Sep-14: Denny Cemetery + Shoofly 138-km perm-pop

Okay, I rode the Denny's Store Sortie (DSS) (click here for a RWGPS map - opens a new tab).
OR, trying something different, below are the offered RWGPS map and elevation images.

I prefer the look of the map gotten via the above link.

 

Although the pix at Denny's Store x-roads make for fine to excellent photos,
I thought I'd do something different.

Denny Cemetery.  About a quarter-mile before the Denny's Store x-roads.

Failing to properly capture the image of the flag, I tried a different angle:

First 42-miles had been head-on into the "breeze" that was making that flag present itself so proudly.  After those miles, there were another ~ 6 or 7 miles of a quartering headwind as the "breeze" was coming from the N/NE.  The last 34-miles of the route came with a nice tailwind -- except when the road squiggled-about or the wind was bouncing off a stand of trees, a large building, or whatever else it was bouncing off. 

I think that Denny's Store was a better choice on the day than some other routes that various rando-friends were riding.  E.g., I reckon that Dean and Mick likely had 100-kms of tailwind on the "Lookin' Out My Backdoor" route, followed by 100-kms into that same "breeze" indicated by the above flag.  Checking the LOMBD results, though, I see that Dean and Mick posted a faster time than usual.  E.g. #2, Byron and Ricochet did the "Leesville-Leasburg-Leesville" route; that route starts a few miles to the SW of the Denny's Store route start, and proceeds in a N/NW direction similar to the DSS, about 15 miles further west, and the LLL route does not follow as "straight" a path as DSS.  As a result, Byron and Ricochet were faced with alternate headwind and tailwinds outbound -- headwind on the roads heading north, tailwind on the roads heading west.  And whereas once I got to the tailwind section, I faced no more real headwinds, Byron and Ricochet faced alternate headwind and tailwind sections coming home (tailwind when headed south; headwind when headed east).

Cruising down Culbreth Rd, I thought to stop and take a photo of the Shoofly sign.
I think Shoofly was originally a railroad whistle stop (but I haven't researched the issue).
The RR tracks are long gone.
Actually, a lot of NC RR tracks were pulled up long ago.
The RR roadbeds are still visible -- if one knows where to look, and what to look for.

There is a non-rando "Shoofly Don't Bother Me" course that I created in 2007.
It has been a favorite route of some of the Irregulars.
It is also a favorite of mine, but I've never actually ridden the course as mapped / cue sheeted.
I think I rode the route three times -- each time with a different variation.
Ha -- just remembered -- the first time I rode a version of the Shoofly --
That would have been Sep-22-2007 --
It became the longest ride I'd ever done.
78 miles. 
 
The following Saturday, I did my first ever 100-miler.
On a 109-mile version of the Virginia Border Raid.

Anyway, as you might have guessed from the above photos,
Sep-14-2013 in central NC was a GREAT day to have gone for a bike ride.

That's my story, and I'll be sticking to it.
=================================================
Sep-14: 

--> Denny's Store Sortie perm-pop -->; 111.5 m.;   7h11 in-motion; 15.5 mph.  
 _pre-ride commute:  11.1 m.; 0h40 in-motion; 15.1 mph. 
 ___DSS:  88.3 m.;  5h42 in-motion; 15.6 mph; rando elapsed time:   6h30. 
 ____ post-ride commute:  12.1 m.; 0h48 in-motion; 15.1 mph. 

Q-1 tot: _11 rides; __940.3 m; _64h42; 14.5 mph; _1275 RUSA kms.
Q-2 tot: _18 rides; _2293.9 m; 158h18; 14.5 mph; _3142 RUSA kms.
J-A tot: _12 rides; _1274.3 m; _84h50; 15.0 mph; _1450 RUSA kms.
Sep tot: __4 rides; __403.3 m; _26h13; 15.4 mph; __482 RUSA kms. 
YTD tot: _45 rides; _4911.6 m; 334h05; 14.7 mph; _6349 RUSA kms.
 

Eddington Cycling Number: 

After this ride:  107. 
Meaning that I have completed at least 107 different rides that were at least 107 miles long.