In 2009, I named the 100-mile route that the four intended to ride the "Hurdle Mills Bailout 100" (sorry, no map at this time) because the route was intended as a shorter alternative (or "bailout") for of our "Hurdle Mills 200k". This is the guest blog report of the "100-miler".
Oh my, was it windy or what!
Five of us started the "century" this morning. Levi, Tito, LtDave, Smitty, me. Off we go eventually getting to Stallings Rd. I don't like that road; too much traffic. [I don't like Stallings Rd, either. It got into the original "Hurdle Mills 200" (and thus the "Bailout") route because I was concerned that certain Irregulars wouldn't want to ride a single mile more than necessary to qualify as a 200k ride. I have since taken Stallings Rd out of the 200k route, but haven't updated the cue sheets. Who needs cue sheets?]
The wind and the steady up hill [Snow Hill / Mason / St. Mary's Rd] was taking its toll on us, esp. me and, apparently, Levi. We stopped at the country store near Hillsborough: Schley and New Sharon roads. Levi turned around there to get about 100K. [Levi's plan was always to turn around at Underwood Grocery.]
Fun ride today. I was beat by the end but the tail wind was nice after I turned around all the way until I got back to Patterson, then it was major cross wind again. You know you have a major tailwind when you're going 25 and don't feel wind on your face. :) Here is a link to my GPS. 2,500ft of climbing for me, I'm sure you guys will get more than 3k.Sometime before Hurdle Mills, close to 40 miles, I was so far behind and so discouraged that I told the others I was going to turn around. I was clocking about 6 mph while working hard into the wind. They would not grant me my wish however and prevailed upon me to continue. And, with the promise of a tail wind in another 10 miles, I soldiered on.
Levi
Smitty, Tito, and LtD were riding well. They could have left me any number of times. When we got to Timberlake, we decided to use Martin's Range Rd bailout. I was tired, did I say it was windy, and no one objected.
The tail winds were great. It literally blew us up the Mt Tirzah hill. Tito and Smitty stopped pedaling near the top and it blew them over the summit. This is the first time I've ever ridden past my favorite store without stopping.
Fast forward. On the flat part of Peed, I saw LtD coming towards me. We were only going to get about 90 miles and he was doubling back to get his 100. My confuser which, as you know, is short, reported 89.5. Smitty's garmen said 91. We left at 8:10 AM and got back at 3:10 PM.
Ask Lt if it was windy. Saw him get blown off the road today. Nice recovery BTW Dave...
SmittyI took some beer to LtD at the fire station this evening (another time for that story) and he said he got 100.1. This is what I needed after my week of decadence aboard the Carnival cruise liner.
Iva
_
I dropped by the fire station on Sunday in the midst of my recovery ride (to refill a water bottle and ask how the 100-miler had gone).
ReplyDeleteLT told me that had gotten blown off the road, but luckily the asphault and the grass were level with each other, so he just got pushed off onto the edge of the ditch. (Dave is one of the {probably} only two Irregulars whose handling skills I trust; if he got blown off the road ... BIG WIND. Btw, the other person whose handling skills I trust ... is NOT me.)
Dave also told me that he, Smitty and Tito had to cajole IvaHawk into continuing with the group (with what was about to become a tailwind) rather than turning around to solo home. I mentioned that Iva, our self-proclaimed "old man of the group" is plenty strong and fast, esp. strong, but he always seems to come back from vacation ... tired.