Jun-29: Sunny and Mild 138

Completely sunny day.
But, surprisingly, low humidity.  :-)

Just me and Lynn.
Lynn agreed to ride mostly-with me until the Berea control (at approx the 55-mile mark).

We each noted that it was definitely cooler than it had been the day before.
Lynn indicated that she had gone back in her house to change to a jersey with sleeves.

Range Rd was much prettier in the dappled early morning sun.
(However, I think that section would have looked better if the sun were lower in the sky.)

In the deep shade on Range Rd,
After I had backed off my effort and Lynn had disappeared up the road,
I was able to check the temperature on the mostly useless new cycle confuser.
62 degrees Fahrenheit at approx 7:45 am.
That's rather cool for central North Carolina this time of year.
(It had been about 10 degrees warmer the day before.)

This route is definitely a much nicer visual experience on a sunny day than on an overcast one.

The forecast was for a NE wind 5 to 10 mph.
Bull.
E to E/SE seemed more like it.
Given the direction of the route, and the resulting impact on apparent wind while riding,
I'm thinking it was probably an East wind.
Rather than a tailwind, or at least a quartering tailwind,
It was a quartering headwind all the way home.

By agreement, Lynn left the Berea control some 5 or 6 minutes before I did.
She finished the ride 29-minutes before me.
Meaning she put about 23-minutes into me in the final 30-miles of the course.
I'm confident that many local fast-crew randonneurs understand.
Also many local non-randonneurs.

At the corner of Old Weaver Trail and New Light Rd (8-miles before the finish),
I came upon a group that looked to be led by G + W of TLC-4-Bikes.
Turned out it was a subgroup being led by W.
G was off riding longer.

Anyway, W introduced me to the group as "Uncle Martin."
I thought that a bit strange.
But, as W indicated, I did teach G + W the roads when the first moved here from Dallas.
She pointed out that I "knew all the roads."
Maybe "Uncle Martin" makes some sense.

Then Wendy mentioned that I did long rides.
One woman (unknown to me) asked how far.
I told her it was going to be either 92 or 98 miles, today.
She gasped.
Then I told her that I had ridden 98 miles the day before,
And 77 the day before that.
I thought the woman might faint.
[I suspect that 30 or 35 miles is a long ride for said woman.]  

Wendy asked me to lead the way, so I did.
Managed a short conversation with Reid while climbing Ghoston.
Chatting while riding up Ghoston was certainly better than trying to WORK it. 
I hadn't seen Reid in at least a year, maybe two.
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As paltry as these last three posts are, they are my stories,
And I guess I'll be sticking with them.