2006 Butterfield Double Century Results

In 2005, after torrential downpours all day, those who braved the storm affectionately renamed this event, “Butterflood” – and the name sort of stuck. A bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, we think. 

They came. It rained. And those die-hard double riders who just had to start their season off with Butterfield, got pretty wet, and very cold for the better part of the morning. But their perseverance paid off though! The sun came out and riders enjoyed beautiful Southern California sunshine all afternoon!  

Congratulations to first time double riders Derek Baggerly, Bob Berry, Douglas Brennecke, Jerry Brown, Jerry Flanagan, Michael Garner, Scott Wiseman and Kim Ziebell. Way to tough it out!!!

Special thanks to our fantastic staff – who also stood out in the rain, and worked generously and tirelessly to keep the riders on the road and having a great time!

Rider check-in: Deborah & Brian Bowling
Friday Night Food Prep: John Clare, Judith Gustafson, Jeff Landauer and Doug Patterson.
CP1: Elise & Paul Haussler, Doug Patterson, Steven Patterson
CP2: Brian Bowling, Kermit Ganier, Rene Sands, Lisa Shelley and Tommy Simmons
CP3: Deborah Bowling, Jill Fernandez and Judith Gustafson
CP4: Elise & Paul Haussler, Jon Shellenbarger
CP5: John Clare, Cecil Countess, Kermit Ganier and Lisa Shelley
Roving SAG: John Beam, Brian Bowling, Deborah Bowling, Kermit Ganier, Becky Gonzales, Judith Gustafson, and Mike Rathwell.
Finish Line: Deborah Bowling

Here's what riders had to say:

"Just wanted to let you guys know that it was a helluva job well done on Saturday. Kudos all around. And, and extra tip of the Quack-hat to those folks up in Trabuco Canyon in the rain! The jobs are tough enough with the addition of moisture!" - Doug Goodwin

"THANKS for the great support and hard work on the Butterfield ride. I know our group of 6 riders really appreciated it. Thanks again!!" - Larry Peelen

"This was my first double and I traveled down from San Francisco to enjoy a little SoCal cycling. I want to give a great big thank you to all the people
involved with setting up and running this event.  It was an amazing experience and everyone was extremely friendly and supportive.  I look forward to doing more of your events in the future." - Jerry Flanagan

"THANK YOU! You guys always do such a great job and it's awesome to get to go out and ride knowing that everything is so organized." - Mike Sturgill

199 Registered Riders:
146 Finishers, 25 DNF, 24 did not start; and 4 DQ for failure to wear reflective ankle bands**

** We realize that it seems harsh to DQ riders. We don't like to do it. But we do feel very strongly about safety. By strictly enforcing the nighttime riding requirements, we're sending a message that we're serious, and you should be too.

Since the first of the year, five Planet Ultra riders have been injured in car vs. bicycle accidents on training rides. These accidents happened during the daylight hours. We all know that motorists, whether attentive or not, aren't generally looking for bikes on the road - and especially not at night.

Planet Ultra requires ALL riders who ride in darkness to wear reflective ankle bands on both legs. Our experience over the years has been that many riders show up with tiny taillights which often can't be seen under a large saddle bag, or the light dims by the end of the night, or it falls off, or just stops working, or whatever. The excuses are endless - but the danger to the rider, and to SAG drivers and other motorists is very real. We've found that ankle bands are, generally speaking, the most visible - and they're so inexpensive, it makes sense to require them for all riders. When we announced this on our website and via our Planet Ultra newsletter this year, we received nothing but positive feedback, especially from the wonderful folks who drive SAG at night (including Lee Mitchell).
 
Enough said. Wear your reflective ankle bands (and MORE!). Light yourself up! Be visible!