Wilson 100

A crown jewel in the Southern Bicycle League (SBL) ride calendar was held on August 30, 2010 in Fayetteville, GA. This year marked the 37th time the Wilson 100 was held to honor past SBL president Scott Wilson. Scott, an indefatigable advocate for Atlanta area cycling, was struck down by cancer before the age of 40. In memory of Scott, a portion of the ride’s profits are designated to a charitable non-profit organization. This year's beneficiary was The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The Wilson 100 actually provides ride options for cyclists with varying capabilities. There is a 16 mile family ride and longer rides of 31, 54, 65 and 101 miles. General information and registration forms are available on the Wilson 100 website. The pre-ride and day-of-ride registration process was flawless and offered numerous registration options from $15 to $48, post ride meal and optional purchase of a Coolmax shirt. The ride is limited to the first 1,200 registrants.

As I did last year, I rode the century option. With my wrist band and ride que sheet obtained from the pre-ride check-in, I was ready to roll 30 minutes before the scheduled 8:15 am mass start. Since the course is well marked with road paintings that include many post turn confirmation markings, I pushed off with a small knot of riders.

The road surfaces were great to excellent and traffic was extremely low; all ideal conditions for a Sunday ride. The course terrain is rolling hills, another way of saying you will be downshifting a good part of the day looking for some lower gears. However, for a late in the year century, most riders were motoring up the climbs in good order. The weather was less than cooperative. An early morning mist and cloud cover that we continuously proclaimed would “burn off” lingered the whole day. At times a heavier rain fell, but fortunately there were no lightning bolts or gully washing downpours. Such things are to be expected on long rides. At least we were spared from a hot Georgia August baker.

The rest stops were well stocked and supported by enthusiastic volunteers. During this year’s BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia), I volunteered with my wife twice as a rest stop volunteer. As riders focused on hydrating and refueling, we can easily fail to appreciate all the organization and work needed to make those PB&Js, orange slices, fill water containers and mix sports drinks. It was nice to hear lots of thanks and words of appreciation extended to the volunteers.

The final rest stop at the Hollonville Opera House was a true gourmet treat. Representing the best of cross ride volunteer pollination, the volunteers from the Tony Serrano Century Ride offered a feast of fruit, baked goods and a wide selection of sports drinks.

There are only two recommendations for improvement I would offer. One, there was a general absence of “on your left” as stronger riders zipped by. Organizers may want to highlight that the pleasantry of a “good morning” adds to our southern hospitality and general safety. The second recommendation is a special start time for the peloton riders. About mile 12-15, the very strong peloton riders from the mass start arrived like a swarm of Africanized bees. They clearly commanded the road. My little group spinning at 16-17 mph was simply overpowered by this pack of 100+ riders. Maybe letting the high-test riders mass start at 7:30am would allow them more road management control and lower the potential for collisions with other riders.