Or, LT drags me for 41 miles through the wind
LT was unable to ride on Saturday, so we met at noon at BJP. We were supposed to meet at PUE, but somebody pulled into BJP about the time I should have been leaving, riding to PUE.
Dove Rd to Creedmoor, then Stem/Brogden Rd to Hester Rd. I checked my confuser when I turned onto Hester. 15.8 mph. We had had a tailwind all ~ 17 miles to that point.
The seven miles on Hester Rd were a different story. Headwind. Slightly quartering off our right shoulders. Tough headwind. Dave had to slow several times to let me catch up. There are some nice houses and some nice scenery on Hester Rd, and the road surface is quite good. I couldn't vouch for any of that based on today's ride, though.
The mile on NC-56 into Wilton was still into that same headwind. Somewhat sheltered for the first part by that "nothing" of a climb between Hester Rd and downtown Wilton. Not sheltered the latter part of the climb, nor once over the crest. One thing about that "nothing of a climb" -- it ALWAYS gets me -- headwind or not.
NC-96 from Wilton to Brassfield Rd was not a slog at all -- until we crested that tiny ridge about a half-mile before the stop-sign. We went from 17/18 mph to 10/11 mph instantaneously.
Horseshoe Rd from NC-96 to Lawrence Rd is a gradual downslope, and the wind was mostly a side-wind.
Then we turned onto Lawrence Rd -- with that steep climb followed by the shallower (but not shallow enough) climb for another mile. ALL into the teeth of the wind. LT was well off my front -- I do not even recall riding through that farmstead that is on both sides of the road -- always use that as a landmark to indicate that the worst is over. NEVER even noticed the farmstead today!
I couldn't stomach the prospect of having to climb back up to New Light from the lake on Old Weaver, so I begged Dave for us to just stay on Bruce Garner / New Light to Six Forks. Yep -- no Ghoston, etc.. I also couldn't stomach the prospect of riding Pleasant Union Ch Rd from PUE to BJP into THAT WIND.
Dave and I gave each "thanks for the ride" before we started the climb from the lake up to Pleasant Union Ch Rd. We were each such liars! (That last line is about it for the humor, today.)
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Mar-28:
BJP: << see text for course>>; w/ LT; 41.5 m.; 2hrs, 46min in-motion time; 15.0 mph.
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: _8 rides; 507.7 m.; 32 hrs, 51 min; 15.4 mph.
YTD tot: 16 rides; 938.2 m.; 60 hrs, 38 min; 15.5 mph.
Dave probably got in about 48 miles.
Last Sunday in March:
ReplyDeleteLast year, this was the "comment" entry in my Excel log:
w/ Dave-ntW /// VERY strong SW wind
This year:
strong ESE wind; w/ LT - he led all the way
When I was a child, the rhyme for March was "in like a Lion, out like a Lamb." This makes two years running where winds on the last Sunday in March beat us up.
At least no one got a flat this year.