Brook Henderson

The following is a FB post I made to a private group of like-minded cycling friends. Putting it here for others to view and comment. -- Post-Hoodoo & post-508 thoughts/discussion... Rob Mann wrote a detailed post on his personal FB timeline about his experience at SS508. Rather than respond to that post, I decided to have something here for us to hash out.  [Robert Mann, BTW, this will be longer than your post. I hope you read it. I'm mentioning you because you're making me think about these things, but I am not trying to single you out in any way. Please know that I love and respect you, just I as do my other cycling family members.]  Doing a 500 mile ultra is a big jump from a double century. For those of you doing solo 500 events (not team), we all have our various weaknesses. There are many common issues experienced, however. And, the solution that works for one rider is not necessarily useful for others. Furthermore, what works for you on a double century may not be w...

Introduction: The infamous 508. A very popular ultra cycling event, but one I have never done.  Until 2020. My exposure to the 508 first started in 2011 when my friend Marc Patton told me about the Furnace Creek 508. (Marc's responsible for getting me into doing double centuries.) I read the website and racer ride reports, and even went to Townes Pass in 2012 to watch the racers summit the long climb. I was aware the race was moved to Nevada in 2014 and renamed the Silver State 508. So, it's been on my radar for a long time. However, when Hoodoo 500 added a 300 mile distance in 2013, I used that as a springboard for getting into the ultra cycling events. It's no secret I fell in love with Hoodoo 500 . The 508 just never seemed to get on the To Do List each year. Part of my reluctance to do SS508 (and RAO, which I also did this year) is the need to get crew to support you. But, SS508 had added a self-supported "randonneur" division , which had me thinking about it...