After last year’s event, I decided #wheelamena Tour To The Top would be my “A” event this year. The objectives were to 1) bring even more of my cycling friends to this challenging jewel, and 2) climb Rich Mountain in under an hour. It took me one hour, seven minutes last year and was the hardest thing I had ever done on a bike. I put together a plan and got to work. Today, almost 20 of my friends joined me for perfect Arkansas October weather and a great ride. Oh, and the climb? I knocked off 11 minutes, to finish in 56 minutes. Thankful for my family & friends who support all the training that went into that result. Now time to consider my progress and figure out what next year’s challenge is. #ridemello #mellovelolr #planit #achieveit (pic 1, rest stop before the climb; pic 2, our “a group” at the top; pic 3, Rob and I - not bad for an mtb’r 😉; pic 4, Rich Mountain from the porch of our Airbnb, apres ride; pic 5, the Strava segment for 2022’s challenge) (at Queen Wilhelmina State Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjeQCfxsaoh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=