Carpenter Pond / "TT" Based Routes / Rides

Realizing that I've mostly been riding only two different routes, but with variants, and 

Consistent with the beginnings of this blog when I was using it mostly as a data back-up, and

Having nothing worth actually typing ("saying") about the rides, I decided to 

Group nine rides into two categories:  (1) Possum Tracking, (2) Carpenter Pond / "TT". 

This post captures six CP / "TT" based rides from September and October. 

 

First, an embed (I hope) of a RWGPS map of the "TT" / cadence course. 

That route is the kernel of the six rides outlined below. 

(There are other maps embedded in other recent blog posts which may include some of the "side-roads".) 

  

Sep-02 

• -> PUE:  "TT" course + Coley Rd --> 
• 0828 start --> "TT" course w/ IvaHawk 
• 45.6-miles.  3:26 in-motion.  avg 13.2-mph in-motion. 
• I really ought to have something to type since the Hawk joined me for this ride.  But the main things I recall are:  (a) riding across Norwood Rd to Leesville Rd to show Iva the bike-lanes added on Leesville Rd between Norwood and Harrington Grove roads -- Iva was not interested in using the bike lane on the way back, so we came back the traditional Carpenter Pond, Mt Vernon Ch Rd route to get to Pleasant Union Elementary (PUE);  (b) Iva hadn't ridden out this way since he moved closer to downtown Raleigh a year or more ago (and maybe even longer than that?), so I'm sure we mentioned all the new housing developments on Leesville Rd and the ones being built on Doc Nichols Rd. 
• When "Del Webb" started building and advertising the first housing developments on Leesville Rd, they ran TV commercials that included how great it was for residents of "Del Webb" developments because there were many activities including group bicycling rides that one could join - you know, long rides of 20 or 25 miles - and how one could improve one's time every ride.  Meanwhile, those of us that had been riding past where those new developments were changing the character of the roadsides thought that the "Del Webb" (and other) developments were ruining what had been perfectly great cycling roads. 
• We knew that the area would eventually become over-filled with houses, etc., but personally, I would have preferred if it had taken another 10 years to over-build along there.  (However, once the "Brier's Creek" shopping and housing area, especially the shopping, "took off," the new housing was sure to appear, unfortunately sooner rather than later.) 
  
• no photos 

 

Sep-12

• -> via Honeycutt-Norwood to "TT" course -> return Norwood-Honeycutt 
• 1300 start, solo 
• 40.5-miles.  2:55 in-motion.  avg 13.8-mph in-motion. 
• no photos 

 

Sep-28 

• -> via Honeycutt-Norwood to "TT" course -> return Norwood-Honeycutt 
• 1235 start, solo    --    78 - 81 F, w/ annoying shifting strong breeze  
• 40.4-miles.  2:52 in-motion.  avg 14.1 mph. 
• no photos 
  

 

Oct-07 

• -> Honeycutt to "TT" course -> Honeycutt -> a friend's 
• 1305 start, solo    --    77F +, w/ SW wind    --    2h58 elapsed 
• 41.2-miles.  2:52 in-motion.  avg 14.3-mph. 

Man-made pond at the corner of Carpenter Pond and Coley roads -- taken from near the corner.

Same pond, but taken from about 50 or 75 yards east of the corner.  Almost the same location / view as several previous photos of this pond which can be seen on some of the previous blog posts from earlier this year.

 

Oct-15 

• -> Honeycutt -> PUE:  "TT course -> N/wood-6Forks-Strickland -> 
• I did actually "pull in" at PUE to check something on the bike(?) or maybe to take or make a phone call or text.  (U don't expect me to remember 2+ months later do you?  And that lack of recollection is a good reason to get back to blogging / posting within hours or a day or two of the ride.) 
• "6Forks-Strickland" is a shorter and flatter way back to my abode, but it does have more traffic.  However, at roughly 2:10 pm, not "too much" traffic.  I must have been a bit tired since I finished the ride the shorter and definitely flatter routing. 
  
• 1120 start, solo    --    mid-70sF w/ SW breeze    --    2h49 elapsed  
• 39.4-miles.  2:46 in-motion.  avg 14.2-mph. 
• no photos 

 

Oct-17 

• -> Hcutt-Nwood-MVC-Carpenter-DocN-OliveBr-Carp-Leesville-N-6F-Strickland 
• 1225 start, solo    --    mid+ 50sF w/ NNE breeze    --    2h45 elapsed 
• 37.7-miles.  2:40 in-motion.  avg 14.1-mph. 
• I started this ride from a friend's since I was dog/house-sitting for said friend. 
• Seeing the distance of this ride, I recall the most interesting thing encountered on this ride.  Just before, or perhaps a better description would be "at", the Carpenter Pond / Olive Branch corner, there was an 18-wheeler that had tried to use a car's driveway crossing of the fairly deep ditch along the south side of Carpenter Pond Rd -- the driver tried to cross the entry-way on a diagonal and had failed miserably -- the right-side rear wheels of the cab were adrift in the ditch, not touching bottom.  A couple cars and I carefully navigated around the trailer section which was entirely blocking the eastbound lane of Carpenter Pond.  I thought of stopping to take a photo, but figured that if I shorted the route (which I seemed to have NOT documented in the Excel file ??) I could make it back and take photos then -- after all, it looked as if the 18-wheeler would be there for quite a while.  
• However, after completing the CP-Leesville-DocNichols-OliveBranch loop, the 18 wheeler had been rescued and was parked in the westbound lane of Carpenter Pond.  There were TWO HUGE wreckers on-site.  I reckon that they had done a rescue somewhat similar to that "Weather Channel" show -- you either know the show or you don't.  
• After riding past the 18-wheeler, I mentioned to the two neighbors that were standing on the lawn side of their driveway across the ditch that "I guess I should have taken a photo when I first rode past here."  The neighbors chuckled.  
  

Friend's dog "Winnie" alert for activity.

  

   

Those are my stories for these rides, and I'll be sticking to them.