pretty dangerous and maybe should be instructed against for future rallies. We then crowded as many cyclists on the ferry as possible to cross over to Port Aransas. After making our turn south on 361 for the 18 mile Time Trial, we encountered some chip-seal that could have been much worse. They had the time trialists wearing an ankle sensor and we had to ride through a narrowing of cones to pass over the start line. Same thing for the finish line of the time trial and it wasn't well marked as some cyclists simply missed it and didn't get their times counted. Widening the cones and better markings should be in order next time around. The ride down Mustang Island was 18 miles of flat, straight road and not much scenery so it made for some mental challenges as the road simply never seemed to end. Luckily, we didn't have the usual headwind on this section so that made for some great times. My 42:08 was good enough for 6th in my age group. We had to stop at the next rest stop to turn in our ankle sensors. Maybe doing that at the end of the 65 miles would be better next time. Other than that stop, I didn't hit any of the rest stops so I can't comment on that aspect. Climbing the JFK Bridge was tough after hammering on the time trial and being about 50 miles in at that point. Due to construction, there were some traffic problems we had to work through during this section. Going through the Naval Station was a treat and we got many greetings from servicemen and women. After that, the roads headed north were really uncomfortable with lots of pot holes and rough surface. Coupled with the brisk headwind, the last 20 or so miles bordered on being brutal. Nonetheless, I thought it was a great ride and well organized. The post-ride food was simply amazing and the best I've ever seen for being included in the cost. I will certainly be back next year.