Mar-23: Reversed RangeRoadRover, with a Twist

The plan was to do the Virginia Border Raid for a Spring Equinox 100-miler, and see if we could find the 1887 granite border marker which IvaHawk and I had been unable to find last June during a post-solstice ride.  However, we didn't do the Border Raid / we didn't go searching for the 1887 granite border marker.  Instead, after 19-miiles, Ricochet & I decided we'd rather do a 100+ km ride with IvaHawk than go to the border.  

So ... all three of us did a Reversed-Range-Road-Rover, with a "twist".  
The "twist" being Julian Daniel Rd -- an LT-preferred-type road if ever there was one.   
The "twist" allowed us to avoid the dreaded Little Mountain Rd.   
Those that have done usual RangeRoadRover or the Bahama Beach route will understand.   
Oh, and reversed means we got to bomb down the Range Wall, too! 
   
We got a few sprinkles about 18-miles before the finish. 
But no sleet such as some others on nearby-ish rides encountered. 

38F for the low temp.  51 for the high at the end. 
Not bad.    
  

I tried to do entire course in 39/15 faux single-speed. 
However, I knew 13-miles before the finish that I'd never make it up Peed in that gearing, today. 
In the event, I had to give it up on Ghoston, nearly 2 miles before the steep part of  Peed. 
So I followed Byron's advice (from a previous ride / conversation): "sit-down and gear-down." 
That made it so much easier. 

I'm so out of shape -- I should be able to do that entire course in that single gear. 
But I guess 10 rides for 845-miles since Dec-31 will suck some "in-shape-ness" from the legs. 
10 rides / 845-miles:  that has been typical of a single month -- rather than nearly 3-months. 
I think I'll be soft-pedaling the 200 brevet in two weeks, 
Rather than trying to "make a time." 
 
For those that "talk" gear-inches: according to the Sheldon Brown calculator, 39/15 is 68-gear-inches. 


IvaHawk is still a bit out of shape, too. 
At the end of the ride, he wondered aloud why he was so far behind last year. 
I reminded him that he fell over while standing over his bike last August, breaking his wrist,
And that he was completely off the bike for at least two months, 
And that he's been doing more running than last year, 
So his cycling is lagging behind. 

Iva's response:  "Oh, yeah.  That's right." 


Ricochet is not out-of-shape. 
His legs clearly "wanted to explode" in the last 18-miles of the ride. 
(That's Robert's metaphor, not mine.  It seems wrong to me; but it makes sense to him.) 


Fun time!  
------------------------------------------------------------------------    
Mar-23:   

--> PUE:  Reversed Range-Road-Rover, w/ a "twist" -->; 76.0 m.; 5h08 in-motion; 14.8 mph. 
 
Jan tot: __3 rides; __288.9 m; _14h56; 14.9 mph; __313 RUSA kms. 
Feb tot: __3 rides; __267.6 m; _19h15; 13.9 mph; __410 RUSA kms. 
Mar tot: __4 rides; __358.2 m; _23h47; 15.1 mph; __414 RUSA kms.
YTD tot: _10 rides; __844.7 m; _57h58; 14.6 mph; _1137 RUSA kms. 
 
Another "casualty" of the decision to "ride short" was that, once again, I have not increased my "Eddington Cycling Number."