2021 Year Summary

An arithmetic summary of my 2021 rides. 

Directly from my Excel ride log: 

 

2021	RUSA kms	# rides	miles	Hours	avg mph	m. / ride
YTD	1,115	148	3,837.7	282.6	13.6	25.9
city/errands	0	92	404.1	34.7	11.6	4.4
sans errands	1,115	56	3,433.6	247.9	13.9	61.3

 

 In case the above is not obvious, that's: 

• 148 recorded rides 
• for 3800-plus miles 
• in 282-plus hours 
• meaning an average 13.6-mph in-motion, and 
• 25.9-miles per ride. 
•  
• However, those figures are rather tainted by the inclusion of the "city/errand" rides, which is something I had never done previously.  
• I decided to include the "city/errand" rides because I had no concrete idea of how many errand rides I was typically doing, nor any idea how many miles, etc. those errand rides were putting on my equipment, particularly my chain. 
•  
• Excluding the "city/errand" rides, the data indicate: 
• only 56 rides 
• for 3400-plus miles 
• in 248 hours 
• meaning an average 13.9-mph in-motion, and 
• 61.3-miles per ride. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

"Lifetime" to date arithmetic summary showing annual totals for each year for which I have data: 

 

"Lifetime" Miles
18	1,350	83,388.7	5,678.3	14.69	61.8	66,377
year	# rides	miles	hrs.frac	pace	mi. / ride	RUSA kms
2004	38	1,176.2	86.5	13.60	31.0	0
2005	37	1,265.5	91.8	13.78	34.2	0
2006	58	2,484.9	167.0	14.88	42.8	0
2007	79	3,530.5	221.3	15.95	44.7	0
2008	82	3,765.3	234.5	16.05	45.9	0
2009	126	6,216.7	393.8	15.78	49.3	0
2010	112	7,559.5	504.7	14.98	67.5	3,737
2011	113	9,204.8	614.3	14.98	81.5	8,270
2012	104	9,208.6	616.9	14.93	88.5	10,112
2013	61	6,528.3	443.4	14.72	107.0	8,288
2014	77	5,572.2	375.5	14.84	72.4	7,216
2015	60	5,031.7	346.8	14.51	83.9	6,809
2016	49	3,199.0	231.7	13.81	65.3	3,992
2017	45	3,749.6	272.7	13.75	83.3	4,871
2018	57	4,537.3	322.4	14.07	79.6	6,292
2019	47	3,961.6	285.0	13.90	84.3	5,368
2020	57	2,559.3	187.1	13.68	44.9	307
2021	148	3,837.7	282.6	13.58	25.9	1,115

 

I note that the 2020 annual totals resulted in the shortest average distance ride since 2007.  The significant drop in the distance per ride is totally attributed to doing shorter rides because of COVID restrictions -- primarily that refueling at stores was not appreciated and that led to sticking closer to "sleep quarters". 

 

The 2021 totals include the afore-mentioned "city/errand" rides.  If I remove those rides from the Lifetime totals and (of course) the 2021 totals, the top line and 2021 line of the immediately above would be as follows: 

 

"Lifetime" Miles
18	1,258	82,984.6	5,643.6	14.70	66.0	66,377
year	# rides	miles	hrs.frac	pace	mi. / ride	RUSA kms
2021	56	3,433.6	247.9	13.85	61.3	1,115

  

And to my mind, not only is the short revised table just above more indicative of my Lifetime totals, I like that the average ride distance for my Lifetime remains longer than 100-kms.  

 

Dec-18-2021: "Assault on Beaver Dam Rd"

[The following was drafted shortly after the ride in question, and the text has patiently been waiting to be published.  Finally catching up on publishing past ride stories and photos, it became the turn of this "story" to go public.] 

  

 

Participants:  LT, Ricochet, Byron-the-salty-one, Red Rocket, me. 

The route:  "The Dragon" - Lite.  

[Note:  I tried to embed the RWGPS map, but my computer and RWGPS are not getting along.]

 

The following from an email sent early on the morning of the next day:  

Legs still feeling the impact when I got up this morning. 

 

I purposefully put that "hurtin'" on myself riding up Beaver Dam / Rock Springs Ch Rd because two weeks ago, while riding on Moores Mill Rd headed toward Mt. Tirzah, I realized I had not been doing enough intense riding to stay in long ride with tough hills shape. 

Similar to what Big-Wave-Dave indicated circa 12 years ago:  "to ride fast you need to practice riding fast."  

I'm quite sure that the Beaver Dam "hurtin'" contributed to the climb on Mangum Dairy being difficult for the first time in the several times I've ridden up it in the last two years (prior to 2020, I hadn't ridden on Mangum Dairy for nearly a decade).  Hmmn -- climb might have been a bit easier if I had changed to the 30 chain ring before starting the climb -- but I stayed in the 39 and had to GRIND it up. 

Enjoyed the ride, except that before getting to Peed Rd, I needed a bowel movement so desparately that my entire mid-section was in PAIN -- a problem I solved by making an impromptu stop at LT's. 

...Martin

  

Including the commute ride to the start and the commute after the group ride was completed: 

67.5-miles, 4:48 time-in-motion, 14.0-mph avg in-motion. 

 

Dec-11-2021: "JRA" After Sending off the Mt Tirzah Pop Crew

Putting on a new monthly Populaire Series under the auspices of "Fearless Leader" RBA Alan? 

I'd done a pre-ride the weekend before, 

So after checking everyone in, 

Giving advice "don't fall in the hole at the Timberlake control", 

there's a reason for that orange fencing, 

I released the crew promptly at 0800. 

 

I then proceeded to ride with the crew until just before Bahama. 

I couldn't hold on the final one or two hundred yards to get the center of Bahama. 

 

I should comment that there was more traffic on Stagville Rd getting up to Bahama, 

More traffic than I had ever experienced, and 

I probably cannot accurately count the number of times 

I've ridden Stagville Rd between Old-75 and Bahama. 

I commented to that affect and apologized several times to the crew. 

 

Finally, nearing Bahama, but while I was still with the crew, 

It became obvious WHY all the extra traffic: 

Bahama was having their very own Christmas Parade that day, and 

The Parade course was Stagville Rd up to the center of town. 

After reaching that location, it was not obvious where the Parade would continue. 

 

The traffic was from people driving to get a spot along the Parade route, and 

Joining the many already camped out alongside the road. 

 

A lesson there:  check for the date of the Bahama Christmas Parade, and 

Do NOT schedule a rando ride to go thru Bahama on that day! 

 

 

Anywat, the Populaire route continued "due north" from the center of Bahama 

Whereas I turned at that corner to ride Bahama Rd down to Lake Michie and beyond. 

 

Lake Michie? 

More like Bahama Beach. 

There had been a rather dry spell, and Lake Michie was the second lowest I can recall. 

"Lake Michie" [I think] downstream from the bridge; more akin to "Bahama Beach."  Due to the dry spell, the lake was not much more than the course of the Flat River.  Timestamp 0914. 

Lake Michie [upstream from the bridge, I think].  Usually, that bare expanse would be flooded with water from the man-made lake.  But, as noted above, with the dry spell, only the course of the Flat River on this day.  Timestamp 0914. 

 

Leaving Lake Michie / Bahama Beach behind me, I climbed the "Michie Wall" to get up to Ellis Chapel Rd, which I rode across to Cassam Rd, and that to Range Road.  Ellis Chapel is a favorite of many north Raleigh cyclists -- prominent among them being Byron, RUSA #621, who left Ellis Chapel Rd out of his hill torture "Leesville - Leasburg - Leesville" Permanent because he couldn't figure out how to include the road and make a sensible Perm route. 

 

Down the "Range Wall" and up into Butner, 

Where I found the Gazebo decked out for Christmas. 

 
 

I left Butner via Gate Road #2. 

Then turned southbound on Will Suitt Rd. 

A direction I seldom ride on that road. 

 

Made my way to Cheek Rd headed toward Falls Lake, and 

Then beyond to Patterson Rd and 

The return to Ravenstone Plaza to wait for the Populaire riders. 

 

Once I got to Cheek Rd, I was again riding the same roads the Pop riders would use. 

As I was well ahead of the Pop riders, 

I was first to discover the significant headwind esp. while crossing Falls Lake. 

 

That headwind slowed me CONSIDERABLY and 

The grouped peloton of the Pop riders broke apart crossing Fall Lake. 

That being what various riders told me. 

And which is confirmed by their official finish times (see below). 

 

 
For kicks, or recent consistency's sake, the following from my Excel log: 

 

•  -> Ravenstone-Bahama-RangeRd-Butner-WillSuit-Ravenstone -> 
• 0630 from my place  --  0800 group Mt Tirzah start  --  strong SSW wind 
• 73.7 total miles (for me);  5:22 in-motion;  13.7-mph avg in-motion 

 

Populaire results, including the pre-riders: 

Region	Club	Type	Distance	Date	Finishers	DNF
NC: Raleigh	North Carolina Bicycle Club / 933045	RUSAP	107	2021/12/11	9	0

Cert#	RUSA#	Name	Club / ACP Code	Time	Medal
RUSA-P18276	7702	A__, Iva C	Randonneurs USA / 933095	05:59
RUSA-P18277	5843	B__, Bob	Randonneurs USA / 940095	05:59
RUSA-P18278	6628	B__, Robert D	Randonneurs USA / 933095	04:59
RUSA-P18279	1015	B__, Chet	North Carolina Bicycle Club / 933045	04:50
RUSA-P18280	9381	D__, Jason B	Randonneurs USA / 933095	04:42
RUSA-P18281	4649	M__, John L	Carolina Tarwheels / 933047	04:52
RUSA-P18282	3175	O__, Lindley	Randonneurs USA / 933095	04:50
RUSA-P18283	6218	S__, Martin	North Carolina Bicycle Club / 933045	05:59
RUSA-P18284	8024	T__, Michael M	Carolina Tarwheels / 933047	04:42

[Note:  pre-riders in brown text.  

I reckon we had better ride weather, but took our camaraderie time.]  

 

 

The above is a story; one to which I will be sticking. 

 

Dec-04-2021: Mt Tirzah Populaire Pre-Ride

Fun ride with friends BobB and IvaHawk as a pre-ride of the Dec-11 Mt Tirzah event. 

Not much recollection of the ride -- actually, no recollections. 

But some photos that might be instructive in the future. 

 

But first, the notes from my Excel log: 

 

• -> Mt. Tirzah Populaire pre-ride 
• I was dog-sitting for a friend -> Iva and I drove back into Raleigh with 
• Iva dropping me off at the friend's.  
• 0715 leave house  --  0835 brevet-pop start,  6h01 elapsed 
• 13.7-mile commute to the start,  0:56 in-motion 
• 66.8-miles for the 107k Pop,  4:58 in-motion 
• total 80.5-miles,  5:54 in-motion,  13.6-mph avg in-motion 

 

Ravenstone Plaza -- start control photos:  

[my photo, 0826.  I think I was expecting us to start at 0830, but someone was not ready, so I, as ride organizer, made the decision to start the pre-ride officially at 0835] 

[Bob's pre-ride photo.] 

Timberlake control -- the oft-used bench(es) in front of the store visible closest to the camera.  1057.  [photo credit to me] 

Bob's Timberlake photo.  All three bikes.  Me with my back to the camera; Iva just beyond me.  [Btw, that orange fencing is there to protect people from the huge hole in the ground where it appeared that the underground gas storage containers were being replaced.]  

[photo credit to Bob]  L to R:  Iva, me.  Location?  Possibly the turn off Culbreth Rd onto Old-75, about a mile before transiting Stem. 

Creedmoor BP control.  1315.  [photo credit to me] 

Bob's Creedmoor photo.  Iva enjoying a laugh.  Me with my back to the camera, again. 

Bob's finish control photo at Ravenstone Plaza.  [Don't know what happened to my finish photo.  Don't know what happened to Iva's photos.] 

 
 

As indicated near the beginning of this post, perhaps these photos will serve a future instructional purpose. 

 

That's my story, and I'll be sticking to it. 

 

Nov-25-2021: Thanksgiving Day Solo

The ONLY reason to make this post is to publish the photo. 

I like the photo -- the dark blue of lake and the residual colors of some of the leaves, 
Plus the interplay of the dark shadows in the foreground and the sunny background 

On what was nearly a severe-clear day -- I like the photo. 

rp

Rolling View Marina alongside Falls Lake at "the bottom" of Baptist Rd.  Timestamp 1211.  

 

From my Excel log: 

 

• -> Carrington-MVC-CP-Southview-marina-return MVC-H'cutt 
• readers might not understand that route description, but I do.
• or at least I understand the route as of when I type this. 
• solo Thanksgiving ride 
• 38.3-miles,  2:44 in-motion,  14.0-mph avg in-motion 

 

One non-Excel-log comment: 

 

• it was a great day for a bike ride, and 
• I much enjoyed just "tooling around" on roads well-known to me. 

 

That's the lame story for this ride; a story to which I'll be stickiing.