Two-Bits Rally Post Mortem - by Matt Lasley

This is the over-analysis of Two-Bits Rally run. I think about this stuff waaaay too much, but it's a somewhat minor personality defect. I did this rally to learn. I happened to get the most points, but learning was more important. My wife asked me "what did you win?" "The respect of my peers?" That's not even true. There are probably less than half-a-dozen people I know that even know I ran this rally, so I don't think I "won" anything, but it was a good time. I think that was the point.

Okay, first thing I goofed up was forgetting my maps. I have two very detailed maps that I just forgot. I probably wouldn't have missed them in the running, but a glance in the planning phase might have been good. In a way I'm glad I didn't bring them, since I think I would have spent too much time with them.

I already mentioned the fuel error. Dumb mistake. I don't know that it really would have saved me a gas stop, but if it would, then it'd have been worth five points for every minute saved. Just a brain blunder.

Squaw Pass road was an error. I think I did it because it was "close" and a familiar road. But I didn't think about the speed on that road. Skipping it to take I-70 would have made up tons of time (I estimate 40 minutes, the speed limit on CO-103 is less than half I-70, and the turns enforce it somewhat). That would be +9 points in time savings.

The northern route had basically four choices for deviating from the base route. Berthoud Pass, Vail and Shrine Pass, Fremont Pass, and Boreas Pass road (Baker's Tank). This last one isn't that far off the trail. Berthoud may have been a good choice. The construction sign would have made me avoid again it if I did this again. Other riders said it wasn't bad. Vail/Shrine was quick on I-70, but slow to Shrine. Lots of points, but not any better from a point/time or point/mile perspective than Berthoud. When I did Vail/Shrine, it was my "big move", but I think Berthoud would have let me do Boreas as well in less total time, and with less testing of my suspension netting 36 more points. Fremont Pass didn't calculate to be a good choice, though quick road-wise, it wasn't close to the others.

Bagging all of the progressive bonuses was key. I thought this was really my biggest point-gainer, not Shrine. 100 points for the set of three is huge, and both Fairplay and Tiny Town were very close to the endpoints of the rally. Only Hoosier was a stretch for a southern route rider.

Stretching a southern leg onto the northern start I think was too far. I found routes that would make it and gain some points, but it's just too much of a time pressure.

Bypassing points on US-285 like Coney Island was painful, but necessary. Very few stops can make up in points for lost time penalty points. Having a flexible approach home with options would be nice. I think Pine and Buffalo Creek were possibilities, but not when I got so far behind in time.

Taking the southern route had possibilities. I think I-25 might be fast enough, though boring, to get to Woodland Park and the other US-24 bonuses. Then climbing Hoosier Pass out of Fairplay and running US-285's bonuses may have allowed enough time to add Sphinx Park in Pine.

So, if I was re-doing this, I'd certainly skip the long slow routes like CO-103. I might think more carefully about the off-base excursions (though I can't imagine I'd figure it out from the map during planning). Dropping CO-103's picnic ground, picking up all the other points, trading Berthoud and Baker's Tank instead of Vail/Shrine there might have been time to add Sphinx or Aspen Park (37, 30 pts respectively) for a total of 545, 55 better than my pre-time-penalty score. Even giving up Sphinx Park to stay out of time trouble would allow Coney Island to be picked up losing only 7, and skipping both would leave me at 508 which still beats my original pre-penalty score with tons of time left.

The southern route is interesting, and more open (if I-25 is used) so possibly better speeds for fewer stops would make up time, but unless both Sphinx and Buffalo are added, there aren't as many points as above, though even without them it's better than my actual route. Ridden quick enough, without the Denver traffic, perhaps it would be possible, but I'd take my modified northern route above, in that 20/20 hindsight.

Some other thoughts are that I didn't get as much out of my tank bag as I should have. Clutter is slow, so I think most of it should have been in side bags. My radio/water system worked well, but there's no time for changing batteries or adding water. I definitely would prefer a non-CD based MP3 player for size. Smaller would be useable, as it is now, the CD size is too big to be in a location that's attached to me and accessible at the same time.

I've probably analyzed it to death. Silly of me, but stretches the fun a bit more.

-- Matt Lasley, Colorado Springs, Colorado, October 2004