The Longest Training Ride 2018 Edition

The Longest Training Ride* 2018 Edition

View of Provincetown from the Pilgrim Monument

Most every summer my family takes a weeklong vacation in Provincetown, the small town at the very tip of Cape Cod.,  Generally, I ride my bike from my home to the cottage we rent, a distance of 122 miles.  The day before this ride is something of a logistical challenge. Packing stuff for a beach vacation plus getting my bike and panniers ready for a long unsupported solo ride is a lot to take care of.  

I didn’t get to wash my bike as I had hoped, but I did put some oil on the chain.  After the previous week’s rainy century it really needed at least some lube on the chain.  I also mounted a brand new Specialized Armadillo Elite tire on the rear wheel.  In places the old tire's rubber was almost completely worn away.  It was no surprise that the old tire had punctured on that wet century (the North Shore Cyclists' Blazing Saddles ride).

After a really bad night’s sleep (nerves, maybe) I awoke to my alarm at 5:10 AM.  I made a pot of coffee, toasted a bagel, and got dressed.  I pulled my bike bottles and lunch out of the fridge and loaded them onto the bike.  Somehow all this took FOREVER and I wasn’t out the door until 6 AM.  It’s a little nerve wracking bicycling at that hour on a Saturday. How many of the drivers on the road are coming back from a party?  Also route 203 through Dorchester isn't bike friendly in the slightest. In the event it all worked out fine and soon enough I joined the official Harbor to the Bay (H2B) route. 

Who's excited to roll out at 6 AM?

RIVETING and SHOCKING video from the start of my ride.  DO NOT WATCH if you are faint of heart.  You've been warned.

The green arrows on the road had just been repainted.  Any turns I wasn't sure about were simple to find with these bright fresh arrows. The dense roads of Dorchester gave way to Quincy and then Weymouth.  I was riding along when suddenly I was surprised by two cyclists passing me on the right.  If they had snuck up and yelled “BOO” I couldn’t have been more surprised.  Well, just like in cars, it is not best practice to pass on the right -- and road etiquette is to call out before overtaking.  I let them know this in no uncertain terms.  They apologized and explained they were new to cycling.  After that we chatted for a bit.  They were in the middle of a 25 mile loop that would take them out to Abington.  I ended up dropping them on a small climb.

Fresh arrows!

Shortly thereafter I was passed by another cyclist.  Yes, he passed on the left AND he called it out beforehand.  I looked over and he was wearing a H2B jersey from just a few years ago!  I recognized him.  He was someone I’ve seen every year -- his name was Richard and this year is going to be his tenth H2B.  We rode together for a while and chatted.  He was setting a pretty brisk pace.  I skipped my first planned stop -- the lake where the second H2B pit stop is in Halifax -- to ride with him for a while.  Richard was also riding the whole way to Provincetown as a practice ride.  Unlike me, his ride was gong to be longer than the actual event -- he was going to do 141 miles for the day to my 122.  There’s always someone out there going further and faster than you.  It’s kind of fun to meet them out on the road!  It's also why I've got the asterix on "The Longest Training Ride" because it turned that it isn't!

Richard split off from me around Hanson to take a breakfast stop.  I continued on my own, eating a Clif bar (probably my second for the day) washing it down with the last of the heavily sugared iced coffee I packed from my house.  I figured he would pass me later in the day. 

Excellent advice

The weather was just outstanding all day.  At the start it was 64F, probably the coolest temperature I’ve biked in for months.  For most of the morning it held in the low 70’s and then went up to the mid 80’s.  It was sunny and the wind was fairly light.  Excellent riding conditions.

Much of the route follows the intermittently marked "Claire Saltonstall Bikeway"

In addition to that now finished bike bottle of iced coffee I also had three bottles of water -- two on the frame and another in a pannier.  The weight of all this stuff did slow me down, but it had the upside of reducing the number of stops I'd have to make to get more water.  

As I approached the town of Plympton I was struck by the beauty of the farms and paddocks with horses.  There were also a few farm stands.  Conversely, I was shocked by the amount of garbage by the side of the road.  Bottles, fast food wrappers, you name it, it was out there by the side of the road.  It was like something out of the 1970’s.  You just don’t see that much litter on the road any more.  

I saw bike inner tube and reached my litter limit.  I wasn’t going to have the cycling community’s name sullied like that.  I stopped and shoved the tube into my pannier for later disposal.

Nice marketing, Plymouth, but Ptowm was first.

Soon I was riding through Plymouth, “America’s home town”.  Come on, everyone knows the Pilgrims landed in Provincetown first, signed the Mayflower Compact there, and spent their first disastrous winter in Ptown.  It’s also where they stole a cache of beans & corn from the local Wampanoag.  

After Plymouth you have to tackle one of the tough bits of the ride; the rolling hills that lead to the Cape Cod Canal.  This section is about 60 miles in -- your legs have started to feel like it’s a real ride and you aren’t even halfway done.  The road is a bit narrow in places and can be a bit busy.  But it’s twisty and fun to ride.  I was particularly impressed by the courtesy shown to me by US Postal Service delivery truck drivers.  Many of them passed me on this section and as rule every single one of them gave me an ample berth on the road.  I really appreciated it.  There was also a short section where the road had been widened a tad and a painted bike lane had been created.  Luxury!

MORE RIVETING FOOTAGE. THIS TIME OF ROLLING TERRAIN

What a good feeling to pop out of this section and finally see the bridge and the big wind turbines by the Cape Cod Canal.  I planned on stopping at a Dunkin Donuts and getting a LARGE iced coffee and some kind of egg and cheese sandwich.  I was really fixated on that sandwich.  I was also looking forward to stopping for a bit and putting my feet up.

Idle chit chat with a Hell’s Angel, why not?

Dunks seating area was nearly empty.  I guess it's the kind of place people stop to get coffee and not linger.  So, I brought my bike in and plugged in my phone to charge.  Entering the shop I had noticed a cluster of older men dressed in motorcycle gear.  When I got in line one of them came in and stood behind me.  So far during my ride a number of pickup trucks had passed too closely to me and I was wondering if they treated motorcyclists with same disregard.  The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hey, nice day for a ride, huh?
Dude: Uh, yeah.
<wait a few beats>
Me: I’ve got a question for you: do pickup truck drivers pass too closely to you, almost as a rule?
Dude: Everyone on the road tests us. They all do. Especially when they see the patch.

Patch?  What the heck was he talking about?  Nicotine?  Some kind of tattoo?  His vest had the name of some kind of group on it, but for all I knew he bought it at the local mall.  When I sat down and saw the back of one of his heavily tattooed friends’ vests it said “Hell’s Angels”.  Okaaay.  Making small talk with Hell’s Angels.  Smooth move.  They were standing outside the store when I arrived and would occasionally come in.  One or two would stand at the edge of the parking lot by the road.  They were maintaining this watch when I left.  No idea what was up with that.

Second Breakfast

I did have a nice conversation with a couple women there about how far I was riding.  The egg and cheese on an English muffin was great.  I also got my water bottles refilled. I felt a lot better for sitting down with my feet up on another chair. 

Getting over the bridge and onto the Cape proper is always a great feeling.

I caught up with a couple cyclists on touring bikes.  They had eastern European accents, so I assumed incorrectly they weren’t local.  Anyway, they were doing a tour of the Cape.  They had spent the night at Shawme state park and were planning on slowly working their way up the Cape maybe spending the night at Nickerson state park.  I’ve often thought about getting back into bike touring -- and trying to incorporate camping in a tent. It seems like doing this on the Cape is great way to try it out.  In any case, they were going a lot slower than me -- and that’s saying something!  ;-)  So, I wished them safe travels and continued on.

Sent this live traffic update to my wife

Finishing the rollers along the service road I hit what is likely the least pleasant stretch of road on the trip: a seven mile stretch on route 6A, mostly in Barnstable.  Fortunately, traffic was on the light side and the drivers were mostly courteous.  There’s a plan afoot to extend the Cape Cod Rail Trail all the way to the canal.  I look forward to the day when I no longer have to bike on this stretch of road.  

Just shy of Yarmouth I pulled over to have some water and eat something.  Suddenly I heard a voice say “Excuse me, do you know which way Provincetown is?”.  I turned around and it was Richard!  He had finally caught up with me.  We talked a bit and I told him about my second breakfast by the bridge.  He was planning on stopping for lunch in the Yarmouth House of Pizza.  We got a couple photos and he took off.

Do you know which way to Provincetown?

Smiles all around.

He took off while I was still enjoying my brief respite.  When I got to the Yarmouth House of Pizza I pulled over, put my bike next to his, and ran inside.  He was standing in line and I just said "Hey, let’s meet up at PB Boulangerie in Wellfleet.  The espresso is on me!".  He invited me to join him, but I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my bag which I was planning on eating later.  We confirmed he knew the location of the boulangerie and I took off.

It was with great relief that I turn off 6A shortly thereafter.  I spun along this wide but quiet residential road waving hello to kids bicycling on the sidewalk.  I often think of the people I saw doing long distance bike tours on the Cape in the 70’s.  Immediate post hippie Bikecenntennial types on Schwin ten speeds with safety flags on the bikes.  Do I make a similar impression on those kids?

Soon enough I was turning onto the rail trail in Brewster.  Ironically, I regard this as something of a dangerous bit of the ride.  It can be twisty in places and the path is filled with inexperienced cyclists and well, unpredictable kids.  I tried my utmost to be careful and courteous as I passed while still trying to make good time.  Best practice is to call out well before you pass, keep communicating as you pass, and ask in the friendliest possible way if they’re having a good day while pulling away.  

I stopped in Nickerson for a break and to eat that sandwich.  I had a nice chat with a woman who had biked about 20 miles that day.  All day I had been texting my family giving them “live traffic reports” whenever I went by the route they would be taking.  Just before I got back on my bike I saw that they were stopping at The Hot Chocolate Sparrow in Orleans, not very far from where I was.  Since there’s a water fountain on the bike path there, I was planning on stopping to refill my bottles.  When I got there who did I see?  My family!  They had just arrived as well.  

It was great to see them -- even if they would not accept sweaty hugs from me.  I was also able to ditch some extra clothing, food, and sundries that I wasn’t going to need this late in the day.  It was less than 20 miles to Provincetown at this point.  We parted and I got back to the business of finishing up the rail trail.  The trail is a bit wider and straighter from Orleans to its end in Wellfleet, so it’s a bit easier to handle the traffic on it.  You do get to see the tidal flats and ponds of the lower Cape, though. 

Soon enough I was at the end of the rail trail.  I banged the left turn at stopped at PB Boulangerie.  After parking my bike like a total jackass (oops, sorry!), I got into the mercifully short line.  Looking outside, who did I see slowing down to a stop?  Richard!  He had indeed caught up to me again, as ordained in The Prophecy,  I mean, as we agreed at the Yarmouth House of Pizza.  He joined me in line, but did not take me up on my offer of an espresso.  We sat outside chatting after getting our food (double espresso, chocolate almond croissant, and a Gatorade for me).  After a while it was time to put the ride to bed.  Richard took off before me.  I squared away my stuff and headed out.

Eloquence escapes me:

Before I knew it I was off Route 6 and doing that hairpin around Highland Light in Truro.  Up a couple climbs and there it was.  Across Beach Point I could see Provincetown and Pilgrim Monument.  Whooping and yelling I rolled down the hill.  122 miles from my house to the cottage we rented for vacation.  What a great feeling of accomplishment to roll to a stop and be greeted by my family after such a long day in the saddle.

If you've made it this far, please consider sponsoring me in the 2018 Harbor to the Bay Ride.  100% of the money raised goes to the local HIV/AIDS charities benefiting from the ride.  https://www.harbortothebay.org/profile/atsolo/

2018 North Shore Cyclists Blazing Saddles Century

Wow, two years in a row I got to do the late August North Shore Cyclists' Blazing Saddles Century!  This year I did a bit of tapering in preparation for this ride: I took two days off from bicycling to work.  I'd been on a heck of ride streak.  It had been about two months since I had taken my car to work.  

By the same token, I think I've been burning out a bit.  I've been working really hard since the turn of the year.  Like last year, Blazing Saddles coincides with the start of my summer vacation.  I'm planning on a couple big rides, but I'm also looking forward to stepping away from the daily physical grind of my 30 mile round trip bike commute.

Anyway, my alarm went off at 5:20 AM.  Thankfully, I had once again followed best practice, prepping all my stuff for the day the previous evening.  I poured my iced coffee into a bottle, grabbed my packed bag, and took my bike out to the car for the drive to the start of the ride, Triton Regional High School.  

Bridge Over the Merrimack

I fueled up with an egg and cheese on multigrain from Brueggers Bagels.  6 AM on a Saturday and they were impressively ready for their customers.  I asked what time they started prep work for the day -- 3 AM(!).  Now that I think of it, I wonder what time the people there "wake up" to go to work in the morning?  How long does it take them to get to work?  Be nice to the people working the counter, folks.  They always work harder than you realize.

Since the forecast for the day was for scattered showers I took my commuter bike, my trusty Specialized Secteur with the full fenders.  It's heavier and slower than my pure road bike, a Trek Emonda, but it's a little more comfortable in wet conditions.

After checking in, picking up my schwag bag, and getting the wrist band indicating I was a registered rider, I rolled out.  A fair number of riders were doing the same.  Most seemed a bit faster than the pace I wanted to do.  Quite a few packs of very fast cyclists passed by as well.  I made a few efforts at jumping on the back of a couple groups, but ended up getting spit off the back in each case.

At this point I had a pretty negative experience with a pickup truck driver.  When he passed me he "rolled coal".  It's some kind of aftermarket addition that (illegally) injects motor oil into the exhaust so a dense acrid black smoke comes out of the truck.  There wasn't much I could do except hold my breath and ride through the black exhaust smoke.  Fortunately, I had a good look at the road before he did this.  A few miles later I saw a line of cars backed up and a group of cyclists ahead of them standing by the side of the road.  "What could be going on?" I thought.  It turned out that the drawbridge over the Merrimack River was closed.

Waiting patiently for the bridge to reopen

Split from these people who were doing one of the shorter routes.

A troubled young man overcompensating.

Who did I see in line?  Mr. Coal Roller himself.  A young guy.  I managed to say -- and only say -- "Hey, that was very amusing." through his open passenger side window as I coasted by him.  Well there you.  Middle aged restraint.  I told the other cyclists what he had done while we were waiting for the bridge to reopen.  They hadn't heard of rolling coal!  Sure enough after the bridge reopened and he passed us he tried doing it again -- a little too far up the road for whatever reason.  What a nice fellow.  

Around this point I rode for a while with an English cyclist who currently lives in Illinois.  He was visiting Massachusetts while his wife was running in the Falmouth Road Race.  I was bummed that he was riding just a bit too fast for me and eventually we parted ways.

LOTS of food at the second pit stop.

All day the roads had been really wet.  There had been a bit of spitting rain at one point too.  Slowly the day got brighter and hotter.  The humidity was kind of high and that might have prevented the roads from completely drying.  This had two repercussions: my shoes were getting wet (the full fenders don't quite protect my feet).  The cycling socks I was wearing were kind of on the thick side and boy I was getting sick of having damp feet.  The second repercussion is debris sticks to the tires just a bit more than when it's dry out.  

I was riding with another cyclist when I could feel that tell tale squishiness in my bike.  Yup, I had punctured.  What a bummer.  I ride All Condition Specialized Armadillos.  These are tough tires with kevlar belts.  They are darned puncture resistant and handle very well on wet roads.  Resistant doesn't mean puncture proof, unfortunately.  I pulled off the road right by a man doing some yard work.  He asked if I needed anything, and I said I was OK.  I took the tire off the rim and felt along the inside while inspecting the casing looking for whatever holed my tire.  I found two things: the shard of glass that penetrated the tire and wow, that tire was worn out!  There were quite a few holes in the rubber -- those kevlar belts do excellent work. Past time for a new tire for sure!  

I think every cyclist or group of cyclists that passed me while I was working on my bike offered assistance.  It was an impressive demonstration of cycling etiquette.  I really appreciated it.  Anyway, in short order I was back up and running.  I did do an extra careful search of the area to ensure I was not leaving any garbage or debris behind.  

I ran into the English guy again.  He was beside the road with a woman -- I asked how they were doing and I heard she had been stung by a bee and they were waiting.  Later on at the second pit stop I found out she had SWALLOWED A BEE and was waiting for her friends.  YIKES.  Even when I found out the rest of the story at the pit, I think my response was far too laconic.  It seems like evidence that I was having a weird day.

The second pit stop had an excellent selection of food.  I was most interested in the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread.  I ate quite a bit and washed it down with gatorade.  I also pumped up my tire to 120 PSI.  The CO2 cartridge I used to inflate it when changing the tire managed about 85 PSI.  Safely rideable for sure, but my preference is for an old school 120 PSI.  

I had a nice conversation with a woman on an e-assist bike who was doing one of the shorter routes.  She said she hadn't ridden a bike ever until she was 71 and got an ebike.  I asked her how old she was -- she said she was in her 80's.  I could not believe it.  She looked like she was in her mid-60's.  She smiled and said her doctor was very happy that she had taken up cycling.  

In retrospect I made a mistake at this pit in not sitting down to eat.  Sitting down and stretching a bit would have been a good thing.  The next section of the ride I had a bit of a tough time and my pace suffered.  It was hot and over this section I drained both my bike bottles.  I rode this stretch entirely by myself.  It was kind of a bummer.

Finally, I got to the third pit, around 85 miles in.  There were some very threatening dark clouds in the sky.  Still, the riders around me were in good spirits.  I ate and drank A LOT and I SAT DOWN.  In fact, I went one step further and TOOK MY SHOES OFF. Boy, what I would have given for a dark roast iced coffee. 

I kidded around with a couple cyclists that they had an iron clad guarantee that it wouldn't rain -- I brought my bike with fenders AND I was carrying my vest!  Well, it was time to mount back up and get the rest of the ride done.  Shortly after leaving the pit I was passed by a group of three cyclists.  I jumped on the back and drafted.  I was pretty sure this was it.  A group whose pace was doable for me.  It really made a difference for my morale, that's for sure.  There was another guy in a Nashbar American flag jersey who could have joined -- and probably should have.  We leap frogged him for much of the rest of the ride.  

A few minutes into riding with this group it started raining steadily.  I noticed one of the other cyclists checking her phone and putting it back into her jersey -- without any kind of bag.  She mentioned that she was worried about the phone being ruined.  Well, the arrows had been fantastic all day and I hadn't looked at the cue sheet once.  It was sitting in a ziplock bag attached to a cue sheet holder on my handlebars.  I pulled up next to her and offered the bag for her phone.  It was the least I could do after just joining their group without asking if it was OK!  

We worked a pretty decent paceline, taking turns pulling at the front.  I didn't do such a great job -- I worked too hard on climbs and split the group.  I felt bad about it.  I was so glad to be working in a group though.  It really made the last 24 miles fly by.  I got utterly soaked by the rooster tails of water kicked up by the other bikes.  I felt great though.  At the time I wondered if I had been just getting too hot before it started raining.  It's a possibility.  I could have felt stronger due to drafting & chatting.  Or maybe I just need crappy conditions to feel tough.  

Anyway, before I knew it we were a scant few miles from the finish and then -- we were there.  Rolling back into the Triton Regional High School parking lot.  What a great feeling.  The rain had slacked off and stopped in the last few miles too.

I was glad to get out of my soaking wet kit and into dry street clothing.  

I am DONE

At the post ride meal I got the last veggie dog -- and man, did it taste GREAT.  I sat with John from the group I finished the ride with.  Santina and Jen were talking with some other people from the NSC -- the three of them seemed pretty active in the group.  Like an idiot I didn't get a photo of the four of us.  I really did have a fun time riding with them all.

Chatting with John after the ride

What is a hot dog but a condiment delivery system?

The cherry on the sundae was checking my ride time from the previous year.  Also on the Secteur due to an iffy forecast -- I beat my previous year's time by about 50 minutes!  What a difference 40 pounds makes.

The Road Not Taken (kinda gets taken)

So, every summer my company has an outing at the Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire.  This year I gave very strong consideration to bicycling to the outing from my home.  It would have been about 180 miles -- over two days.  In the event I did a lot of miles in May and June to get ready, but I thought it best not to attempt the ride.  Although I think I could have done it, I think I would have been too tired from the effort to be any fun over the weekend.

The historic and grand Mount Washington Hotel

I did bring my bike however and I took the opportunity to ride down Crawford Notch a bit.  This would have been the culmination of my trip from Boston to Mount Washington and I wanted to see what it was like.  Even though I've been bicycling for many years -- 28 years as an adult -- I've never ridden a mountain pass like Crawford Notch.  

Time for a gut check

A few pleasant miles into the effort I came to the sign that really marks the descent -- a 13% grade with a pretty narrow shoulder.  I pulled off into the scenic overlook to take stock.  Well, I thought.  This is it.  I took a couple photos and headed down.  It was kind of nerve wracking -- particularly since there was a bit of construction at the edge of the road.  I got through it, feathering my brakes along the way.  I still hit about 40 mph!

After seven miles or so I got to the historic Wily House.  I'm not sure what made it historic, but it seemed like a good place to turn around.  It would make for a short ride, but I did have a dinner reservation I had to get to and I wasn't sure how long it would take me to climb back up that 13% grade.

Wile E. Coyote House? I'm an ignoramus.

Looking back up the way I came.

I passed a number of happy hikers coming in the opposite direction and waved hello.  It was a steep long climb.  I've ridden up Mount Wachusett in central Mass and done some very long climbs in the Berkshires, but this seemed -- more like a classic mountain pass.  I looked around and realized it really looked like the kind of road that professional racers ride on.  Sweat dripped off me as I ground my way up in the easiest gear that my road bike offered.  I got into a good rhythm during the ride up.  The scenery was amazing and the drivers were courteous for the most part.

I got to the top of the climb far faster than I thought I would.  It felt great!  Settling into the drops I hammered back to the hotel, feeling kind of sorry that the ride was so short.  I got back on time to get ready for dinner feeling like the ride from my house to Mount Washington is doable.  

Feeling good, wishing I could have gone further.

Training Ride Leader Safety speech checklist

Training Ride Leader Safety speech checklist

• 1. Safety is my number one priority today. I want everyone to arrive safe and sound at the finish.
• We will be obeying all traffic laws, e.g. red lights and stop signs
• Signal turns and stopping, verbally for the latter. Demonstrate signals
• Point out obstacles. Yield to crossing pedestrians, make room for joggers
• Ride outside the door zone. It's OK to take the lane.
• Call out cars in intersections, but do not call out "clear". Every rider on every turn has to assess if it is safe. The situation changes rapidly.
• Call out bad potholes and such.
• Do not run yellow lights. If the group is split by a light we will stop and wait. No one gets dropped
• Appoint a sweep rider. No one rides behind the sweep.
• If you leave the ride before the finish, let me know ahead of time & contact me when you get home so I don't worry.
• Have fun on the road!  Bobby Mac said the training *is* the event and the ride is the cherry on the sundae, so make sure you have a good time today.

2018 Outriders: A Return to Form

This is where I want to be, this is how I want to get there.  So said the old Outriders t-shirt from 2003.  Outriders is a one day 126 mile bike ride from Boston to Provincetown (just for fun).  I've done it off and on since 1999.  As the name suggests, many (maybe most) of the people doing the ride are LGBTQ, but it's a welcoming group and I've never caught any flak for being straight and participating.

The goal line (well, kinda)

I prepped my bike a day or two early and followed my big bike event checklist to make sure I had everything I wanted for this ride:

Helmet
jersey & shorts
gloves
cycling cap
2 water bottles
sunglasses
HRM
six Clif bars
two powdered gatorades
clif shot
sunscreen
lip balm
arm warmers leg warmers
shell/vest
cue sheet holder
wallet
paper towel
under the saddle bag w/tools, tubes, CO2
space blanket
Bag w/post ride clothing including sandals/flipflops

Dinner was work: gnocci, beans, vegetarian sausage. I wanted to be carbo loaded for bear.  I had brand new Specialized Armadillo Elite tires mounted on the bike.  Clothing was laid out and I even prepped my breakfast for the next morning.  Alarms were set for 4:45 AM.  Organization & checklists eliminate stress and mistakes.  This makes it easier to fall asleep.  I got into bed with plenty of time for eight hours of sleep and read a book until I felt drowsy.  

The next morning I was up with my first alarm.  Got everything ready and I was out the door and rolling to the start line in the South End.  My wife and kids had gone to Provincetown the day before, so I didn't have to worry about making too much noise so early in the morning.

Efficient check in.  Give them your rider number et voila

Arriving at the start I was quickly checked in and my rider number was written on my leg.  I met up with a friend and we took off a tad early at 5:50 AM.  The route officially opens at 6 AM.

One fun tradition is your rider number is yours forever.  The lower the number, the longer you've been doing this.

There are no official pit stops for the first 30 miles.  It's kind of a long stretch, but there are many convenience stores and coffee shops on the route.  I had a lot of food on me and I'd even decided to start the day with black iced coffee in one of my water bottles.  A good move for someone as caffeine dependent as I am.

Early on, maybe around the old Boston Globe building on Morrissey Boulevard a fast group came zipping by.  I jumped on the back of the train.  We were setting a blistering pace through Quincy.  Then someone said they thought they had a flat and pulled over.  I know that just a couple blocks away was the first big climb of the day.  I figured I wasn't going to be able to keep up on the climb, but if I left then while they changed a tire I could get over it and then hang on afterwards.  

I probably said something like, "I'll catch you guys on the road" and took off.  It was rude of me, honestly.  I should have made sure that someone was good at changing tires and explained my intention.  Anyway, just after that the bluetooth speaker I had on my headset came unvelcro'ed.  I pulled over to resecure it and the group came ripping past me.  I guess they didn't have a puncture after all.  And there went the train.  Oh well.

My friend Pete must have been spit off the back of the group, since he came by shortly thereafter while I was just clipping back in to get rolling, so at least we were able to ride together.  After a bit we came upon one of the people from the fast group and picked her up too.  I figured we'd collect a few more cyclists from it, but that turned out to be incorrect.  So, we three continued on together until we reached the first official pit stop.

Hamentaschen? Yes! Please!

Wide variety of food, water, and Gatorade.

Friendly volunteers!

At each pit you checked in with your rider number, they confirmed your name, and the info was uploaded.  The organizers & your friends and family knew where you were.  It made me feel very well taken care of.

After the pit I kind of upped the pace a bit and dropped Pete and Karen.  I made sure to eat and drink by the clock, not by the pit stop.  I felt really strong and that all the hard work I'd been putting in to be ready for this cycling season was really paying dividends.  All the squats, deadlifts, hours long wintertime spin sessions inside, early spring cold rainy rides, it was all for this: to be back in form flying to Provincetown. 

My time at 62 miles was something like 3:30.  By far the fastest metric "century" I've done in many years.  This pace was akin to how I rode 17 years ago when I was as fit as I've ever been.  Every skipped dessert, extra slice of pizza, beer, and martini was my payment for this (I've lost 35 pounds so far this year).  And I was enjoying it thoroughly.  

Before crossing the bridge I ran an important errand: I stopped at the Dunkin Donuts for a larged iced coffee.  I put a water bottle in my jersey and the iced coffee fit in my bottle cage nicely.  On the way over the bridge I met up with Pete who had caught up while I was in Dunks.

In queue to order my iced coffee.

Pete and I just over the bridge on the Cape proper.

My new rig, a Trek Emonda. Note the iced coffee.

Lunch stop!

Keep those salty crunchies coming!

I hung out for a bit at the Sandwich pit stop, eating and drinking.  Then, it was back on the road.  The next notable stretch was the service road that parallels route 6.  Traffic was backed up badly on route 6 and Waze/GPS services was routing a fair amount of poorly behaved drivers onto the service road.  It was less than fun sharing the road with them.

After the service road I was quite concerned about what 6A was going to be like.  There's a long stretch on 6A -- maybe 7 miles -- and tourists are lost and locals are angry.  As it turned out, this year it was fine.  No close calls and even a few very polite/careful drivers.  It's an intense section and I was glad when I got to the next pit in Yarmouth.  I entered it with my traditional sarcastic, "Wow, that section was fun!  Let's do that again!"  The riders in the pit seemed nonplussed at my attempted humor.

At this point I was drinking a full bottle of Gatorade in each pit and then another in between pits.  Also, the bottle I was using for Gatorade had a broken seam and was leaking a bit.  It was getting kinda gross.  I kept meeting up with the same riders at the pits.  I think they were faster than me, but I was spending less time in the pits.  I didn't introduce myself, which was kinda dumb on my part.

This stretch of the ride zipped along.  It zigs, zags back onto 6A for a moment, and then it's back up to the middle of the Cape in Brewster to get to the Cape Cod Rail Trail.  In the past I've made up some time here and raised my average speed.  I might pulled back a little time in this stretch, but it wasn't much.  At the 100 mile mark I was averaging 15.4 mph.  This was my best century time in many years.  I was gratified.  

100 miles.  74F  Perfect.

You do have to be careful on the rail trail.  There are a lot of quite inexperienced cyclists, children, and dog walkers on it.  My feeling is that there's a better chance of getting hurt on this stretch, even if the end result is probably not as bad as getting tagged by a car.  I ran into one cyclist -- not a participant in Outriders -- who had hit another cyclist.  He was kind of bloodied and had broken the chainstays on his carbon fiber Giant bicycle.  

The Cape Cod Rail Trail: chock full o' newbies

In any case I pushed along and this traffic sort of thinned out.  I ran into a few more Outriders including one guy who was really concerned about how much further we had to go until the next pit.  He seemed to be having a tough day.  Once you get over 100 miles it really is like breaking an important barrier.  It's a distance that most cyclists never do.  The weather was just perfect.  And the smell of the tidal flats and sun baked pine needles was just, well, it was the smell of Cape Cod to me.

The next pit was the second to last pit.  It was at the very end of the bike path in Wellfleet.  I stopped and ate a bit.  The best thing they had was the watermelon.  It was really refreshing.  The volunteers were great.  I recall that one of them was one of the ride organizers, Sondra.  I was kind of getting tired of eating though.  With 20 miles or so left in the day, this kind of food fatigue is not a good thing.  I really should have immediately left and gone to PB Boulangerie (right around the corner) for a croissant and a double espresso.

The always mellow pit at the end of the rail trail.

Sadly, I didn't do this and I think the lack of caffeine boost was impacting my mood.  Anyway, the next leg of the route is probably my favorite stretch of cycling anywhere.  It features Oceanview Road, some awesome S turns through kettle ponds down to Wellfleet center, and then a gorgeous stretch through the marshes around the Pamet River in Truro.  Although the starch was out of my legs and I lost a bunch of time on the climbs here, I just loved it.  It was a perfect sunny day to be cycling on such quiet classic New England back roads.

At this point I passed the rider who had asked me about how far it was to the next pit.  He was having a tough time.  I think he said he knee hurt earlier.  Anyway, I did a bunch of my usual patter to distract him.  "Hey, you're doing great"  "Look how gorgeous this is, we're lucky to be out here" "Did you know it was around here the Pilgrims stole corn and beans from the Wompanoag".  At the time I thought he wasn't buying it, but afterwards he reached out to me on Facebook and let me know he appreciated the effort.  😃

Finally we came to the last pit, the stop in Truro.  Since I had a lot of water left in my bottle and bunch of food, I shouted out my number, and just checked in.  I also chatted very briefly with another of the ride organizers, Lew.  And away I went to put this ride to bed.  I finished what Gatorade I had, slammed a Clif shot (with caffeine), and chased it with some generous gulps of water.  I got down in the drops and hammered.

Wow, it felt GREAT.  I still had a lot of power in my legs.  I made it up over the last couple climbs in Truro and got my first view of Provincetown.  Whooping and hollering I descended into Beach Point one gigantic grin plastered on my face.

This is where I want to be.
This is how I want to get there.

I crossed into Ptown, rode down Bradford, and there I was.  8:37 and done.  14.9 mph.  Best time in years.  My family was there.  My friends Joe and Rene were there.  It was fantastic.  I got off my bike.  Ate some real food.  Hung out.  I couldn't have been happier.  It turned out that one of the guys I'd been leapfrogging during the latter part of the day remembered me from 2017 -- and my whacky piece of advice "Remember, it's an eating contest with some cycling thrown in".  



Outriders 2018 marked a real return to form for me.  I could not be happier with my performance on the road.  As always, this ride is a challenge and a high point of my cycling season.  One of my favorite events.  🚴💖🚴🚴🚴

Why do organized training rides for your charity ride

You've signed up for a charity ride (yay, good for you!).  Hopefully, this ride has organized training rides.  Why should you take the time to go to a few of these rather than just riding on your own?

I rode 85 miles by myself. ANTISOCIAL

If you are new to cycling and/or have only biked on your own there are a whole bunch of skills you need to learn.  These range from standard long distance cycling tips (eat! drink!) to how to safely ride in a group (point out obstacles! communicate!  don't halfwheel!).

Studies have also found that people riding with friends will go faster and further.

A group of cyclists together is more visible and safer.

There's a more important reason to do training rides though.  To paraphrase the great Bobby Mac of blessed memory, training for the event is the sundae. The event is just the cherry on top.  Training IS the event.  Make sure you have fun doing it.  Riding organized rides gets you out and experiencing the culture of the ride.  You also meet people and make new friends!

So much happier riding with friends!

Lastly, and this is particularly important on one day events, meeting fellow riders gives you a chance to develop a culture unique to the ride you're going to be doing.

Esprit de Corps!