Monday, May 30, 2011

May-30: Recovery. Exploring. 39/15. Too Far. Too Hot.

Needing to recover from the previous two days, I took it easy.
Wanting to gain personal knowledge about some routes
From PUE and Wakefield to Youngsville.
I went recovery-exploring.

The short-cut, following NC BR #2 on NC-98 seems acceptable if ridden early on a Saturday.
Only one climb of note on the highway.  It is easy.
Gravel on the highway just before the turn onto Stony Hill Rd can be dealt with.
But I don't understand why NC-DOT still keeps the BR #2 routing on the highway.
I don't understand why BR #2 is still on the "corkscrew" section of Purnell Rd.
There are good alternatives now that didn't exist 35 years ago.

As for the routes from Wakefield ...
I'm remaining mum ...

After the exploring, I decided to do the last half of the Mitchener's X-Roads Cruise.
(Except I returned via W. River Rd -- which is the "traditional" routing --
Instead of the mapped Montgomery Rd -- which "kisses" the Tar River "flood plain".)
It probably would have been better to do something even shorter.
It was noticeably hotter after 10:30 this morning.
And it felt really hot after 1:15 or so.
The same temps won't seem quite so bad in a few weeks ...
We'll have had time to get used to them.
But today ... it felt HOT!

So hot that I imposed myself on Lt. Dave and Laurie,
So my body temp and heart rate would calm down.
Then finished the ride.

Did the entire 88.7 miles as a faux 39/15 single-speed ride.
Including Ghoston (okay, hard),
The steep on Peed (wayyy hard -- I think I was getting tired and overheated), and
The two climbs on MVC (took it easy on both).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May-30: 

Exploring near Youngsville  +  last half of Mitchener's X-Roads Cruise; 88.7 m.; 8h,13m in-motion; 14.2 mph. 

Q-1 tot: _23 rides; _1822.2 m.; 123 hrs, 05 min; 14.8 mph.
Apr tot: __7 rides; __793.8 m.; _52 hrs, 28 min; 15.1 mph.
May tot: _10 rides; __894.1 m.; _63 hrs, 45 min; 14.7 mph.
YTD tot: _40 rides; _3510.1 m.; 236 hrs, 20 min; 14.9 mph.
 _

4 comments:

  1. There was something nice about not needing to shift gears, esp. when stopping.

    I was at 75.3 miles when I turned on to Ghoston. I figured I'd give up the faux SS, but changed my mind.
    I knew I'd give up the faux SS on the STEEP of Peed ... but I can be stubborn.
    Rolled 80.0 miles as I completed the first MVC climb.

    In interest of full disclosure, the stuff I explored near Youngsville ... I avoided the start / finish to MikeD's Showdown course ... and stayed on roads with "less terrain".
    I may be stubborn, but I ain't so stupid as to try the climb up to NC-98 near the end of that course in 39/15.
    Not when 30/25 is available.

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  2. Hey Martin, AMEN ! After spending the morning with my other "sport" and walking the 18, I felt the need to get some physical exercise. So I hopped aboard the Cervelo intending to do Prison Break 47 miler. NOT ! TOO HOT ! I started about 2:30 PM. When I got to the right turn at Red Mill, I went straight on Geer, left on Burton, and stopped at the store at Creech for Gatoraide. On down to Patterson, Kemp, Victory Church and home. It was only 30 miles, but HOT as H. You're right. A few weeks from now this will be normal. Not yet.

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  3. Skiff-

    Soon you'll be riding fixed and wondering why it took you so long. (Hint: it's easier than singlespeeding since the pedals rotate through the dead spots)

    YES!

    Stay cool

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  4. Hey, B -

    I can envision myself as crazy as JP on his single-speed. (And Jerry isn't totally SS crazy ... "Cinnamon Girl" has gears, and I noted at the beginning of Alan's 300 that Jerry uses them.)

    But I am unable to envision myself as crazy as you and MikeD, aka, "the fixie twins."

    ReplyDelete