Originally, this ride was going to combine the immediately above with Brad's P-4 ride.
However, Brad did Bahama Beach the day before for his P-series ride.
I think that, for Brad, this became a test to see if he could ride 100-plus-kms back-to-back,
And also a ramp-up of sorts in preparation for a RUSA 200k ride in the next couple months.
For me, the purposes were: (a) have fun, (2) learn if the demolition / replacement of the bridge just south of Berea, on Culbreth Rd, over the Tar River had begun yet. I expected that work on the project had begun, after all, this is what is still on the NC-DOT website:
========================================================Project #: B-3841 FundedProject Approximate Location
This map identifies likely corridors, not definite or final locations, and are subject to change during the planning or design process.Description
SR 1138, REPLACE BRIDGE NO. 83 OVER TAR RIVER.Budget & Schedule
Project Phase [?] Right-of-Way Construction Date Begins 5/2012 5/2013 Budget $72,000 $1,450,000
Link to RWGPS map of Denny's Store Sortie (link opens a new page):
_ _ http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2002647
The ride dynamics were a bit different for this ride as compared to the day before.
I still started with tired, stiff, slightly sore, old-man legs.
Brad still had young, whipper-snapper legs; they were not quite as "fresh" as the day before.
But the biggest difference was that Brad brought his bike with gears (21 gears, I think),
Instead of bringing the fixie again.
The results, especially early, were much the same, though.
After about 5-kms of flat and down-slope,
Brad disappeared up the road, up the hill, way up the road / hill.
I figured that I'd catch him sooner or later.
My legs had started to come around as I zipped across the Cash Rd I-85 overpass.
Still no Brad in sight, I figured he would continue on,
Climb the "Range Wall" faster than I would,
But that I'd reel him in somewhere on Range Rd or Bahama Rd.
It didn't take that long -- Brad had stopped at the BP in Butner to wait.
I pulled in to the parking as Brad was finishing his snack.
Just as I was about to say, "let's go,"
Brad asked where he could take a pee.
I pointed to the BP (it does have the cleanest rest rooms around).
Minutes later, we were underway again.
Seems to me that in addition to navigating our way around a Memorial Day Service,
There may also have been a turtle-stop on the way out of Butner.
Maybe Brad will leave a comment clarifying where he made the several turtle-stops.
(For "rescue" and photos.)
Upon reaching the "Range Wall," I immediately geared-down, way down.
My legs weren't THAT loosened up, yet.
I watched Brad hammer up that climb,
Thinking to myself, "he's pedaling as if he is still on his fixie."
"If he keeps that up, he'll be in for a LONG second half of this ride."
It was a beautiful day to be on Range Road.
It was a beautiful day to be on Mt. Harmony Church Road.
It was a beautiful day, period.
It had been a beautiful long weekend for cycling.
Brad's young, hammering-away legs gave him the KOM point atop every climb.
He waited a couple times, including the corner at/in Allensville.
Strange though, I recall being in the lead when we passed Blalock Drive.
We commented that we should take a photo of that gravel, and
Post it to Facebook, noting the lack of snow.
We didn't take a new photo, nor did we post one on Facebook,
But if we had, it would have looked pretty much like this previous photo,
With more grass between the tyre-tracks, and otherwise, GREENER:
 |
| From the March 30 ride Brad + I did on DSS, [Photo by Brad.] |
We made quick work of the control stop at the Allensville Store,
And headed for Berea via Denny's Store Rd.
We paused en route to take another photo:
 |
| Brad at Denny's Store. [photo by me, using Brad's camera / phone -- and nicely cropped by Brad] |
After Denny's Store -- actually, come to think of it, I got there first --
Anyway, after Denny's Store, I did most of the leading,
Except after crossing the Tar River just after leaving Berea.
Brad was still hammering the inclines -- I was still sitting-down-and-gearing down.
My preferred c-store for the Open Control in Berea was closed for the holiday,
So we used the c-store noted on the cue sheet and the control cards.
I had 2 hotdogs for $2.
Brad had 2 hotdogs for $2; then he purchased a Coke.
We had a pleasant surprise when we reached the Control,
Or maybe when we left the Control:
The work on Project #: B-3841 to REPLACE BRIDGE NO. 83 OVER TAR RIVER
Has not started yet.
Seems awfully late in May, already, to not have started the work.
But we did not look the gift horse in the mouth.
We zipped through Culbreth and Shoofly,
I didn't notice the sign for Shoofly,
I'd wager that Brad didn't notice it either.
Through Stem we rode and then blasted down Brogden Rd,
Headed for Creedmoor and the Southern States to refill our water bottles.
Surprise!
Yet another LARGE turtle on the road, or the "shoulder."
I stopped and pointed for Brad.
He stopped, took a photo, moved the turtle.
We restarted.
Brad indicated that his phone, upon which he was running his Strava app,
Was down to 14% battery.
We made a plan for the Southern States.
Brad would refill his bottle(s) first and immediately high-tail it for the finish 16-miles away.
I advised Brad how he might be able to pop all the bump-ups on Dove Rd,
Except for the second-last one.
I would fill my bottles after Brad, and follow/chase him.
I was pretty sure I would catch him.
After all, my tired, stiff, old-man legs were no longer tired, well ..., no longer stiff,
But his young, whipper-snapper legs had lost their snap.
I waited for Brad at the corner of Old Weaver Trail and New Light roads,
And since I had consumed an entire bottle in the 8.2-miles since Creedmoor,
I asked Brad, who had only refilled one bottle, if he needed more water.
"Not now," he called out, as he zoomed by.
I thought, "well, I hope he doesn't change his mind in the next 8-miles,
Because I'm not stopping again until the end."
That's what I did.
I forget to ask Brad if he ran out of water.
As noted above, a great day to have been on the bike.
==============================================
This was Brad's first "double bubble."
That's a term he came up with somewhere during the middle of the ride,
Whilst we were chatting about ... who can recall?
Anyway, Brad's invented term for back-to-back RUSA Perm-Pops.
("bubble" -- "pop the bubble" -- I think that was the stream of thought)
This my first time riding on 4 consecutive days since some time in 2011.
I think I'm ready fitness-wise and mentally for the for the 600 brevet on June 1/2.
===============================================
May-27:
--> Denny's Store Sortie 138-km perm-pop -->; 106.3 m.; 7h05 in-motion; 15.0 mph; DSS elapsed time: 6h57.
Q-1 tot: _11 rides; __940.3 m; _64h42; 14.5 mph; _1275 RUSA kms.
Apr tot: __5 rides; __651.5 m; _45h02; 14.5 mph; __911 RUSA kms.
May tot: __7 rides; __836.3 m; _58h24; 14.3 mph; _1150 RUSA kms.
YTD tot: _23 rides; _2428.1 m; 168h09; 14.4 mph; _3336 RUSA kms.
Place-holding in case I want to add anything later.
No comments:
Post a Comment