Friday, November 13, 2020

Jul-18: In Which I Again Meet "Serendipity"

Wracking my gray matter for a title, I recalled several prior "Serendipity" blog posts, so ...  a title.
 
I set out a little after 8 am to do the 40-mile "TT" course I'd been riding. 
Either that, I would add side-trip down and up Coley Rd, and possibly more. 
Two Coley side-trips would make a 55-mile ride. 
Essentially the same course as on July 9th, but without the two visits to Blue Jay Point County Park. 
 
The opening mile on the usual sidewalks, 
Then down Honeycutt Rd to the stop-sign at Durant. 
Left onto Durant, approx 1.45-miles to Brassfield Rd. 
Right onto Brassfield and a fairly quick left onto Coachman's Way. 
 
Coachman's is a winding, down-and-up, rinse-repeat, shaded "main" road thru an established neighborhood. 
A pleasant ride in and of itself. 
Or possibly a chore at the end of a ride as the short but steep inclines can feel tough. 
Anyway, a peaceful way, with a couple connectors, to Norwood Rd. 
 
A now retired from cycling acquaintance once told me that "they" used to refer to 
One of the climbs on Norwood Rd as "Cow Mountain." 
The farmhouse of what was once a large cow/milk farm is still there. 
I know (perhaps should type "I've met") the people that live in that farmhouse. 
The wife is the daughter of the last man to run the dairy farm on those pastures. 
Those pastures are now just a collection of faux mansion housing developments, 
With an interesting passage of the creek at the bottom. 
 
[Lots of description above.  Maybe one day I'll snap some photos.] 
 
Right turn at the stop-light at Mt Vernon Ch Rd, 
Drift downslope to near Pleasant Union Elementary, 
But follow MVC to the left before reaching PUE (in order to follow the "TT" course). 
 
MVC drops 120+ feet in 0.7-miles, and then climbs back up to stop-light at NC-50. 
Cross NC-50 and it is another mile till MVC "T's" into Old Creedmoor Rd. 
Left onto Old Creedmoor, which becomes Carpenter Pond Rd in Durham County. 
 
Old Creedmoor / Carpenter Pond is not flat, but not hilly -- a good ride except during rush hours. 
I decided to ride down-and-back-up Coley Rd -- 3.65-miles each way. 
There are some places worth photographing on Coley Rd; 
There are some snaps of some of those places in previous blog posts, but 
I took no new ones on this day. 
 
Upon reaching the top of Coley Rd, i.e., the corner with Carpenter Pond Rd, 
I had ridden 16.1-miles in 1:12 time-in-motion (avg 13.3-mph). 
 
I was looking forward to the false flat decline of the rest of Carpenter Pond, 
Followed by the false flat decline of Leesville Rd, and 
Then the 1.9-mile drop on Doc Nichols Rd. 
I started my ride at 0819 -- the time-stamp on this photo is 0931.  Therefore, this is the pond at the corner of Carpenter Pond and Coley roads.  I took this photo just before doing the down-and-back-up on Coley.  And as such, I should have inserted this photo before the text regarding riding the 7.3-miles on Coley.

The time-stamp on this photo is 1002.  That suggest I took this on Coley just before returning to Carpenter Pond Rd.  So, again, this should have been inserted in the text earlier than it is.  And I should have mentioned this turtle rescue to Lynn -- maybe I did -- maybe she had done several turtle rescues before our paths crossed -- but once my attention was drawn to the click-click-click coming from her bike, turtle rescues were driven from my thoughts.

 However, after only nine-tenths of a mile, just after turning onto Leesville Rd, 
There came riding toward me a woman. 
I should note there had already been quite a few single riders, two-somes and maybe three-somes, 
None of whom did I recognize. 
 
Back to the solo woman riding toward me. 
It seems quite strange, but at first I did not recognize the woman. 
Then I thought, "hmmn, that 'jersey' looks exactly like one of Lynn's." 
Then, "oh, that is Lynn." 
 
I decided to turn around and ride with her for a bit -- if she would allow it. 
I had ridden a total of 17.0-miles in 1:15 time in-motion (avg 13.5-mph). 
I.e., I had covered the last 0.9-miles in 3-minutes (avg ~ 17.8-mph). 
 
Lynn, sometimes referred to as "Serendipity," realized I was coming, and slowed to wait for me. 
Turned out she had an ulterior motive:  there was an annoying clicking coming from her machine. 
I dropped in behind her to listen and look, hoping I might figure out the source of the clicking. 
 
Lynn led the way onto Coley, and we pulled over so I could carefully look over her drive train. 
I attempted to fiddle with the rear derailleur and cables, and we got back underway. 
No impact on the clicking. 
 
Down and back up Coley, chatting or expressing mutual annoyance regarding the clicking. 
We stopped again just before reaching the top of Coley (just before Carpenter Pond). 
Again fiddle with the drive train, and checked for loose spokes and what-not. 
No impact on the clicking. 
 
I decided to follow Lynn back toward "home." 
She turned onto the flat Harrington Grove Rd -- flat, but it does have the high elevation of the ride(s). 
Then the bike lane on Leesville Rd toward I-540, but 
Left onto Farless /  Norwood Rd before reaching the interstate. 
 
Norwood for a mile or so, then right onto Ray Rd. 
Ray Rd drops down and then climbs back up to Strickland Rd. 
That climb can be tough, esp. if riding it near the end of a Triple-L 205-km Perm ride. 
Lynn soared up that climb -- I struggled up. 
 
Left onto Strickland for 100 yards or so, then another left onto Baileywick Rd. 
Baileywick "parallels" Strickland, but 
Whereas Strickland is more-or-less flat or flattish, 
Baileywick drops 150 feet or more, crosses NC-50, and then climbs back up. 
 
Of course Lynn soared up that Baileywick climb. 
I "crawled" up, eventually losing track of Lynn. 
So ... I rode through the shopping center at the top of the climb, and 
Then ended up waiting / broiling in the blazing sun and heat,
Waiting to make the turn from Six Forks Rd onto Strickland for the final 1.1-mile decline to my place. 
 
I admit I was kinda' cursing Lynn for her routing to get "home." 
Shorter than my routing would have been. 
One less climb. 
But two of my climbs would have been shaded. 
And there would have been NO WAITING in the broiling sun and heat.  
 
At the time of the ride, after I posted something to Facebook, 
An acquaintance commented to the effect "the price we pay for the ride partners we choose." 
 
Total 36.5-miles, 2:26 time in-motion (avg 14.9-mph). 
Therefore, the last 19.5-miles were 1:11 time in-motion (avg 16.4-mph). 
 
Since Lynn waited or rode tiny circles in two or three places waiting for me, 
She clearly averaged faster than I did for those last ~ 20-miles. 
She still thinks she is slow (resulting from being bashed into in February-2016), 
She still complains that "everyone passes her." 
I think this 20-miles proves that her speed has increased increased significantly in recent years. 
If only I could convince her. 
 
----------------------------- 
Epilogue: 
 
It took Lynn two trips to local rando Bryon to find and fix the clicking sound. 
Locals understand Bryon's skills as many of us have benefited from his help during brevets. 
 

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