After staying the night in a motel, I'm driving back with my family with the bike on the roof rack.
Third question: "How long will it take you?"
I'm shooting for 8 hours in the saddle.
So close!
"Do you stop?"
Yes, there are pit stops all along the route where I can get food & water. There are volunteers driving SAG support vehicles in case I have a really bad problem. Each pit stop also has a bike mechanic.
"Does your butt hurt?"
Surprisingly, no. My saddle fits right and I put in enough saddle time that I don't get sore like that. I do use Bag Balm to prevent chafing in various spots.
It doesn't hurt.
"Isn't it flat all the way out to the Cape?"
No, it's not! The climbs are nothing like central Massachusetts or the Berkshires, but there's still quite a bit of up and down along the route. The toughest bits are the 15 miles on either side of the Cape Cod Canal and the rolling hills in Wellfleet and Truro.
"You must be crazy!"
Mmmmaybe. "What do you do if it rains/it's hot/it's cold?"
Wear appropriate clothing and make a deposit in The Bank of Mental Toughness.
This also counts for the are you crazy question.
"What do you think about, don't you get bored?"
I think a lot about bicycling. Am I in the right spot in the road? Is my cadence OK? Have I been eating and drinking enough? When is the next turn? Any potholes/obstacles to avoid? If I'm riding with someone, it's an excellent chance to talk.
Not shown: Potholes aplenty
"Why are you doing this?"
I ride in memory of a childhood friend, Mark Neuman, who passed away from AIDS in 1991.
The 2018 Ride for Angels: And that is how we do that. I've been using the charity ride "The Ride for Angels" as a final tune up ride for the Harbor to the Bay Ride for a few years now. It's usually the weekend before the H2B. The support is very good and the route is superlative. It benefits Angel Flight New England, the people who fly patients around the country for medical treatment.
Riders forming up for the start
This year I finally had it in my legs to do the 100 mile route AND the discipline to make it happen. Yes, another 5 AM wake up! Everything really came together for this ride. I carbo loaded the night before with some excellent gnocci at Bottega di Capri in Brookline Village. I got the bike up on the roof of the car the night before and packed a bag with post ride clothing and any accessories I might need. Stupidly, I did not do this via my checklist, so I forgot a couple items. Nothing critical, but it underscored the need to use a checklist to outsource thinking. After a 45 minute drive to North Andover, I pulled into the little airfield that serves as the start/finish for the ride. The woman in the car next to me saw my H2B jersey -- she had done the H2B in the past! It was cold out and everyone was kind of complaining and a little unhappy. There was a bunch of debate about how much to wear and when would it warm up. The route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27399329 I saw a number of people from other rides I had done. Patty and Pranja from Team Kermit who I had met at last year's Ride for Angels. They were out to do the 40 mile route or maybe the 68 if they felt good. Jen from Blazing Saddles was there with a bunch of people from the North Shore Cyclists. Later on en route I talked to more people I knew from the Kermits, including Geoffrey who I had met earlier in the summer on the Tour de Shuls.
Queuing up for wrist bands, etc.
Suddenly, it felt like the late 90's -- a period when I would go to as many organized centuries as possible and at every one of them you'd see people you knew. It was a good feeling. The woman who parked next to me came up as we were waiting to start. We talked about which route were we each doing (both of us were doing the 100) and what pace we might be setting. Her name was Jane and seemed like a good idea to stick together, so we thought we'd give it a shot. This turned out really well. We rode together the entire way. For the first 20 or 30 miles I was in a big pack being pulled along by the Kermits. It was great fun and I was psyched to be able to stand the pace and not get spit off the back on the small climbs. At one point we lost a group that was in front when they missed a turn.
Jane and I in the center. We leapfrogged the guy on the left all day.
Speaking of missing a turn, I was riding along talking to Steven from the Kermits about doing the 100 when someone pointed out that I had missed the turn where the 100 split from the 68! Jane made the command decision that the two of us should turn around and find the split. I was pretty doubtful -- I though that it had been 5 - 10 miles and I was not looking to tack on that many bonus miles. In the event it was about a 1.5 miles. As we were doubling back we saw a cyclist make a turn we hadn't made. I yelled and asked if he was on the 100 mile route. "YES!" We turned and I felt a lot better. We passed him and I wondered to myself how the heck I was passing him. He was very fit -- a lot fitter than me for sure. Jane talked to him a bit -- I guess she noticed something odd about his cadence & gearing. It was his first century ride! Around this stretch we picked up another rider -- Ray. Ray was riding a brand new bike, a replacement for his decades old steel bike. He was quite a solid rider, but having a very tough day. His beloved dog had passed away earlier in the week. Losing a companion of 13 years isn't easy. My heart went out to him. I think he hadn't been eating or sleeping well, but was still game to see how he would do for 100 miles. We reached the first pit stop and I took the opportunity to eat a lot. It was 27 miles into the ride and so far all I'd had was half of a banana. I remember eating handfuls of peanuts and trying "RX Nut butter". The nut butter was seriously good. This year I've been trying to mix in more protein and displace some carbs and my cravings have reflected that. It didn't stop me from slamming a whole bottle of Gatorade. Mike rolled in while we were there. It turned out he was in training for the Marine Corps Marathon. Looking at the cue sheet, I've forgotten about a water stop earlier in the ride! It's like that movie, Rashomon (that's not how I remember it!).
I REALLY liked this nut butter
It's an eating contest with some cycling thrown in.
The four of us left the pit together. Ray had some great stories about bicycling in Spain and some neverending climbs. It was still early and we were all waiting for that morning chill to go away. At some point we decided it had warmed up a bit and pulled over to doff some of our gear. Mike leaned his bike against a tree and a bunch of bees came flying out. I said "hey did you find the hive or what?". A few minutes later when Mike tried to grab his bike several bees attacked him! One flew into his helmet! It was whacky. Jane and Ray checked him out and Mike was OK, so we continued on. As we rolled on through more beautiful and quiet roads we dropped Mike a couple more times. He was having a tough day including some cramping I think. By the time we were nearing the second stop I think Jane and I started dropping Ray too. At each of the stops through the day I applied a takeaway from the Blazing Saddles ride: I'd grab food and drink and then sit down to enjoy them. Embracing the bike racer's credo made a difference: Don't stand when you can sit. Don't sit when you lie down. Preferably with your legs elevated. Mike and Ray caught up to us in the pit. Mike got some help from the medical volunteers with his cramping muscles.
Getting the Tin Man treatment in the merry old land of Oz
Seems like the riders get younger every year.
Ray extolling the virtues of his new rig.
We all rolled out together again. Over this stretch we gradually dropped Mike and then Ray again. Jane and I were really enjoying the amazing views and quiet roads. Earlier in the day it was so quiet that we didn't even get harassed in New Hampshire by any drivers! There were farms, stone fences, green fields, and then a low lying road by a salt marsh which was partially flooded by the high tide. Just one lovely view after another.
Jane and me hammering along
We had rejoined the route shared with the people doing the 68 and 40 mile options and were passing a lot of them. When we got to the next pit I saw my friends Kendra and Susan -- who were also training for the Harbor to the Bay on the 68 mile route. I also ran into Jen and the NSC crew who were averaging better than 16 mph for the 100. Kind of amazingly she noted that I was riding a different bike than the one I used for Blazing Saddles! It was rainy that day, so I took my touring bike, a Specialized Secteur. Today, I was on my Trek Emonda ALR-5, a racing bike.
Enjoying the view in Ipswitch
The next leg was a nine mile loop out through Ipswitch into Great Neck and back to the same SAG stop. A gorgeous section of riding that saw us at 85 miles or so when we got back to the pit. Ray was somewhere behind us at this point and we saw Mike rolling in just as we arrived. I told him he could skip that nine mile loop and just head back to the finish if he was feeling played out, but he told me he woke up that day to do 100 miles and that was what he was going to do. :-) Jane and I continued on, swapping pulls. The last stretch of a long ride is tough. You just have to avoid thinking anything negative, dig in, and get it done. We'd had such a great day this wasn't too difficult. For me, this was a tune up for the real apex of my season, the H2B. Jane had raised A LOT of money for Angel Flight and it was her big ride for the year. We talked about winter cycling and she gave me a really interesting tip I had never heard: use baby powder to keep your feet dry and they won't feel so cold. I'll give it a shot! I think she might have been one of the first people I've met who didn't express any shock when I said I rode through the winter! She keeps riding, including out on the Cape in Ptown! Traffic got a little bit heavier and I think some of the drivers weren't quite so kind. I worked really hard on paying attention. Well, soon enough we took one last tough left turn and were back at the start/finish. We exchanged high fives and rode directly to the post ride lunch tables! I didn't even change. Thankfully, they still had veggie burgers. Kendra and Susan were there and we sat with them. I was very happy to have averaged 15.6 mph over 103 miles. It was my best time for a century in 13 years!
It was such a great day in the saddle. Getting to share it with new friends was perfect (Mike and Ray did finish safely, even though I didn't get to see them). I was really lucky to have met Jane and done the whole ride with her. Everything just came together for an excellent ride for a great cause.
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/
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.
