A Holiday ride? Yes.
Range Road Rover? No.
Usually, if the "Irregular" crew does a Holiday ride, it is done between Christmas and New Year's Day.
But this year, I put out an email asking if there was interest in a ride on Saturday-the-19th.
I suggested a couple alternatives in addition to the Range Road Rover.
There were limited responses, and to recognize the chilly conditions expected and
In acknowledgement of LOW traffic desires and perhaps another reason or two,
The three absolute "yes" riders agreed to a 40-mile ride from PUE starting at 10 am.
The route would be the same as this one, but starting from PUE instead of inside northern Raleigh.
[PUE is just off the drawn route at the 4.4-mile mark.]
I rode from my abode, starting at about 9:20 am, and
Being concerned that a soft-pedal 8-mile commute might have me arrive at PUE too close to 10 am, but
Also concerned that traffic on Six Forks Rd crossing I-540 might be a bit much,
I decided to take Honeycutt to Durant to Six Forks to MVC Rd to PUE, thus bypassing the busy area.
Waiting at the stop-light at the MVC / Norwood intersection, a black RAV-4 beeped at me. I waived.
A few minutes later, just after halting my steed's movement once well inside the PUE parking lot,
I asked Iva, "that was you that beeped at me, yes?"
Iva confirmed, but noted that he had thought I was Lt. Dave coming to the ride.
It was still only 9:50, so not wanting to stand around and get sweaty,
I announced I would ride half a mile on Pleasant Union Ch Rd and return.
I actually rode all the way to the sharp curve -- actually more of a 90-degree turn --
On PUC Rd and back (and enjoying my ride, I absent-mindedly started to ride past PUE on the return).
Our group of three set off on time, Iva mentioning, even before his first pedal stroke,
That his face was cold, but the rest of hiself was warm.
I assured him that that would change within a mile.
[I.e., before reaching the bottom of the MVC Rd decline.]
A short pause at the stop-light at NC-50 -- it seemed we had invoked the invisible induction loop
Even before the car coming from behind reached a position where it would have tripped the signal.
Across the flat section of MVC to make the left onto Carpenter Pond Rd.
Rolling flat of Carpenter Pond with little traffic.
["Rolling flat" -- 12 years ago I would never have included "flat" in the description.]
Down Coley into what I assumed at the time was a light breeze.
U-turn at the highway and back up Coley half-way to Kemp.
Right onto Kemp, down the hill to Southview, and turn toward Baptist Rd.
All ride long, I know that Bob initiated no chats. Well, maybe once or twice.
I recall I initiated almost no chatting.
Strangely, because he is almost certainly the least fast among the three of us,
Iva initiated chat after chat, sometimes from behind and other times from beside another of us.
Baptist Rd continues into the state park / recreation area next to Falls Lake.
I recall only one time that I ever had to turn around at the closed entrance to the park.
Every other time, including today, I / we have ridden all the way down to the cul de sac
Right next to the lake -- which was gray and looked cold and forbidding.
I mentioned aloud, or was it only a silent thought, that
On warm days, the picnic table next to the cul de sac makes a nice place for a mid-ride picnic.
Sometimes, after making the turn-around, the climb away from the lake is no-climb at all.
Sometimes, the climb away is a climb.
And I recall times when riding with "Serendity" that it is a hard climb.
[It ain't that steep, but it is more than nothing.]
Backing up, as we approached the park, I mentioned to Iva and Bob, in case they had forgotten,
That there are two speed-bumps within the park -- "sharp" speed bumps,
That I usually ride over at quite an angle in order to minimize the thump.
Between the two speed bumps as we rode away from the lake,
Iva asked, "didn't there used to be a time-trial on Baptist Rd?"
I replied, "yes, an informal one. Once a month during the warm months.
"But some people would come with serious time-trial machines.
"The time-trials had to stop once those speed bumps were put on the roadway.
"In what was probably the last year of time-trails, I came out twice.
"Once probably in May and then again in September, the last TT of the year.
"I was seeded as the slowest rider, so I started first, and others every 30 seconds, I think.
"I started first and I was the very last to finish."
Iva made a comment about I probably rode pretty fast, or
Maybe it was that others must have been pretty fast.
I reckon others were fast.
I was "fast" -- for me -- maybe -- I'll have to check.
On Virgil Rd, I pointed out the pond and the log where,
During warmer months, up to four turtles at the same time had sunned themselves.
On this date, the pond was VERY full of water and the log was barely visible.
No turtles.
Although I had heard a fair bit of gear-shifting from the other two,
I had again decided to do the entire ride in 39/14 gearing.
The only times I had struggled were on the steeper parts of Southview on the return, and
On the climb on Kemp Rd from Southview to Virgil.
Interestingly, with the shallow inclines on Virgil, my legs recovered.
We stopped at the top of Virgil -- there was a car or two coming on Carpenter Pond Rd, and
That corner has always been a favorite of mine to take a moment to put a foot on the roadway, and
Take a good drink, and
If others are along, have a short chat.
On the last climb of the day -- MVC Rd up to PUE --
I asked Iva if he had noticed that the surface in the other lane was failing?
In the same place(s) it had failed when first the current surface had been put on.
Iva replied that he hadn't made that connection, but
Recalled that the improved surface (probably 8 or 10 years ago) had made that climb 15% easier.
[I recall that Iva used to indicate that it was 20% easier.]
Into the sunny and protected from the wind PUE parking lot, our respective steeds brought to a halt,
Iva indicated 40.2-miles (or was it 40.3?).
After inquiry, Iva indicated that his GPS unit indicated 44.4-degrees-F.
I don't know if that is a report of where we stood (in the sunshine), or
If that is a temp reported as if by magic from some "central" location.
[I'll mention that it was about 29-degrees-F when I started my commute ride at 9:20.]
Some quick chats, including suggesting to Bob that in the winter,
He should park next to where Iva had parked.
Iva's RAV-4 was in sunshine and reportedly quite warm inside.
Bob's vehicle was parked in a shaded area.
Anyway, Iva putting his gear and machine into his vehicle.
Bob starting to put his gear and machine into his vehicle.
I was about to get the cycle-commute back to my abode underway.
Then:
Bob asked, as he often does, if I would like a ride back."No, thanks," I said, "I'm planning on riding back, with a bit extra, to get in a 100+ km ride."Bob responded, "well, Retta's gift is a bit big for you to carry on your bike.""Oh," said I, "in that case I accept your offer of a ride."As Iva noted, "first things first."
