Saturday, August 29, 2009

Aug-29: Johnson Mill Run (no Ghoston)

Aug-29:

PUE: Treyburn-SnowHill-JohnsonMill-Hopkins-Rougemont-Butner-Patterson-Kemp-CP finish; w/ Lt. Dave, Iva, LeeD, DeanD + (after Rougemont) BobH, NT; 83.9 m.; est 4555 ft climbed ---> effort index = 129; 5hrs, 19min; 15.8 mph.

1st Qt. tot: 20 rides; 755.3 m.; 47 hrs, 31 min; 15.9 mph.
2nd Qt. tot: 43 rides; 2124.3 m.; 134 hrs, 59 min; 15.7 mph.
Jul tot: 16 rides; 732.2 m.; 45 hrs, 3 min; 16.2 mph.
Aug tot: 10 rides; 664.1 m.; 38 hrs, 53 min; 15.8 mph
YTD: 89 rides; 4275.9. m.; 265 hrs, 33 min; 15.9 mph.

Rolling 12-mos.: 119 rides; 5714.6 m.; 357 hrs, 23 min; 16.0 mph.

At the end of Johnson Mill Rd, Lee pleaded "can you please find some roads with some hills, I'm getting bored with these flat roads."

A couple miles later, after the more scenic parts of S. Lowell and Hopkins roads were behind us, Iva commented "I sure hope this is classified as a hilly route."

No one tried to continue straight on Bill Poole Rd on to the rough gravel. Maybe I should deliberately start putting in some mistakes or confusion into the cue sheets?

Norris and BobH found us at the Refueling Station in Rougemont, after Lee had already commented "3 hours to the first stop!?"

Did everyone see the really tiny box turtle? -- I think it was on Will Suitt Rd (I think it was on Will Suitt Rd because that was the only place I was in the lead for the last half (plus) of the ride). It would take several thousand turtles that size to make one of Tito's VW-sized Galapagos turtles. (See the link to Tito's Galapagos blog on the right side panel.)

Norris, BobH, Lee and Dean were in rocket mode the last 40 miles -- except on Boyce Rd where they seemed insistent on riding only 12 or 14 mph until the road flicked up -- then they started pedaling again -- guys, I need to use the flat, slight downslopes and dips to build up speed BEFORE the flick-ups. Otherwise, instead of Will Suitt Rd, we get what happened on Boyce.

On the other hand, my being caught out by the tiny-bodied, instant accelerating climbers meant that I was in position to help Lt. Dave, whose body, after ~ 66 miles was finally succumbing to the squashed position and lack of gears of his 30+ year old 10-speed Raleigh "something". Iva, too, may also have appreciated the slightly slower pace on Cheek and Patterson.

I learned a very important thing from Lt. Dave at the corner of Patterson & NC-98 -- there are picnic tables there (if one knows at which store to stop).
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Alternative description # 1, OR, things I forgot to include above:

To: Snapper

Sat, Aug 29, 2009 3:18 pm

It drizzled and sprinkled and made like it was gonna' really rain -- at the beginning of the ride. Then it stopped precipitating and the roads dried out and later the sun came out, and it got hot.

Lee wondered aloud if I could please find some hilly routes because the flat ones were getting boring.

Lt. Dave, riding his 30+ year old Raleigh, came to appreciate modern cycling technology.

I believe everyone finished -- and some that finished did not "start".

It was definitely a FUN route.

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Alternative description # 2, OR, more things I forgot to include above:

Sat, Aug 29, 2009 4:46 pm


Hey, Tito -

On today's "Irregulares" ride, we went past a tiny turtle (tortoise) on the road. This feller was smaller than your thumb (maybe as small as half your thumb) -- well, my thumb. Little box turtle. I hope he made it safely to the side of the road after we passed -- saw him too late to "rescue" him, and I was in front so it would have been dangerous to suddenly stop.

We had a good ride, today. I put "just the facts" up on the "irregulars" blog -- intend to write "something" when my brain can function a bit better.

Oh, we also went by a house with fifty pink flamingos in the front yard. Plastic. Not like the real one pictured on your blog the other day -- very pretty.

(Fifty pink flamingos -- someone had turned age 50 -- there was a sign in the yard -- and obviously, some "friend" had "flamingo'ed" his front yard.)


Iva kept getting caught in "no man's land" today, between the Norris/BobH & Lee & Dean hammers and me dropping off the back, esp. when the road turned UP. The hammers kept seeming to pick up the pace, but not at times when all the rest of could hold on. So Iva and I, and eventually also Lt. Dave (riding his 30+ year old Raleigh with only 5 gears on the cassette, because the bottom bracket bearings on his S-works started failing a week or so ago), kept dropping back. Eventually, about 70 miles into the ride, we three just decided to "drop them off our front".


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