Wednesday, July 4, 2012

07/04/12: Mt Tirzah

Great day for a ride.  We started at 530am from PUE with Martin, Iva, BobH, Norris, Tito, Ags and Robert and finished around 1100 before it got too hot getting in about 77 miles.   Here is a pic from Hollow Ridge one of our favorite rest stops on top of Mt Tirzah. 
L to R:  Robert, BobH, Norris, Tito, Ags (R12)

Highlights

  • Outside of Stem, Bob's rear water bottle hanger flew off the back of his bike and Robert ran over it.
  • Martin after overheating the day before on BB 100k, decides to cut route short, rightly so 
  • Tito pulling crew on flat at 32 mph... his legs exploded and he could not hold them back.
  • Mr R12 Ags - Don't Talk to Me
  • Iva Hawk trying to talk sense into the group - it did not work
  • Iva Hawk beat Robert on Best Calves Award with unanimous voting (neither in the same league as Tito or Norris)
  • Norris gets center stage at Hollow Ridge in photo due to best tan and smile


5 comments:

  1. I think I've discovered how to get Robert to do a ride report:

    put up a "War of 1812" post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A slightly different angle:

    After Martin and I parted, I turned on Stagville per the route. I noticed that there were still five riders ahead meaning that Ags had chosen to do the full route rather than Prison Break. The five were making good time with the gap between them and me opening all the time. I enjoyed my solo effort to Bahama. I went down to the fire station just to see if maybe anyone had decided to go short and was waiting at the fire station. Finding no one, I returned to the route and continued on towards Tirzah. I took another short break in the woods if you know what I mean. The five were leaving Hollow Ridge Grocery just as I was pulling in. (I had figured I wouldn't see them and was just going to go solo after enjoying my Mt Tirzah mountain top experience.) But, they prevailed upon me to come on along.

    The group rode well and fast to Culbreth and on to Stem with me hanging on the back. Outside of Stem, Bob's rear water bottle hanger flew off the back of his bike and Robert ran over it. While that was being fixed and after waiting a bit, Ags, Tito, Rapid, and I all went on down the BobH Expressway. After a bit, Norris and Bob pulled alongside. Robert and I got off the train shortly thereafter. Tito took off putting a huge gap on everyone. Ags, BobH, Norris were giving chase. Then it was Ags and BobH giving chase. Once in Creedmoor, Tito pulled off up near Dove to wait. Norris, Rapid, and I joined Tito. BobH and Ags continued their torid pace all the way back to PUE. The rest of us rode briskly (for me) the rest of the way.

    We met an interesting young black lady cyclist on a Cannondale on Peed. Tito chatted with her for awhile. She beat Rapid and me up MVC. At the top of MVC, a lone cyclist passed us. Apparently, he got confused as he approached Norris who was at the stop sign and, for some unknown reason, went straight across PUC Road and into the grassy ditch, falling on his side. He was completely unhurt. I tried to talk to him but he acted strangely and didn't talk. So I let him be. Maybe he had heat exhaustion. He was gone when I went by in the car.

    There were a lot of Gyro types, who had just finished, milling around PUE parking lot. I saw Ags leaving the parking lot. He said he had fun. The rest of us chatted a bit and said our good byes till next time. It was a good ride. I felt good about my legs given my Monday ride in the mountains.

    IvaHawk

    ReplyDelete
  3. @ Iva -

    I had hoped the others slowed up for you by Bahama.

    I should have known I had NOThING in my legs since it took me 38 minutes, not 33, to get to PUE. Sorry it took so long to sink in. As I noted, I think it was on Red Mill Rd, I could do flat section and downslopes with some panache, BUT there was NOTHING as soon as the road tilted up more than about 1 or 2%.

    I'll be limiting myself to 50-milers or less until I can ride with a bit more panache, I think.

    Oh , gosh -- I just saw the forecast for Saturday -- more 100+ temps, and more 100's between now and then. I certainly won't be doing anything LONG this coming weekend.

    Current WRAL on-line forecast for Monday is only 93. Hmmn.

    Oh, gosh -- high temps currently being forecast in the 80's for next Tuesday and Wednesday. I certainly hope so.

    ...Martin

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great report. One highlight that you should include: Robert had completed a 400k brevet only 2.5 days beforehand (!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, Vance, as Robert was the author / poster of the report ... I'm confident he wouldn't want to appear to commenting on himself, or making an alibi. However, he did make a report on that adventuresome 400, so if you missed that, just click here.

      But now that you mention recent rides:

      not only was Robert perhaps still in recovery mode from that 400, but

      Iva and Tito were only two days removed from a 67-mile scouting mission ride for some upcoming mountain century (I forget the name, but I'm sure it must be something similar to "Tour do Incredibly Hard Mountains", AND

      Ags was only a few days removed from a midnight-June-30-ride to rescue his R-series. (Not only a rescue, but completion of R-12 !) The only thing I know about Ags ride, with Ian, is that they missed the first turn, only two miles from the start, and managed to acquire 10-bonus-miles.

      So, as you can see, Vance, slightly over half the crew had good ride and heat related reasons to be a bit tired.

      However, only Ricochet had been so crazy as to a 400 during the obnoxious heat of the previous weekend.
      --------------------------------------------
      Or, I could just ask: How long did it take one Vance Ricks to recover from that self-same 400?

      Delete