Dec-20: Assault on Flat Rock

Not a Winter Solstice Century nor 200k nor even 100k -- but more than most cyclists in the Triangle rode today.  The Assault, from PUE, is 45 miles.  Easy ride to get to NC-56, with the only climb(s) being getting across the Neuse River (now generally known in that stretch as Falls Lake).  Then some fun.  Followed by easy riding to get back to the Neuse River, aka, Falls Lake, and topped off with a Ghoston-Peed-MVC finish, of course. 

Compared to the last two times "irregulars" rode, the temps were balmy:  41F at the start (the high temp of neither of the previous two rides even approached that), and it was very sunny for most of the ride, although it did become only mostly sunny by the end (again much better than either of the two previous rides). 

We did encounter residual from the Friday/Saturday winter precipitation event.  There was still some icy snow remnants in Granville and Franklin counties; some even before we got to Grissom.  And Granville county had spread sand on the bridge at the bottom of the valley on Wes Sandling Rd -- it looked slippery, but we all managed to ride in the track cleared by previous auto traffic.  It seemed strange that there was no sand on the bridge at the bottom of the valley on Grove Hill Rd -- and that road makes a 90 degree curve before the bridge and another sweeping turn after the bridge. 

The westerly, north westerly (?) wind, and gusts, did not seem a help in the first 18 miles of the ride, was a definite hinderance on Wes Sandling and Grove Hill roads (it is annoying when one has to pedal to maintain one's speed on those steep downslopes), brought an extra chill to the deep shade and residual white stuff on the flat part of Grove Hill Rd, and the wind was also a definite non-friend on the run back in on Bruce Garner and New Light. 

All in all, a good "winter hammer" for me.  Lee and Dave only had to wait about 4 times after a climb, and Lee had to wait after he zipped down Gordon Moore Rd.  I was in recovery mode (see the first animation) at that point in the ride. 

Oh, one more thing for those that may be wondering:  I did my share of the work:  a nine-mile pull at the beginning of the ride (ended only when LT and Lee had the audacity to "outsprint" me for the Granville CL), and a 4 1/2 mile pull on Bruce Garner (ended only when LT had the audacity to "sprint" around me for the Wake CL -- Lee said he was going to let me have the CL -- at least that was his story, and I'm pretty sure he is sticking to it). 

 . total . . segment
 mile pace miles pace comments
_ 9.1 15.2 _ 9.1 15.2 PUE to the Granville CL
 15.0 15.6 _ 5.9 16.3 to Pokomoke
 18.3 16.0 _ 3.3 18.1 Gordon Moore to NC-56
 31.5 15.1 _13.2 14.0 the fun section 
 40.3 15.8 _ 8.8 18.5 Bruce Garner / New Light 
 41.4 15.6 _ 1.1 11.5 Ghoston
 45.0 15.5 _ 3.6 14.5 NC-98, Peed, MVC to PUE

The last time I did this ride, Aug-30 solo, the ride was 0.6 miles longer, slower overall, but I was faster on G-P-MVC that day by 24 seconds.  How could the ride have been longer on Aug-30?  Not because the world is getting smaller; instead, I missed the turn onto Flat Rock and rode "all the way" to Philo White Rd before realizing it; so I had to back-track 0.3 miles. 
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Dec-20:
 
PUE: Assault on Flat Rock; w/ LT, LeeD; 45.0 m.; est climbing 2074 ft --> effort index = 65; 2hrs, 54min; 15.5 avg mph.  

1-Q: _20 rides; _755.3 m.; _47 hrs, 31 min; 15.9 mph.
2-Q: _43 rides; 2124.3 m.; 134 hrs, 59 min; 15.7 mph.
3-Q: _36 rides; 1947.2 m.; 121 hrs, 48 min; 16.0 mph.
Oct: __9 rides; _551.4 m.; _35 hrs, 41 min; 15.4 mph.
Nov: __8 rides; _372.3 m.; _23 hrs, 49 min; 15.7 mph.
Dec: __3 rides; _115.4 m.; __7 hrs, 34 min; 15.2 mph.
YTD: 119 rides; 5866.1 m.; 371 hrs, 18 min; 15.8 mph.

Rolling 12-mos.: 123 rides; 6025.1 m.; 380 hrs, 50 min; 15.8 mph.
 . . . (The recent weather has cut 100 miles off the rolling-12 total.)