Mar-14: A Little Exploration

Just a Little. 

Two definites and three maybees looking forward to today's ride.
I sent an e-mail around 9:30 deploring the conditions.
Maybe a couple of the maybees thought I was opting out from riding at noon.
That wasn't the intent, but maybe ... .

LT and I met at noon at PUE under warm sunshiny skies.
We started a few minutes late to give one of the maybees a few extra minutes.
We even modified the planned start to ride to MVC / Norwood to give a few extra minutes.
We decided that maybe Lee decided to go see some grandbabies.
Strikes me as a better option than going for a ride -- most of the time, anyway.

Snow Hill Rd into the headwind was . . . "fun".

Orange Factory Rd, a new road for cycling for both LT and me was . . . F-U-N.
A tailwind will do that.

Here's a funny:
One of the two of us (I won't say which -- but only one of us is a civil engineer -- and it ain't me) had done some civil engineering work on the dam that creates the water resevoir (small lake) that one sees / crosses on Orange Factory Rd.  But that guy had no idea what the terrain on that road would be like for cycling.  \:still-shaking-my-head-over-that:\

There are a number of ups and downs on Stagville Rd between Orange Factory and Bahama.  I didn't recall ever noticing that before -- I thought it was mostly one long ascent.  Probably I thought that because the first mile-plus on Stagville (from Old-75 to Orange Factory) has likely always induced a serious lack of oxygen in my brain cells on the later part of Stagville.  The Snow Hill - Orange Factory approach may have allowed a greater oxygen content in my brain cells than previously experienced from OF to Bahama.

We pulled into the Bahama Fire Station looking to refill our water bottles and a short rest.

We got the water and the rest.  And LT got a tour of a support vehicle (maybe LT will recall the actual official name of the vehicle) from two youngsters (aged 18 and 20 -- and definitely looked 18 and 20).  Then LT, with some prodding from me, regaled the youngsters with a couple firefighting / EMS stories.  I was playing for a longer rest stop. 

I think LT wants to permanently "borrow" that support vehicle for the Bayleaf Fire Department.

Fyi, the Lake Michie Wall is still there.

We found Hall road to be a nice alternative to Ellis Chapel Rd, even though it is chip-seal.  Well, I found it to be a nice alternative -- LT may have thought it wasn't hilly enough.

I hit 43.0 mph going down the Range Wall.  Takes second place on my faster ever list; since my bike is heavier than LT's bike, and I am heavier than LT, he probably didn't get quite as fast.  Fastest ever was 45.0 mph going down Lystra at the Cup 'n Cone a couple years ago. 

Finished thru Butner onto Cash Rd and the usual Old Weaver - New Light - Ghoston - Peed - MVC finish. 

A very nice ride.
Long of the year so far for LT.
My sixth metric so far this year.
I keep NOT adding on and getting my 64th ride of at least 64 miles.
Next week for that.

Did I mention that it was A VERY NICE RIDE?
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Mar-14: 

PUE:  Norwood-VctCh/Kemp-Patterson--RedMill-SnowHill-OrangeFactory-Bahama-HallRd-Range-Butner-Cash-G-P-MVC; w/ LT; 62.9 m.; 4hrs, 3min; 15.5 mph. 

(Since he rode from and back to his house, LT likely had around 65 miles.)

Jan tot: _4 rides; 208.5 m.; 12 hrs, 54 min; 16.1 mph.
Feb tot: _4 rides; 222.0 m.; 14 hrs, 47 min; 15.0 mph.
Mar tot: _4 rides; 241.1 m.; 15 hrs, 44 min; 15.3 mph.
YTD tot: 12 rides; 671.6 m.; 43 hrs, 26 min; 15.5 mph.