Ten years ago, Lee had an adventure for his birthday ride.
Ten years on, he was planning another ride, but not an adventure, for his birthday ride.
This time, on a favorite Irregulars route, the "Range Road Rover."
Lee put out a feeler asking if anyone from the group was interested in riding with him.
I indicated that I was available for the date in question, but
Having information that he was in Red-Rocket shape,
I suggested that I would be too slow for his comfort, but
Lee urged me to do the ride with him.
I like to start summer rides earlier than Lee does.
We agreed on an 8 am start from PUE (see the map).
Lee lives a mile-and-a-half or so from PUE,
So it seemed he would come up short on the "ride your age" front,
So it seemed he would come up short on the "ride your age" front,
But given the forecast, Lee indicated that coming up a few miles short was his revised desire.
I left my abode at 0710 for the 8-mile calm and pedestrian-paced commute to the start.
For the one or two that might read this:
You might know that my commute to PUE is usually only 5.6-miles.
But that route is better ridden before car traffic hits its stride during morning rush hour.
Additionally, the 6.7-mile "after the ride" commute route is better during NOT rush hour.
The 8-mile route I chose this morning was Honeycutt to Durant and then
Through the well established neighborhood the main road of which is Coachman's Way.
An additional benefit of riding through the neighborhood was the shade from all the mature trees.
During the commute ride, I noticed a sound coming my drive-train.
I knew why the sound -- I needed to lube the chain.
When I arrived at PUE, I immediately made use of the "Chain-L" I usually carry with me,
Then rode some circles in the parking lot to distribute the lube to all the cogs.
I also intended to shift among the three chain rings, but I couldn't get into the big chain ring.
And that seemed strange since shifting among all three rings had been quite easy on the previous ride.
I decided to leave the parking lot and ride in the direction that Lee would be coming from.
However, he arrived at PUE just as I reached the street/road, so we started our ride proper.
I mentioned that I had just lubed my chain but had been unable to shift into the big chain ring.
I recall that Lee made a suggestion or two as to the cause.
Or maybe they were just questions?
I opined that maybe in the parking lot that I had not been able to ride a long-enuf straight-flat section.
And, as if on cue, riding on the flat Pleasant Union Ch Rd, I shifted easily into the big chain ring.
Glad, I was, to remove that possible stress from my mind.
Skipping ahead.
Once one clears Butner (at around 18-miles into the ride) there is very little traffic on the route.
And after making the turn onto Range Road (at the 19.7-mile mark)
There are no actual turns for nearly 22 miles.
Twenty-two miles and very little traffic: that's why we like the "Range Road Rover."
If one looks at the RWGPS map (link in the third line of this post)
One will see what looks to be two sharp curves at the north end of the route.
But when riding, one often does not realize that one has changed direction
Until one notices the sun in one's face instead of on one's backside
Until one notices the sun in one's face instead of on one's backside
(Or sometimes the noticeable thing is the change in the apparent wind).
On this ride, I mentioned said phenomenon to Lee when it was obvious we were headed south
And I had not noticed the changes in direction.
It is possible that a main reason I didn't notice the direction changes this ride
Was because I had been concentrating on not letting myself get carried away
And ride too fast, too early.
I think I rather failed at that because I recall I was leading more than I should have
While we were still headed north.
I recall thinking, "oh, I'm feeling good, but I'm riding too fast / putting in too much effort."
Sure enough, well before we got to the Moriah Rd intersection (approx 34.5-mile mark),
I was lagging far behind on anything resembling an incline, and
Lee was repeatedly waiting for me.
The lagging and waiting continued all the way into Stem.
In addition to be in not-the best shape, I was definitely feeling the heat, and
My reaction to the heat was adding to my inability to keep up.
Perhaps to that I would have something to think about other than the heat and my struggles,
I asked Lee how his family, etc. were doing.
[As best I can recall, it had been at least a couple years since I had ridden with Lee.]
Tidbits about his wife and grand-babies did help while away a few miles.
In/at Stem, I needed/wanted to stop at the BP to get some cold fluids for the last miles.
Lee didn't need anything, so I went into the c-store / gas-station alone.
There was one other customer, but they were never near me.
The clerk was behind a plexiglass barrier,
So I didn't worry about getting or spreading the coronavirus
So I didn't worry about getting or spreading the coronavirus
Even though I did not have a mask.
The humorous thing of the whole ride is this:
Moments after I went into the store, a Granville County deputy arrived and went into the store.
Lee got a laugh out of that after I returned outside with my drink.
Just after I completed transferring the fluid into one of my bottles,
The deputy returned outside, wearing his mask.
His vehicle was near where we were with our bicycles,
So it was easy to say "hello" and
Also to thank him for his service.
The deputy continued on his appointed rounds and
We continued on our trail toward Creedmoor and beyond.
There are several inclines between Stem and Creedmoor, and
I was falling further and further behind on each of them.
Lee waited at the turn off Creedmoor/Brogden/Stem Rd on NC-56.
We zipped down the hill to the intersection with US-15, and
Then made our way sorta' together through Creedmoor and onto Dove Road.
Dove Road is a roller coaster of inclines and declines.
When things are going well for me, I can zip up all the inclines save one,
Using momentum from the declines to help get up the inclines.
But this day, no fun roller coaster for me.
Instead, it was slog after slog on the inclines,
With the heat bothering me more and more.
Lee waited at the stop sign at the south end of Dove Road,
Where the route turns onto Whitt Road.
I told Lee that he should go ahead and finish his ride at his pace, and
I would finish at whatever pace I could handle, and
That if it turned out I couldn't finish my ride,
I could probably get Lynn to come rescue me.
[I was sure I could make it back to my abode, approx 18-miles of riding still ahead of me.]
However, Lee insisted I call Lynn while at the shade of the Dove/Whitt corner.
I called Lynn and was able to negotiate her coming to get me.
After he was sure I had a rescue ride coming, Lee headed out to finish his ride.
After another minute or so, I followed.
Slowly.
A definite SLOG up the climb on Whitt Rd.
Some better on the flat to Old Weaver Trail.
Coast nicely down to Falls Lake and easy enough on the flat causeway/bridge across the lake.
SLOW up the little incline and a short coast down to the second crossing of the lake.
The SLOW SLOG up the main incline on Old Weaver Trail headed toward New Light Rd.
However, at approx the 56.5-mile mark of the course, heading up that main incline,
There is a wide area on the south side of the road, well shaded.
I decided to pull over there and wait/look for Lynn coming the opposite direction in her car.
It had taken me 15-minutes in-motion to cover 3-miles since the Dove/Whitt corner.
Within a minute, Lynn came over the crest, saw me, and stopped to pick me up.
One smart thing I had asked Lynn to bring was some cold ice tea.
The water that I still had with me had been quite warm when I tried to drink some after I stopped.
Instead of drinking that hot water, I used some/most of it to rinse sweat off my face, neck, and arms.
I thanked Lynn for the rescue and for the delicious, cold, sweet tea.
She asked if Lee was wearing arm warmers as she had seen someone riding with same.
I replied that I was pretty sure the arm coverings were sun-shields, not warmers.
Lynn thought that made a lot more sense.
Lynn dropped me off at my place and proceeded directly to her appointment
That had been a concern of hers when I first called her.
I sent an email to Lee (maybe copying the entire Irregular group),
Thanking him for putting up with me during the ride.
Lee responded thanking me for joining him on the ride, and
Indicating that I was more help to him than I understood.
At the time, and even until now, I cannot imagine how I could have been a help to him.
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Btw, according to what I noted in my Excel ride log at the time,
The temperature during the above sorta' described ride ranged from 77 to 92F,
With a heat index that reached 102.
In better shape and more used to the summer heat,
Those conditions would likely not have bothered me so much, but ...
[Sudden recollection: several years ago, I did a morning Bahama Beach ride,
Where the thermometer embedded in the confuser I had at the time
Indicated 100F while I was in Stem for the control stop, and
Then I went into work in the afternoon.
None the worse for wear -- or at least not that others could detect.]
Btw #2, my ride stats: 65.5-miles, 4:50 in-motion, avg 13.5-mph.
