On Saturday morning, April 13th, 2002 after a night of steady rain across the region, Dave Buzzee set out from the Indiana-Ohio border in an attempt to establish the 60+ Ohio West/East record. The weather was misty and overcast, and the temperature hovered around 55 degrees - never to exceed 60 throughout the entire day. Somehow, Dave's ride skirted all the storms that plagued the region for the entire weekend and the cool temperatures played to his advantage by not exacerbating an already touchy digestive system.

The start

Buzzee rode a steady 20 mph the first three hours before some gusty winds, a changing weather front, and gradual grades slowed him a bit. His wife, Sherry, and Julie Stephens performed crew duties with assertiveness and precision. A randonneur at heart, Buzzee stopped every several hours for a brief break and solid food -.yet, maintained a respectable overall pace given the hillier terrain in eastern Ohio.

Although Buzzee had kept his plans for this record attempt somewhat secret, word spread quietly amongst the ultra community in Ohio. Buzzee is the Regional Brevet Administrator and has volunteered so much time and effort to organize an ever-changing series of brevets in the last five years. In a show of reciprocation, a dozen randonneurs appeared on the course at various times in the early evening to surprise Dave and cheer him on. They even had a whole group of locals at the Dairy Queen come to the curb and let out a cheer. In a show of real class, Dan Shook, the current record holder in the Senior Division, helped everyone navigate through the tricky streets of Akron. Dan had never met Buzzee, but cheered him on like a brother - even placing a personalized "Dave Buzzee - Cross Ohio Record" banner on his van! Those few hours reminded us of the sportsmanship our community displays.

On the road

The true excitement of the event came at approximately 11:00 p.m., when a bathroom stop helped the crew discover that a bridge across a reservoir was totally gone! Buzzee would have to either swim 300 yards - or, ride an extra five miles. He opted for the bike. The crew split up and sped ahead 10 miles to navigate a detour around the problem. This bit of excitement wired the crew with enough adrenaline to stay awake for the next few hours. But, Buzzee just plodded along - unaffected by the excitement - and growing tired and ready for the finish.

A curious set of police officers saw Buzzee reach the Pennsylvania border at 2:16 a.m. Although Buzzee's droopy eyes, the crew's disheveled looks, and the flashing lights on Moby the Support Whale looked suspicious - a quick appraisal of the situation drew a big "Congratulations" and two thumbs-up from the officers. Nice job Buzzee!