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Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling Do you enjoy centuries, double centuries, brevets, randonnees, and 24-hour time trials? Share ride reports, and exchange training, equipment, and nutrition information specific to long distance cycling. This isn't for tours, this is for endurance events cycling

2021 Century-A-Month Club

Old 03-02-21, 06:17 PM
  #26  
OnTheTarmac
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Originally Posted by DocJames
What's the route like from a safety and traffic standpoint? Wide shoulders?

Planning at least one (will probably be more) trip to Florida this year myself. Have been there many times, but never with a bike.
Highly recommend it! This was my first bike trip in FL. I was on route A1A for pretty much the entire ride. Overall, did 215 miles over a few days, most of it was up and down that road, with a few detours. Coming from Philly, I was happy being in the sun so I didn't care that I was being repetitive.
The bike lane is wide and drivers stay out of it. Even more surprisingly, the cars respect the speed limit and generally let you merge, turn, etc politely. I had a close call with a beachgoer walking out between the cars not looking. Traffic is steady and often congested in the busy areas, but not dangerous. As you get farther away from Ft Lauderdale the roads become much nicer, with more scenery and far less traffic. The only problem is it's about 20 miles to get out of the busy FTL area so if you want to do short/medium rides, you have to deal with cars and the usual resort area commotion.

The stretch between Delray and Palm Beach was the best part, but like I said is ~20 miles north of FTL. Delray is a quaint little beach town, if I was going again I would stay there.

Once you get a few blocks from the water, it's like riding in a busy city, so best to stick to the barrier islands.
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Old 03-03-21, 02:38 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by 2WheelsNYC
Thanks Joe! After using the B17 for awhile, do other saddles give you any trouble? I have a new bike with a B17 this year, and have about 1k miles on it. I recently rode my previous setup and immediately noticed some discomfort.
I wouldn't know if other saddles now give me trouble as both of my bikes use a B17.

A lot of saddles are OK for 50 km. People like soft saddles on shopping bikes, but those become very uncomfortable at longer distances (same with soft car seats).

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Old 03-08-21, 08:31 AM
  #28  
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215 km with 1600 m of elevation gain (on Strava). It was a team training ride for our upcoming Flèche on the first April weekend (Easter weekend). I am now at 103 consecutive months of CaM.

The planned route would have taken us over the Hakone volcano at around 1000 m above sea level (3300 ft) but after a significant temperature drop from the day before even at low elevation on the coast it was colder than I expected, with a low of 4 deg C (39F) and it never reached 10 deg C (50F). I had enough spare clothes with me to deal with that, but my teammates were very uncomfortable. So we end up not climbing to Hakone and descending to Yugawara from there but took the coastal road instead. I suggested visiting the Manazuru peninsula, since I had always bypassed it by following the main road (N135) or the high road (K740) on the way to and from Atami and that was also how our planned route had been. So we did that and explored the peninsula, which offers nice views of the coastline north and south of it.



On the way back to the original route we passed a couple of restaurants and picked one seafood restaurant for lunch. There were people only on one other table, but they finished and left by the time we got our food. The meal was nice and reasonably priced.



We returned to Odawara via the high road over Manazuru (K740) which has very little traffic . You ride past terraced fields with mikan (satsuma orange) orchards. We passed a couple of roadside mikan shops selling local citrus fruit. They must be losing a lot of business without the tourists. But at least Manazuru is still within Kanagawa (as are Hakone and Yugawara) so Kanagawa residents who try to avoid visiting prefectures not subject to the State of Emergency can still go there. This was how our ride was designed, between two opposite borders of Kanagawa (Tamagawa to Tokyo and Yugawara to Shizuoka).



On the last training ride I had felt it a challenge to keep up with the ride leader during the first 1/4 of the ride, but felt comfortable during the rest of the ride. This time it was more like the opposite: The initial pace felt comfortable, but after the first stop it became harder and stayed that way. But I think it was a very successful training ride. Things went more smoothly and without incidents. I think we're getting the hang of successfully riding as a group.



In two weeks we'll do another training ride. Two weeks after that will be the real Flèche event (360+ km in 24h), assuming it's not again postponed to the autumn due to Covid like in 2020. But half the fun in a Flèche is training for it as a team in the months leading up to it.
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Old 03-09-21, 11:31 PM
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finished up the march account. 119 miles from fullerton (about 10 miles east of dtown los angeles) back to san diego. took the earliest amtrak train up to fullerton. pretty windy in the first half of the ride but the second half was mostly glorious tailwind. temps mostly in the low-60f with scattered clouds. did the ride on the 1988 nishiki olympic (steel) bike. much of the climbing in the first half of the ride.

https://strava.app.link/oH3ko85jveb[img]blob:https://www.bikeforums.net/e04d17e0-db11-4706-b445-5f36fbdc03e5[/img]







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Old 03-13-21, 06:51 PM
  #30  
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Deadlines and disruptions have limited my riding, so I was excited to set out on a March century -- I even chose the touring bike to add some extra saddle time. The forecast was ~60-70°F, but with near full overcast and morning showers; the rain wasn't going to stop me (but it might have slowed me down). Wanting some elevation, I set a route into the hill country.



45 miles into the ride, I found myself in Dripping Springs. I stopped to stage a photo in front of the parkway (which offers a very pleasant few miles), then circled town to find my favorite type of lunch: apple fritters, custard-filled long johns, and coffee!



After lunch, it was back the way I came -- it really is a great route. There are plenty of hills (and overall elevation gain), but the typical grades are manageable; best of all, there is hardly any other traffic on the backroads.



Of course, once you get to Wimberley and the Blanco River valley, you have to climb out of the valley to get back home -- the road can be seen off in the distance: it sustains 17-19% grades for far too long. (I also managed to aggravate some fire-ants for the picture, which added just a bit of extra discomfort for the already challenging climb).



All told, it was a very satisfying day out on the bike. Unfortunately, the rain did make a mess of things, so I had some cleaning to do before I could hang up my hat.


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Old 03-16-21, 07:43 AM
  #31  
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March - Bear Mountian

Went to the top of Bear Mountain, NY -- my first trip up there. Temps for most of the ride was freezing with a lot of head wind. Met up with a local group who were very encouraging.

Most of the trek takes place along the famous route 9W.



Made it to the top!

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Old 03-21-21, 07:54 AM
  #32  
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Rode aimlessly around Chester County, PA trying to decide if it was worth riding in 35 degree weather. Eventually went south to Delaware and briefly into Maryland before heading back. It started to warm up by mile 60 and I was able to hit the gas.
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Old 03-22-21, 12:37 PM
  #33  
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February & March Centuries

I waited until the last day in February to complete my century, but it was a lot of fun. My first year participating in Piggy's Revenge and my first "gravel" event. It won't be my last. Unfortunately, no photos.




So far this was/is longest century ride for 2021. I'll be riding with a group of folks from my local club across Florida in mid-April. We're going from Cocoa Beach to Wiki Wachee, which is about 167 miles. For some reason I decided that trip was "epic enough" so I decided to ride across Florida to ride across Florida . It'll be a 4-day trip leaving from Sarasota. On Day 1 I'm going from Sarasota to Ft. Pierce; Day 2 is Ft. Pierce to Cocoa Beach; Day 3 is the group ride from Cocoa Beach to Wiki Wachee; and on Day 4 I'll ride from Wiki Wachee back to Sarasota. Should be a lot of fun!

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Old 03-24-21, 11:33 AM
  #34  
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I did my 15th consecutive monthly century yesterday.
It was slow-going, as a good percentage of the ride was on waterlogged dirt roads -like riding through glue. For example, my average speed for the 10 mile descent down the Green River (see mile 38 to 48 in elevation profile below) was 5 mph. Also, there was just over 6k feet of climbing which is nearly tops the list so far.

I took these photos along the Green River road:


Guilford, VT

Much of the day was on roads like this







Full fenders keep mud off the drive train as well as my feet, legs and back. This photo was taken around mile 60, after at least 20 miles of muddy roads.


I do own a 19 pound bike (a carbon Roubaix) yet I always do these rides on a 50+ pound (with food and water) Surly touring bike. I'm never in a hurry and I like to settle in like a long road trip in the car.


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Old 04-03-21, 07:11 PM
  #35  
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Technically, this story begins in March. Thanks to riding with a buddy, a quick return trip to Dripping Springs blossomed into a full-blown century ride (a bonus March century for me). Throughout the ride, we quipped about getting "lost" in the Hill Country. Of course, there's not many alternate routes in those hills, and we never really did get lost. That was one week ago today.




Fast-forward to today: same buddy, same plan, different route. This time, we'd try and get lost in the gravel roads that intersperse the fields of the Blackland Prairie, east of the Balcones escarpment. We'd succeed too.




A check of the weather on Friday night suggested cool temperatures and a slight mist, but otherwise a great day -- not having to worry about excessive sun and carrying gallons of water is always a relief in Texas. So, we set to convene Saturday morning around eight.

Just as expected, the morning was cool, but pleasantly overcast and dry. We set off along the route, and covered a solid 30 miles; at one point, a mild -- but expected -- mist set on; in the distance, lightning marked a brewing thundershower. Nonetheless, our route was dry enough, we were headed away from the dark skies, and the wind was clearing the skies ahead. We should have stopped for more pictures but we were making good time, and before we knew it, we hit the lunch stop.



Lunch wasn't much but the typical convenience store fare, but it satisfied all the same. Warm pizza was slightly better than my usual choices and felt good on the cool day. As we ate, a downdraft and a strong drizzle set in -- I got a chill, but was determined all the same. Besides, a little rain might keep the dust down.

We set off and, at first, the rain seemed to let up. The pavement just out of town was damp, but the tires weren't kicking up much spray. That, of course, didn't last. Within ten miles of lunch, the rain was starting to soak through clothes and shoes -- at least the temperature held strong above 50°F. Once we turned back onto the gravel though, conditions started to deteriorate. The rain became steady, but worse, the ground became soft and the sandy-gravel started to spray -- feet, derailleurs, and back. "I have muck on my shoulders!"

We dutifully followed the cues on our planned route: a turn down Oil Field Road and a search for an 'unnamed' road. Well, we found the road, and a gate. It said nothing about no trespassing, and it might have been passable (there are a lot of public roads behind gates around here), but we felt it better to head back the way we came. The cue sheet was useless now, as were the cell phones... no service deep in the fields.

It was a slog back up the road, where our tires had already dug half-inch deep ruts; now we were sure to be lost. Luckily, our fancy bike computers have a compass to keep us going towards home, at least generally; we picked a myriad of turns -- a left here, a right there -- anything to avoid the main highways (and, even despite the increasingly sloppy conditions, preferring the gravel roads). It was around mile 75 that we finally checked for cell service and a map; even the most direct route was likely well over 25 miles, and we were starting to run short of food and water: according to the original plan, we should have been in Lockhart around mile 70. I snapped a quick picture to text to the folks at home, to let them know I was running late.



A few more guesswork turns, and we finally reached Lockhart around mile 85. The station there was a welcome, nearly necessary relief. We knew where we were once again and could figure exactly how far it was home. Even better, the sun started to peak through clouds, the rain decided to pass over, and the wind stirred at our backs. I celebrated with ice cream.

All in all, we made it home under 110 miles (from a planned route at just 90 miles). The muck left brake pads and chains howling, but otherwise, it was a dashingly successful ride: we got lost, we bested the weather, and we scored a few bonus miles, too. Most of my centuries have ended flat at 101 or 102 miles -- thanks to the bravado of a buddy, I can say this ride was perhaps a bit more memorable. (I'll certainly be remembering all next week, as I slowly tear down, clean, and rebuild my bike!)


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Old 04-04-21, 01:19 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by Bulette
Technically, this story begins in March. Thanks to riding with a buddy, a quick return trip to Dripping Springs blossomed into a full-blown century ride (a bonus March century for me). Throughout the ride, we quipped about getting "lost" in the Hill Country. Of course, there's not many alternate routes in those hills, and we never really did get lost. That was one week ago today.




Fast-forward to today: same buddy, same plan, different route. This time, we'd try and get lost in the gravel roads that intersperse the fields of the Blackland Prairie, east of the Balcones escarpment. We'd succeed too.




A check of the weather on Friday night suggested cool temperatures and a slight mist, but otherwise a great day -- not having to worry about excessive sun and carrying gallons of water is always a relief in Texas. So, we set to convene Saturday morning around eight.

Just as expected, the morning was cool, but pleasantly overcast and dry. We set off along the route, and covered a solid 30 miles; at one point, a mild -- but expected -- mist set on; in the distance, lightning marked a brewing thundershower. Nonetheless, our route was dry enough, we were headed away from the dark skies, and the wind was clearing the skies ahead. We should have stopped for more pictures but we were making good time, and before we knew it, we hit the lunch stop.



Lunch wasn't much but the typical convenience store fare, but it satisfied all the same. Warm pizza was slightly better than my usual choices and felt good on the cool day. As we ate, a downdraft and a strong drizzle set in -- I got a chill, but was determined all the same. Besides, a little rain might keep the dust down.

We set off and, at first, the rain seemed to let up. The pavement just out of town was damp, but the tires weren't kicking up much spray. That, of course, didn't last. Within ten miles of lunch, the rain was starting to soak through clothes and shoes -- at least the temperature held strong above 50°F. Once we turned back onto the gravel though, conditions started to deteriorate. The rain became steady, but worse, the ground became soft and the sandy-gravel started to spray -- feet, derailleurs, and back. "I have muck on my shoulders!"

We dutifully followed the cues on our planned route: a turn down Oil Field Road and a search for an 'unnamed' road. Well, we found the road, and a gate. It said nothing about no trespassing, and it might have been passable (there are a lot of public roads behind gates around here), but we felt it better to head back the way we came. The cue sheet was useless now, as were the cell phones... no service deep in the fields.

It was a slog back up the road, where our tires had already dug half-inch deep ruts; now we were sure to be lost. Luckily, our fancy bike computers have a compass to keep us going towards home, at least generally; we picked a myriad of turns -- a left here, a right there -- anything to avoid the main highways (and, even despite the increasingly sloppy conditions, preferring the gravel roads). It was around mile 75 that we finally checked for cell service and a map; even the most direct route was likely well over 25 miles, and we were starting to run short of food and water: according to the original plan, we should have been in Lockhart around mile 70. I snapped a quick picture to text to the folks at home, to let them know I was running late.



A few more guesswork turns, and we finally reached Lockhart around mile 85. The station there was a welcome, nearly necessary relief. We knew where we were once again and could figure exactly how far it was home. Even better, the sun started to peak through clouds, the rain decided to pass over, and the wind stirred at our backs. I celebrated with ice cream.

All in all, we made it home under 110 miles (from a planned route at just 90 miles). The muck left brake pads and chains howling, but otherwise, it was a dashingly successful ride: we got lost, we bested the weather, and we scored a few bonus miles, too. Most of my centuries have ended flat at 101 or 102 miles -- thanks to the bravado of a buddy, I can say this ride was perhaps a bit more memorable. (I'll certainly be remembering all next week, as I slowly tear down, clean, and rebuild my bike!)

a true, epic adventure. ones like this are truly savored vs just cranking out a long ride. what's a proper adventure without a bit of mischief involved?
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Old 04-05-21, 01:35 AM
  #37  
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I survived my second Flèche ride from Toyohashi in Aichi prefecture back to Tokyo (on Strava) and my third Flèche overall.

Although we officially did not finish again, I rode 401 km altogether from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon, including the entire 368 km route as planned, just not within the set hours. A Flèche is a randonneuring event where teams of 3 to 5 machines (tandems only count once) ride at least 360 km in 24 hours towards a central location / meeting point. At least 25 km have to be covered after hour 22 of the 24 hour ride. It was organised by AR Nihonbashi.

We used almost the same course again, only the part close to Tokyo was different. The biggest difference overall was that it didn't rain all day on Saturday as it had last year. Therefore I rode the whole day in shorts instead of in rain gear and the temperature was much more pleasant too.

To get to the start, I drove to Aichi by car the day before (I can't rinko my Elephant Bikes NFE). I was joined by my wife and my son. Together we visited Cape Irago (Iragomisaki) on the Atsumi peninsula of southern Aichi. After dropping me off they drove back to Tokyo. The peninsula is beautiful. I was impressed by the natural forests that are a sprinkle of different colors, unlike around Tokyo where much of the current forests are regrown mono-cultures planted after post war clearcutting.

I had dinner with two other team members, then went to bed at 21:00.



The alarm went off at 05:15 and we assembled at 06:00 to get the bikes ready.

It was a 20 minute ride to the official start at a 7-11 on the outskirts, where we set off at 07:00. We head a very pleasant tailwind on our ride through farm country out to Iragomisaki, where we uploaded a group picture in front of a road sign to prove passage.

The view from the road next to the Irako View Hotel was breathtaking. You could see the coast of Mie prefecture on the other side of the entrance to Ise Bay and various islands in the sea. I took in the view but we didn't stop for a picture. Here's a picture from Wikipedia (By Bariston - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/inde...curid=62146068):



We headed into the headwind that would be blowing in our faces for the next 120 km. Sometimes we took turns leading the ride. Many of the farmhouses had a storehouse between it and the coastal side, probably to block the wind.



There were also many greenhouses. Regardless of shape and size, glass or plastic they all seemed to have fuel oil tanks with the JA logo (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives), so it's a safe bet that JA sells most of the fuel oil consumed to help grow crops in the cold season. Lots of signs advertising melons which are currently out of season but we came across many kei (660cc micro) trucks loaded with cabbages.



There were many wind turbines in Aichi and also Shizuoka, as well as many photovoltaic installations. Their ubiquity there highlighted for me how few of them we have in Tokyo and Kanagawa. Perhaps Chubu Power is easier to deal with for feed ins than Tepco is, especially for wind power.

At noon we stopped for lunch at a ramen and gyoza place about halfway between Cape Irago and Omaezaki.

As we passed the former Hamaoka nuclear power station (it is permanently shut down) we were passed by a group of three cyclists on shopping bikes. Actually, one was a hybrid bike with flat bars while the other two were bona-fide shopping bikes. It was team ”machari wa rongu yuki!" ("Shopping bikes are suitable for long rides!") running in the AR Nihonbashi event and they were steaming ahead of us.

We got to Omaezaki a little after 16:00. By then it was a Century ride (160.9 km / 100 mi), but not even half of what we had set out to do.



As the course turned north here, the headwind ceased and became more of a tailwind again. It got dark near Shizuoka City.



I had felt a bit sleepy after lunch but then felt OK again. Over the next couple of hours others became sleepy as we were riding through the dark and it became more and more of a problem.

I wasn't able to see Mt Fuji on the drive on Tomei expressway on Friday because of low clouds and now I couldn't see it because it was night time. After crossing Fuji city and Numazu we started our climb in Izu towards Atami toge. When we finally got to the top, we had to take another power nap break. We put on all our extra clothes for the steep descent down to Atami on the side (13 percent). After that my rear disk brake, which recently had been very noisy and not very effective (maybe due to oil contamination from the chain) has been working perfectly again, as the heat and wear effectively decontaminated it.

Dawn approached as we headed from Atami to Yugawara and Manazuru.



We had burnt up most of our time buffer for the sleep break planned at the 22 hour stop by then, but the sleepiness in the team only got worse. So after another long break at Manazuru we sent in our DNF-notification to the event organiser. We headed to Odawara and had breakfast at the station.

After that, my friends packed their bikes for the train home while I continued on the planned route to Yamato/Kanagawa, then another 26 km to my home in Tokyo. I also needed a few naps to get me home safely.



With this ride, I now have 104 contiguous months of Century a Month. I may join a 400 km brevet later this spring and a 200 km brevet or two again after the summer.

As for the Flèche that we DNF'ed twice now, let's see what we can up with next year. We may just try it again a third time :-)
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Old 04-29-21, 08:09 PM
  #38  
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NYC to Philadelphia (145mi, 160mi total). Longest distance I've gone so far. Heard about a local group that does very long rides, so I decided to join them the day before. They were super friendly and helpful, a real nice riding group. We started with about 40 people... some would meet along route, some had to drop out and in the end about half reached the destination. There were all types of riders, a wide range of bikes (a handful of single speed riders) but all were pretty capable.



The map:


View of NYC from across the Hudson



Had a wild crash and somehow I landed on my feet. At about 17 mph, my front caught an embedded train track, which threw the rear of the bike up. The rest of the bike would swing 180 degrees but the crank landed right on a curb. That broke my momentum and I landed in a crouching position. There's a small dent on the rim below that gash, and my seat was pointed all the way down.



Anyway, most of us took the train back and we were greeted with rain. I had brought along a Brooks seat cover and it did not fare very well, so rode the last 8 miles standing up. No regrets.
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Old 05-03-21, 08:34 PM
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Got the April ride in on the 30th. Rode up and down the Schuylkill River Trail between Valley Forge and Manayunk. Stopped for some food then rode home. Very windy day.
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Old 05-04-21, 04:20 AM
  #40  
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Rapha's "A Day in Hell", Redux.

The cycling club Rapha had their gravel ride last month, which I was only able to do the shorter route. With a free day and my gravel wheelset ready, I took the opportunity to give their "advanced" course a go. It turned out to be a great ride, and as with most gravel routes starting from NYC, you need to go 15-20 miles before you get to anything good.








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Old 05-04-21, 12:29 PM
  #41  
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~


My 16th consecutive monthly century was as enjoyable as the others. This time I believe I did more miles on dirt than in the past. The Strava total was low as I can never seem to keep the thing running accurately for 16 hours. My old-school magnet-pulse computer is reliable and says 109.3 miles at 9.64 mph.








The first 25 miles or-so was on dirt. Much of it in the Quabbin reservoir, and some on Trustees land, including four miles of rocky single track I usually mountain bike on. The Quabbin consists of seven villages the state took by eminent domain and flooded in 1938 as Boston's water supply. So there are a lot of roads that once saw cars, now preserved in time. (Some of them are paved)



.



This is a bit of the single track I usually ride on my trail bike. Riding this rigid 26" steel bike through these rock gardens reminded me of what mountain biking used to be like.



I first starting riding this particular trail in 1985. I've muscled many now-ancient bikes over these rocks.This Surly Trucker's bottom bracket is way too low for this.



.

It wasn't all dirt. The other 60% or-so of the ride was on old farm roads like this:



That's the French King Bridge over the Connecticut River in Erving, MA. The bridge I'm standing on is where the Miller's River empties into it.




I wore my chest strap HRM just for yuks. I thought it was pretty good to have spent more than thirteen hours up over 60 percent max heart rate. (The three hours unaccounted for on the wrist unit would have been below zone one).





This is an old garage that has fallen down around an old truck.


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Old 05-09-21, 07:47 AM
  #42  
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Another century short on pictures, but plenty memorable. Planning for the Saturday century began no earlier than Friday at lunch; I and two other cyclists hashed out a route to ride somewhere new: Blanco, Texas.

Now into May, the heat has been steadily making its return, so we were excited by a cool and overcast morning. We started from our usual coffee-shop meeting stop and pedaled out the usual roads to Wimberley, not working too hard, but giving it some gas on the long flat stretches. Wimberley was only about 20 miles, but would be our first stop -- the next closest would be at mile 50.

Just before we reached our first stop, however, we were awkwardly interrupted by a woman in a Mercedes -- "Help me", she yelled. We turned back towards her, and tried to clarify the situation: car trouble. The woman didn't know where the hood-release lever was, refused to move from the driver seat, and really couldn't articulate what the problem even was. Not being sure how a trio of bicyclists could possibly help, we wished her well and left her to her own devices. You never know who you'll meet on a bike ride. After the odd exchange, the convenience store was just a few minutes riding away.

After Wimberley, the hills of Hill Country really get going -- not always steep, but always either up or down to some degree. We followed the familiar Mount Sharp road for awhile before turning down Longhorn Trail, a mostly new-to-us route. There were no stop signs, no small communities, and few crossings. Thirty miles went by unnoticed; we reached Blanco and the Deutsch Apple Bakery.



Whoever said, "it's all about the journey not the destination," wasn't entirely correct. The bakery proved to be a worthy destination (at least as worthy as the journey); I think my single slice of cake weighed a pound or more! (Hummingbird Cake: pineapple and banana, with pecans!) It was still overcast as we took our rest, and I thought to myself, how lucky it hadn't gotten too hot or too sunny just yet. I shook my water bottle to check its volume; it should have been enough water for the return to Wimberley.

About 10 miles returning from Blanco (about mile 60 overall), I started to recognize signs of dehydration. It wasn't just water -- I still had some in my bottle anyway; the salt built up in my kit told the story. Our trio lightened up the pace a smidge, especially on the worst hills. We considered the day -- it seemed as though the clouds must have parted right as we resumed riding: the temperature had risen nearly 10°F -- almost 90°F now.

I emptied my water about 5 miles from town, right after the climb up and out from Jacob's Well. The next several miles consisted of small but short rollers with a crossing tailwind. Beleaguered, I swallowed any pride and sat in the draft. Rolling into the grocery store brought a huge sigh of relief -- I drank two full sports drinks, and dumped another into my bottles for the ride home; other than water, I was still full from my earlier pound-cake.

Feeling much better, the trio set out once again for the last 20 or so miles home. Aside from the 17%-grade Fulton Ranch Road climb, the hills and winds were manageable (but not easy-going). Nearing eight hours, it was no record, but still a century to be proud of, with at least 5,000 feet of climbing.


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Old 05-09-21, 09:02 AM
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My May ride was a gran fondo, the Agony in the Alleghanies. According to the website, it's 103 miles and 9.8k of elevation so I'll take those over Strava's figures. The ride stared in Covington, VA and proceeded to a very steep 3k mountain climb. Overall the ride was very well organized with solid course markings and many food/snack stops along the way. If anyone is looking for a challenging ride with grueling ascents (and exhilarating descents) I highly recommend this next year.

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Old 05-10-21, 06:53 AM
  #44  
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On Saturday, May 1 I did my first Century ride for the month (on Strava with pictures). That brings my streak to 105 consecutive calendar months with at least one ride of 160.9 km or more.



Besides distance, another goal was to pick up a Veloviewer tile near the main road (Rt18) to Tsuru pass in Yamanashi prefecture.

I love the rural area near Tsuru pass.

Since Tokyo is under a State of Emergency to fight the pandemic while Yamanashi isn't, I passed through Yamanashi without stopping at any shops or restaurants there.



I started the ride late, getting up at 06:00 but not leaving home until 07:40. On the way to the Tamagawa river I was passed by Doug who told me he was on his way to Iriyama pass (between Wada and Akiruno). I had planned to get to Rt18 via Uenohara but thinking about his course reminded me of Musashiitsukaichi and Hinohara from where I could also cross into Yamanashi via Rt33 / Kobu tunnel. That would save me from having to ride Rt20 which isn't anybody's favourite road. So that's what I did.



At the Familymart after Musashiitsukaichi station I stopped for my second breakfast and stocked up for the ride through Yamanashi. I recently discovered some strawberry milk sold in small bottles at Familymart. Think strawberries and creamy milk put into a blender. Very decadent!



Hinohara was teeming with cyclists. I saw many purple flowers of wisteria (fuji) growing on trees in the forest (it clings to trees and can even strangle them). I climbed slowly to the Kobu tunnel. There were far fewer cyclists on the Uenohara side or on Rt18.



Riding towards Tsuru pass and Kosuge village is a bit like time travel. It's a world of old villages and farm houses, remote from the big city.



To collect the tile I had to stay on Rt18 over a local mountain before the pass and then detour to a village on the right. The last couple of times I had shortcut that local climb, staying closer to the river to cut down on climbing. At the village I came across a snake on the road.



After Tsuru pass I was close to the halfway point, but with almost all climbing done for the day. That's always a good feeling.

After Okutama (the end of the local railway line) it started to drizzle. The rain got stronger and I put on my rain gear which I had brought because the forecast had mentioned rain for the evening. At noon it had been around 23 deg C (73F) but in the rain it soon dropped to 13 deg C (55 F). I had not brought my shoe covers, so soon my socks were wet. But at least I was warm enough with the rain trousers and jacket as well as my windbreaker underneath.



The rain continued for about 2 1/2 hours, including my dinner break at Nepalese restaurant Sherpa in Ome.

8 3/4 years of Century a Month complete.
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Old 06-02-21, 07:56 PM
  #45  
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For the last week I have been on a short tour, including sections of the Great Divide. While I'm well adjusted to long days, I'm still toting a heavy load. Nonetheless, my route has taken me through Kansas along the Transamerica Trail -- what better place for a century than the Great Plains?

Photo: the current setup, at the Rio Grande in Colorado.


The morning in Scott City Kansas was cold, but there were a lot of miles to go and, supposedly, an early morning donut shop to help me out of town. I fold up a dewy tent and don long gloves and a jacket. Main Street is a half mile west - the wrong way; the donut shop was closed. Twenty-four miles to the next town.

On the way to Dighton, I pass a westbound cycle tourist. Aside the normal pleasantries, he warns that the coffee machines at the convenience store ahead are out of order -- he was right, but at least the cappuccino machine worked great. A bit of extra sugar couldn't hurt; it was thirty more miles to Ness City.

It was about noon, five hours riding, and I was due for lunch. It was decision time too. I could stop for the day, but it was early. I could camp in Rush Center, but even water might be difficult to find there, much less dinner. Otherwise, Great Bend was still another 60 miles ahead, but the city offered excellent amenities.



With a slice of pizza and a Coke put down and some gummy bears packed away, I set out from Ness City for the second half of a long day. If I could manage 15 miles at a stretch -- a little over an hour each stint -- I could be in the city in about five hours.

After the first stretch I arrive in Alexander and a very modern highway rest area. Pavilions there offered shelter from an incoming drizzle; the forecast called for full sun!

Fifteen more miles -- about 85 for the day -- and I reached Rush Center. The public park is just aside the highway and held grass taller than the picnic tables. I was thankful I had already psyched up for the thirty miles left to go.

Around mile 92, the sky north and east turned ominous. I tried to stay optimistic: grey skies don't always mean rain, maybe I could sneak through before any real rain. My optimism ended when the rain began.




With wet feet again, I talk myself into a motel room. Luckily, Great Bend is a major travel center, and room rates are cheaper than anywhere in the region. I picked a cheap room with laundry service on site.

Every mile past 100 was a bit slower than the last. The slow pace feels off, at least until I reached the first stoplight -- once in the city I rolled slow just to look at all my options for dinner. I settle into my room quickly and immediately start on laundry. Within an hour, I'm wearing a warm and dry shirt for the first time in a week.


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Old 06-17-21, 04:07 PM
  #46  
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Well folks, we are halfway through June! I had the opportunity to undertake a rather exciting weekend trip that included back to back centuries -- a group was scheduled to camp out near Galena Illinois, and I was invited to "crash" with them.

The morning of the ride out, I handed off my tent and other gear; I was excited to be riding a mostly flat riverfront and an unloaded bicycle. The first landmark passed, which was the Interstate 74 bridge -- technically, bridges: the new white-arched bridge pair dwarfs the existing pair of green suspension spans, which are scheduled for removal in just a couple years.




The River Valley Trail offers a peaceful ride along the Mississippi, offering consistent views across the water (and across state lines). Although the trail is a bit rough in spots, and includes some odd twists and turns, the penalty to the pace is easily forgiven. I have ridden the trail (and other riverside roads) for years, so I often have to stop to remind myself just how impressive the Mississippi really is.



Further along, and the old rail-beds cut through what has today become a wetlands wildlife refuge. It is difficult to say just how 'natural' the refuge really is, considering the high water table is a result of the complex Lock and Dam system.



The wetlands mark the trail's arrival -- and terminus -- in Savanna Illinois. Most traffic continues north on the graded highway, Illinois 84 (also known as the Great River Road Route), but I preferred to find lesser traveled routes; my choice also implied a few big hills, climbing the valley walls of the Ol' Miss' tributaries. The worst hills were also gravel, but they did afford some expansive views.




I arrived just in time to pitch camp before dinner, and afterwards, was thankful for the shower house just a short walk away. I had intended to stay awake for the Friday night campfire, but with sunset approaching nine at night, I simply could not -- I fell asleep soon after climbing in my tent. The next morning was still and quiet, and just a little foggy. I packed up quickly and quietly, and left without a word. After yesterday's slow arrival, I intended to beat the hills back to the river trail before the sun rose too high. I passed through downtown Galena briefly considering a quick coffee, but no one stirred.



Somehow, the morning's hills were worse than those of the previous evening. Never underestimate the hills in parts of the midwest -- as the sign outside of Chestnut Mountain Resort warns, gradients can reach 15%.



After conquering the hills and rolling down into Savanna once again, I stopped for an oversized Saturday breakfast at the Sunshine Cafe. The outside might be intimidating to some, but the inside was as homely as ever -- the waitstaff appeared to know the names of most customers, of which there was no shortage. After eggs, toast, hashbrowns, and plenty of coffee, it was back on to the River Valley Trail. Now, I had intended to follow the trail straight home, but even despite my experience with the route I managed to get myself off track. As luck would have it, my mistake led me to intersect with the organized Tour of the Mississippi River Valley, or TOMRV for short. I happily followed the roadies on their way back towards Davenport.

Getting home would require crossing the Mississippi. The Arsenal Bridge is the most common route for cyclists in the Davenport and Quad Cities area, however, the bridge has to open for river barge traffic. Although waiting is usually a bit frustrating, the actual time is usually short; the forced break granted one of my favorite personal pictures of the Davenport skyline.



The way there -- to Galena -- was a planned century ride. The way back again was intended to be a century as well, but detouring with TOMRV added several miles. After reaching their ride's end, I added a few more miles of my own, logging 200k for the second day's ride. Overall, the routes included more climbing than I had anticipated, but the weekend was manageable with low gears and a bit of patience -- I would do something similar again, given the opportunity!

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Old 06-23-21, 06:29 PM
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Wow you folks took some beautiful pictures along your rides. I’m not trying to do one a month as it gets pretty warm in my area of Northern California and I don’t do well in heat so I guess I’m part of the “One when I can” club.
Yesterday I completed a nice one in the Napa Valley with a total time of 7:04 and a ride time of around 6:30.

This was my 4th century and I wanted to see how fast I could do one if I pushed. I was hoping for sub-7hrs even with breaks but just missed it. At 60 years old I’m still pretty happy with my time but I’ll be doing it again when it gets cooler to beat that 7:04.

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Old 07-11-21, 08:52 PM
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On June 13 I rode my June Century (on Strava) which brought the streak to 106 months. I rode Doshi road, on which the Olympic road race is supposed to take place on July 24. 75 km from home I had lunch at at Road Station Doshi.

After lunch it started to rain. I had to abandon both plans that I had made for continuing after lunch, as both involved a high mountain pass and I didn't want to be on one of those in the rain without proper rain gear. So I headed downhill again.

After crossing from Yamanashi prefecture back into Kanagawa prefecture I took rural road 76 and crossed back into Tokyo.

The overall distance became an unambitious 164 km (102 mi), but better safe than sorry!

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Old 07-11-21, 09:19 PM
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My first real summer ride this year. It got as hot as 33 C (91F). For the past couple of weeks we have had heavy rain and it had been 4 weeks since my last decent ride.



I joined a group ride with friends, but 1 1/2 hours into the ride it became clear that I couldn't keep up the pace in this heat with my level of fitness and I let the ride leader know I'd continue on my own. This made it much easier to avoid heatstroke. I drank liters and liters of water and other beverages, but barely peed all day because it all came out as sweat.

I changed my route to re-visit a waterfall on a river upstream from a local dam and lake. The ride there was very scenic, but I found the road to the falls totally obliterated.



Yes, this gaping hole to the right side of the concrete wall used to be a road, level with the top of the wall! I have no idea how it could be washed out like that.

So I turned around and headed back to the Tamagawa river that I had crossed in the morning, then upstream as far as Ome. That would get me my century distance with the least amount of climbing.



In Ome I had curry with garlic nan at "Sherpa", my favourite Nepalese, then cycled down the river again. An hour from home I got into a thunderstorm. I had to take shelter under a roof to wait out a torrential downpour before I could finish my ride (163 km, on Strava).
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Old 07-29-21, 04:50 PM
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July is in the bag, but it wasn't easy. I'm currently riding on RAGBRAI self-supported, adding just a bit of challenge to the usual objective. Not much for pictures, but you can Google RAGBRAI more easily than I could attempt to capture any of the sights with travel camera.

The alarm rang at five-thirty. It wasn't the longest night of sleep, but it was undisturbed; I was about three miles west of Main Camp. I had resolved that the whole day would be a pace, and breaking camp was no exception. Still, I was off pedaling by about six.

A few blocks in and a couple bikes joined my route. Here and there a few more joined, until we were a single stream. Where streets joined, tributaries merged and the stream intensified into a flood of bicycles.

The first hours went smoothly despite traffic -- it is impossible to maintain pace without both being passed and passing, a constant dance within imagined lanes. Around eighteen miles the route weaves through Jesup, a town busy enough to justify two convenience stores. Of course there is an entire street fair up the road, but the local businesses are often faster with reasonable options for food. I satisfy myself with a large slice of breakfast pizza -- an Iowa tradition -- and a canned ice coffee.

With breakfast over, I dig in my bags for the gloves and cycling cap as I plan to pedal a little more seriously; despite all of the roadside attractions on RAGBRAI, I'm only counting on the next major town, Center point, at mile 50.

Traffic had lightened up a bit, which was good because it allowed me to use more aero positions and give my hands a much needed break (my brakes are only reachable from one position). The scenery is among the best in the state, with rolling hills and Americana farms, but these roads are familiar to me. I pass the hours, instead, watching the other bikes and riders, both those who pass me and those who I pass.

Center point was the designated lunch town, where teams will often meet with their support vehicles and siesta. I push past the street fair -- the travel station a mile off route has both a Subway and McDonalds. I enjoy a footl-long and some french fries, a rare but delightful combination. There's no crowd inside despite the thousand or so riders down the street trying to cool down.

The small town of Alice was just five miles further, represented by just a single church taking mutual advantage by selling what the riders need. Another seven miles after was Central City, which at around mile sixty-three was the last town offering full services. I drank deep from my water bottles and topped them off.

It was getting past noon, and the heat was noticeable. For the next twenty or so miles, I tried hard to reign myself to the pace, a slow but sure cruise that kept my body heat in check.

Around mile 80, the usual route continued to Anamosa and the overnight stop. The Karras Loop option, however, turned right towards Stone City and plunged down into the river valley roads. The added loop would net over 26 more miles, and a fair bit of elevation.



Traffic was very light out on the loop. I slowly drank my water, until it was gone. My pace fell apart as I turned to my lowest gears, barely better than pushing (and on pavement)! It was the hardest moment of the day. But slow and steady prevailed; I eventually rejoined the main route and passed some familiar signs. I would be done soon!

I arrived in Anamosa in less than an hour, thirsty, but not dangerously so. I stopped my Garmin at 116 miles, but there's still much to do -- dinner, shower (or at least a hose), second dinner, set camp, dessert, live music, beer, and hopefully a good night's sleep, too.

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