Jan-26: Cabin Fever 103

With only two short errand rides, and no 200 this month,
A solo populaire on Sunday afternoon was just the ticket I needed.
I can usually fit the Bahama Beach ride into four-and-half hours,
If I stick to the standard route rather than go a-winging-it.

[Experimentation above copying the RWGPS provided map and profile images. 
I'll try something else next time.]   

I thought it was going to be mostly sunny all ride, and
It was brilliantly sunny for two or more hours, but then
The thin clouds started to filter in.
Clouds that slowly thickened in the last two hours.

I thought the high temperature was expected to be the upper 40's (Fahrenheit).
I doubt it got quite that warm.

I thought I was in the 39/14 gearing (you figure out the gear inches if you want), but
Only about a mile into the route, it seemed harder than it should have felt.
Slight headwind, slight incline -- but it seemed to be a slog.
No wonder -- turned out I was in the 39/13, which is significantly harder than 39/14. 
I changed to the 14.

That felt much better.
As if someone else was doing the pedaling for me.
That was GREAT.

I stayed in the 14 for the rest of the ride.
Partially out of determination -- partially because the rear derailleur would not move.
I did surrender and use the 30 chain ring on the Michie Wall and on lower Ghoston Rd.
However, in each of those cases, to get properly aligned in the 39 once the steep was complete,
I had to go to the 50 for a bit.
 
Although one rando fracquaintance claims there is no such thing as a tailwind,

For those newbies who don't know this, there is no such thing as a tailwind in cycling. There are headwinds, crosswinds, or "I'm feeling good!" Apparently we'd been feeling really good heading out, because we now had a very stiff wind in our faces for the ride home. 

I think I'd been helped significantly by a breeze that was mostly at my back
All the way to Stem, and even some of the distance to Grissom (or I'd been protected by trees). 

In contrast, the last 12.6 miles (20-kms) from Grissom to finish were into a tough headwind.
I've ridden parts of Bruce Garner and New Light roads six hundred or more times.
I've had more "death marches" finishing on BG / NL into a stiff SW wind than I can remember.

53-minutes it took me to cover those last 20-kms.
I've done those same roads, from further out, Pokomoke at 16.2-miles (26-kms) to be "exact,"
In as few as 54-minutes.

This ride finish was not a death march. but I did start to feel-it in my legs.
However, I knew there would be no need to call for a rescue from Bruce Garner Rd.
I did have to do that once when I had terrible cramps,
And once when ... well, I guess I just plain wimped out.

All in all, I had a great ride, and rescued my RUSA P-series and my M-series.
Now at P-25 and M-59.

Due to "life," I'm abandoning my RUSA R-series and my C-series.
Those got to R-41 and C-47 in December.

The future brings new hope, and
The possibility of a renewed R-series.