Sep-15: Antiques Road Show

LT, the Mallet and I met at the usual Irregulars corral, to do a semi-undetermined route.

Our version of the Mitchener's X-roads route was agreed upon, and we set off. 

We decided to make a detour from the route to roll-through the Bold Run Hill Rd valley. 

The valley looked about the same as it did last week. 

But we'll be keeping an eye on that valley to remember to roll-through after the leaves turn.  

East of Youngsville, we turned off NC Bike Route #2 to head north toward Mitchener's X-roads. 

On the smooth surface of Mays Crossroad Rd / Perry Chapel Rd, 

We were "caught" and passed by an apparent Antique Ford Road Rally: 

It was very cool (outdated slang usage). About 30 vehicles; none of the three of us had ever seen so many antique vehicles on the road at one time. The people in the vehicles were NOT in period costume, but they were having a lot of fun; waved generously at us; we waved generously at them; gave them lots of thumbs-up; one used their ah-oo-ga sounding horn to beep at us; one used a beep-beep sounding horn to beep at us; SKINNY tyres; one vehicle with a wobbly right-rear wheel; most with their tops down; of course, many / most / all (?) of the vehicles had no side windows. It was a million times better than being passed by a modern Harley motorcycle "Iron Butts" rally (2011 Morrisville 200k brevet). Made our ride; made our day. 

After the Road Show, we decided I coerced the others to drift down Sims Bridge Rd to check out the progress on the replacement Sims Bridge over the Tar River.  The bridge work is not completed (although the original NC-DOT contract had a Sep-15th completion date for the new bridge), but it easily qualifies as "rando-passable" on a weekend.  The construction crew would likely not allow mid-week cyclists or pedestrians to cross.

It is actually GREAT that the replacement bridge is not yet ready for prime time players:  I need two rides on the 221-km detoured version of the Egypt Mtn permanent to reach a certain goal.  By the time I get those two rides in (currently penciled in for Sep-23 and Oct-06), the bridge-work is likely to actually be completed.  Then, miraculously, the Egypt Mtn perm will return to its original routing and 210-kms, just in time for me to ride that route twice more before the end of the year. 

BTW, it was a WONDERFUL day for a ride! 

And the Mallet and LT let me mostly sit-in so I could save some legs for tomorrow. 

However, I did take the lead coming into the last popper on New Light Rd, 

And managed to hit 32+ mph on the run down to Falls Lake with LT and Mallet on my wheel. 

And more excitement, but only for me: 

For the first time EVAH, I wound it up and got to 20+ mph while still climbing Ghoston Rd! 

Me happy. 

LT happy -- for his own reasons. 

Mallet very happy -- he had LEGS all day, and let LT and me "use" them. 

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. 

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Sep-15:  

--> LT's --> PUE:  modified Mithcner's X-roads Cruise --> ; 86.3 m.; 5h23 in-motion; 16.0 mph.

Q-1 tot: _22 rides; 1,610.3 m.; 108h42; 14.8 mph; 1947 RUSA kms. 

Q-2 tot: _29 rides; 2,711.5 m.; 182h48; 14.8 mph; 2700 RUSA kms. 

J-A tot: _19 rides; 1,591.9 m.; 105h29; 15.1 mph; 1599 RUSA kms. 

Sep tot: __7 rides; __662.0 m.; _44h37; 14.8 mph; _513 RUSA kms.  

YTD tot: _77 rides; 6,575.7 m.; 441h36; 14.9 mph; 6759 RUSA kms. 

Strange:  third time this year (Jul-03, Aug-15, today) that, including the commutes to and from the rides-proper, I've ended up with 86.3 miles.