Aug + Oct 2017: In Which We Meet Clyde Twice

I've been very bad about making timely blog entries.
This is another "back-fill" post. 
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August 9th, 2017
Raleigh Region RUSA Birthday Brevet-Pop and Picnic

Bob and I agreed to pre-ride the Brevet-Pop starting at 6 am
So that we'd be able to help RBA Alan with setting up the picnic stuff
Before the 200-km Brevet riders finished (they started at 6 am), and
Also before any riders doing the Brevet-Pop at the official start time (9 am ? or was it 10)
Returned to the picnic grounds.

IvaHawk came along as a "ride-along" rider.
This would make the second time that Iva and I did a pre-ride of this Picnic-Pop.
The first time was a few years ago when we rode the Wednesday before the Birthday Picnic.

[Note:  the photos embedded in the link just above are more interesting 
Than those immediately below.  
I.e., it's worth checking out that blog report (from 2014).] 

All three of us would be counting the Brevet-Pop as our
Unique August NC-P-12-Explorer-Challenge populaire.


Before we started our ride, RBA Alan agreed that it was reasonable
To make the one block detour off the Brevet-Pop route to check out
The main attraction in Bynum:  Clyde's Curious Critters.

The early part of the ride was rather non-descript.
All the 200 Brevet riders were fast bas, er, dudes,
So we quickly dropped them off our front wheels.

The first control on the Brevet-Pop is at Andrew's Store,
At the corner of US-15/501 and Andrew's Store Rd., about 20 miles into the ride.
Which is just after completing the climb on Jack Bennett Rd.
The Jack Bennett climb is the toughest climb on the Brevet-Pop,
Probably the toughest on the 200 brevet,
But certainly NOT the toughest on the 300 nor especially the 400 brevet. 

During the late Spring Raleigh Region Series, some of the 200/300/400 riders will stop
At Andrew's Store outbound, even though it is not a control for any of those routes.

[Many riders will stop on the homeward bound leg of the 200/300 in Spring, 
A higher percentage will stop on the homeward leg of the Picnic Brevet, 
Because it is often so dang HOT and HUMID in mid-August. 
There's a August 200k pre-ride report on this blog somewhere; 
Randonnesia has not erased the bad portion of that ride from my mind, 
But I'd need to search a bit to find that report. 
(So okay, it didn't take that much searching to find the report.)]

 
We took more time at the Andrew's Store control than we should have.
My recollection is that we were discussing the great problems of the world,
Or the issues facing local randonneuring or RUSA,
Or maybe about nothing of much importance at all.
 
It is only about five-and-a-half miles from the control to Clyde's Critter Country.
With only two climbs; both on Parker Herndon Rd; the second being the more "interesting."

There is a longish, steepish decline to get to into Bynum,
Nestled as it is next to a deep portion of the Haw River and its valley.
However, to get to Critter Crossing, one turns off the decline onto Bynum Hill Rd,
Which immediately pops back up -- easy if you know what to expect.

I was leading, and the moment I made the turn,
I spied someone on the road driving a riding lawn mower.
It had to be Clyde.
It was.

As I slid past him on my bike, I quietly said, "good morning, Clyde."
I probably caught him a bit off guard.

Bob, IvaHawk, and I stopped our steeds in front of Critter Crossing Country;
Clyde brought his machine to a stop and shut off the engine.

I decided that since we knew Clyde's name, it would only be fair if he knew ours,
So we introduced ourselves.
Clyde noted, somewhat wistfully, I thought, that everyone knows him.

Clyde, sitting on his usual transportation machine, explaining something.  [Photo by IvaHawk.]

Bob in the orange helmet, me in the orange jersey, Clyde on his machine.  Clyde is admiring Bob's RUSA reflective triangle; we are hatching a plot.  [Photo by IvaHawk.] 

Front yard of Critter Crossing Country HQ.  [Photo by IvaHawk.]  Nicely done photo, Iva; I think you got the sun and shade angles just right. 

Now, between the overlong Andrew's Store control stop, and
Spending waaaay too much time talking with Clyde,
We didn't have much, if any, time in the bank.

Leaving Bynum can be a chore as the climb back up, away from the Haw River,
Looks, and can be, rather intimidating.
That climb certainly did not help on the "time in the bank" front.

We did, or least attempted to do, a short stop at then next store control in Pittsboro.
Nothing much interesting about a gas station / convenience store.
Except that upon leaving, one is again confronted by a non-trivial climb.
Who designed this course?
Oh, yeah, Alan.

Pittsboro-Moncure Rd, or is Moncure-Pittsboro Rd?
Regardless, it always seems there is an annoying breeze in one's face on that road,
Turning what ought to be mostly simple rollers into hills,
And the couple noteworthy climbs into HILLS.
All accompanied by tar snakes the whole distance.
Ugh.

The penultimate control is at Ray's Supermarket.
Two table outside, under the eaves giving some protection from rain.
There is also a notable pole next to the tables.
We again took too much time at a control, mostly sitting at the tables.
And I may have talked Iva into reprising his human half-flag moment from 2014.

[Photo near the bottom of the 2014 blog report, but none this time.]

Leaving Ray's, there remained 25 or slightly more miles still to ride.
Probably slogging it in.
Well, Iva my not have been slogging.
Bob almost certainly was not.
But I recall not having much gusto in my pedaling.

We finished the ride, returning to the picnic area, and
 Found that Alan had already brought over all the picnic supplies.
There was very little still to do to set up for other riders.

So ... Bob and I cleaned up a bit in the park's rest room, and
Then we mostly sat around and chatted.
Don't ask about what.

Iva, on the other hand, having completed his ride-along duties headed for home.

Region	Club	Type	Distance	Date	Finishers	DNF
NC: Raleigh	North Carolina Bicycle Club / 933045	RUSAP	100	2017/08/19	4	1

Cert#	RUSA#	Name	Club / ACP Code	Time	Medal
RUSA-P13114	5843	B__, Bob	Randonneurs USA / 933095	06:20
RUSA-P13115	215	O__, Michael	North Carolina Bicycle Club / 933045	05:42
RUSA-P13116	6218	S__, Martin	Randonneurs USA / 933095	06:20
RUSA-P13117	7702	A__, Iva C	Randonneurs USA / 933095	06:20

[Note that MikeO, #215, did the brevet-pop starting at the regular event time. 
He did not see Clyde en route.  The "DNF" had mechanical trouble.]

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October 21st, 2017
"Clyde's Currious Critters Chatham County Cycling Circuit"
108-km perm-pop

IvaHawk couldn't join this ride because he had life conflict, 
So he had done the Bahama Beach 103k 'free-route' for his October P-12-Challenge ride.
Bob and I had ridden the Bahama Beach route with Iva;
So he would have some company, and
Let's face it:  Bahama Beach is a great route.
Even if I do say so, myself.

[Do check out the above link; I think someone else indicated the route was a good one.]

 

[In case you are curious:  yes, the 7-Cs route is based on the above discussed Brevet-Pop, 
But the start and finish are in a different location, and 
The 7-Cs officially passes in front of Critter Country HQ.]  
   
[Therefore, the two routes are different, and each counts as a unique monthly P-route. 
At least that's the conclusion unless the Commissioner of the P-Challenge rules differently, and 
I seriously doubt that will happen, because him is me.] 

[Additionally, if it were necessary, neither Bob nor I have "burned" BB for our respective challenges.]

The ride advertisement on the NC-rando-list-serve and NC-rando-Facebook group
Had produced one additional rider:  BradW, #8218.

We started on time (as far as I can recall), and soon
We were crossing the very low Jordan Lake, and then

Bob riding the causeway / bridge across a branch of Jordan Lake.  Note the old, old roadway emerging from the water -- that roadway is usually well below the water level.  [Photo by Brad.] 

We were arriving and soon thereafter 
Leaving the first control at Andrew's Store.

Five-and-a-half miles later, we arrived at the official-on-the-7Cs Info Control.
With a little help from a neighbor, we rousted Clyde from inside his house.

Brad snapped a photo of his bike in front of Critter Country HQ.  One can see that Clyde's porch is well-stocked for heating his house during the winter.

We presented Clyde with this little document certifying his honorary membership as a North Carolina Randonneur.  Clyde promised to tack up the certificate on his porch (and we confirmed on March 17, 2018 that he had in fact done that.  [Photo by Brad.] 

Clyde with his certificate, the RUSA safety triangle that Bob had affixed to Clyde's mower, Bob, and me.  [Photo by Brad.]  I should have advertised this ride more drastically, mentioning the certificate plan and, more importantly, the RUSA triangle, soliciting additional contributors to the funds for said triangle.  If you are local and interested, give Bob some money.

Brad and I switched positions, sorta'.  [Photo by me using Brad's smart-phone.]

Brad snapped another photo of Critter Crossing HQ as we were about to leave. 

Bob on the pedestrian bridge over the Haw River -- bridge is the original US-15/501 bridge crossing the river at Bynum.  [Photo by Brad.] 

Brad insisted on a group selfie.  [Photo obviously by Brad.] 

Looking up the Haw River from the Bynum pedestrian bridge.  Modern US-15/501 bridge in the distance.  [Photo by Brad.] 

After the above, the rest of the ride was rather anti-climatic.
It is enough to note that we had accomplished our mission re:  Clyde,
It was a good day, or rather, given that this report is about two rides,
Each day was a good day for a bike ride with good people, and
We got credit for the perm-pop.
 

Permanent Route Name / #	Distance	Date	Finishers	DNF
NC: Clyde's Curious Critter Chatham County Cycling Circuit / 1861	108	2017/10/21	3	0

Cert#	RUSA#	Name	Club / ACP Code	Time
RUSA-T76258	5843	B__, Bob	Randonneurs USA / 933095	06:13
RUSA-T76259	6218	S__, Martin	Randonneurs USA / 933095	06:13
RUSA-T76260	8218	W__, Bradley J.	North Carolina Bicycle Club / 933045	06:13