Monday, April 22
For the first time ever, I made it to the top of Martin's Road (25% at the peak) without cracking, but I suffered for the rest of the ride and couldn't quite recover from the early climbing. Nevertheless, I tried to take some new and different roads -- winding my way around the mental hospital area.
Thursday, April 24
Too much climbing. I rode up Sportsman and nearly had to stop during the insanely graded top section. It was one of those moments when I was literally a fraction of an inch away from yanking my foot out of the clip but, at the last second, changed my mind and kept on cranking up toward the top. The descent was incredible though and worth every painful minute of the climb. I was fortunately able to recover on the way down Texter, so I decided to climb Furnace Rd up to the celebrity rehab facility on North Galen.
Sunday, April 27
My first distance-ish ride (35 miles round trip) to Myerstown and back. The Sunday special at Risser's Family Restaurant: Snitz und Knepp. And the business that cracks me up every time I pass it? The Focht Agency. Anyway, just like last year, it takes me until the Conrad Weiser Homestead to warm up. Around eight miles. I really felt strong during the long false-flat after Womelsdorf. By the time I reached the Kumm Esse Diner in Myerstown, my left sit-bone was killing me. Hopefully that will go away after a few more break-in rides. Also, my left knee is holding up. No tendonitis yet.
28 April 2008
07 February 2008
Nobody Welcome
Two Sundays in a row... climbing. Last Sunday, January 27, I cycled up two different routes: first, I climbed up Sportsman then down the insanely steep Texter Mountain Rd. The switchbacks at the bottom are around 25% and too fast for my comfort level. Then I looped around Hospital Rd and up Furnace Rd then descended down N. Galen Hall past the celebrity rehab facility.
This past Sunday, I tried Furnace Rd again, but this time, I continued UP N. Galen Hall to Mountain Top Rd, then to the dreaded Huntzinger at the top of the mountain. But I only stayed on Huntzinger long enough to catch the amazing view. I decided instead to descend on Point Rd.
At one point, there was a "Visitor Info" sign with a handpainted "Nobody Welcome" sign underneath. I stopped to snap a photo despite the warning until I heard from *somewhere* an ominous shout, "Get him!" Fortunately, Point is steeper than the bottom of Texter Mountain Rd and I took advantage of the speed to escape whatever the hell that was.
Anyway, I look like a 6'4" ninja on a bike with all of my cold weather gear. I don't blame anyone for feeling a little threatened.
10 November 2007
Texter Mountain
Here's a pile of reasons to climb Texter Mountain in the Fall.
Sportsman Rd near the bottom of the climb. Average 5% grade.
The top of Sportsman Rd. Yeah, that's another rider up there. The grade here ranges between 12% and 20%. It's a challenging end to a 4-mile climb. Then again, Texter Mountain Rd has one last steep surprise...
This is the intersection of Sportsman Rd and Texter Mountain Rd looking up towards the summit of Texter Mountain.
This is the same view as the camera-phone shot here.
This is the view from Texter Mountain Rd down into the Cocalico valley and Rt. 897.
Here's one of the awesomely steep descents down Texter Mountain Rd leading into the valley.
The valley.
This last photo is at the 422 side of Texter Mountain Rd. The buildings in the foreground belong to the Wernersville State Hospital.
I won't be doing any climbing tomorrow. My rear brakes are caput.
Sportsman Rd near the bottom of the climb. Average 5% grade.
The top of Sportsman Rd. Yeah, that's another rider up there. The grade here ranges between 12% and 20%. It's a challenging end to a 4-mile climb. Then again, Texter Mountain Rd has one last steep surprise...
This is the intersection of Sportsman Rd and Texter Mountain Rd looking up towards the summit of Texter Mountain.
This is the same view as the camera-phone shot here.
This is the view from Texter Mountain Rd down into the Cocalico valley and Rt. 897.
Here's one of the awesomely steep descents down Texter Mountain Rd leading into the valley.
The valley.
This last photo is at the 422 side of Texter Mountain Rd. The buildings in the foreground belong to the Wernersville State Hospital.
I won't be doing any climbing tomorrow. My rear brakes are caput.
08 November 2007
Insane Week
My week has been so busy that I haven't been able to write about Sunday's incredible ride. It was probably the most beautiful and satisfying ride of the season through the mountains and Fall colors and crisp air. Yeah, that sounds sappy, but I don't give a shit. It's true.
I climbed Texter Mountain again via Sportsman Rd just like the previous Sunday, only this time, I descended Texter Mountain Rd into the valley to Rt 897. The views were amazing and I curse myself for not bringing a camera. It was definitely the longest and fastest descent I've ever tried. And the road itself was narrow -- a glorified one-laner.
897 was cool too, since I haven't hit that road since the beginning of August (my Google Maps aren't working right now for some reason). From there, it was Galen Hall Rd and back into the mountains. Then it was Preston to Hill Rd and back to Wernersville.
By the way, at the intersection of Sportsman and Texter Mountain, I swear I saw Karl Rove pass me in a white Acura. I think I need a vacation.
I climbed Texter Mountain again via Sportsman Rd just like the previous Sunday, only this time, I descended Texter Mountain Rd into the valley to Rt 897. The views were amazing and I curse myself for not bringing a camera. It was definitely the longest and fastest descent I've ever tried. And the road itself was narrow -- a glorified one-laner.
897 was cool too, since I haven't hit that road since the beginning of August (my Google Maps aren't working right now for some reason). From there, it was Galen Hall Rd and back into the mountains. Then it was Preston to Hill Rd and back to Wernersville.
By the way, at the intersection of Sportsman and Texter Mountain, I swear I saw Karl Rove pass me in a white Acura. I think I need a vacation.
03 November 2007
The Last 2007 Weekday Ride
So that's it for my weekday rides until 2008. The days are becoming too damn short, and eventually I'd have to skip work entirely in order to get a decent ride in. Tonight we turn the clocks back an hour and POOF! it's perpetually dark until next Spring.
Sundays will remain intact and outdoors until the snow, but the weekday rides will move into my basement once again, with the exception of perhaps some brief cross practicing over at the school (which also means perpetually changing over to my Maxxis cross tires). I don't really know if I'll be cut out for cyclocross, but it *looks* awesome.
Anyway, this winter I won't be destroying my knees on a stationary bike. I'm buying an indoor trainer today for my Kona, so I'll be doing my weekday evening workouts indoors while watching a 2-3 hour movie. I wonder how long that'll last before I rip my bike off that wretched apparatus and scramble for the door -- our cats tangled in my drivetrain, one of my daughter's drums inexplicably attached to the bars.
I hit the road Friday (yesterday) instead of the usual Thursday for various reasons. And in honor of it being the last weekday ride, I did both a time trial and some climbing.
First, the usual 10-mile time trial. This didn't go so well. I think I hit every red light through Wernersville on the way out, which sucked because I was in a real groove up to then.
I was really moving at around 24mph and my adrenaline was pumping because if I kept it up, I would shatter my previous record. Nah. I usually hit two red lights during each time trial (I know how stupid this sounds -- a post for another time) so my rule of thumb is that I drop 15 seconds off my final time for each stop in order to compensate for the deceleration and acceleration before and after the light. This time, I hit all of the damn red lights. And with on-coming traffic, I had no choice but to stop at each one (when there are no cars around, I cruise on through the red lights because I live on the edge, woo). I lost track of how many 15-second time subtractions I needed for this, but my head started to break anyway and I was losing my will for the time trial.
I turned around at the usual halfway mark and pumped up the hill near L&B Dodge and eventually back through Wernersville where a Trailways bus gave me black lung disease. I mean this son of bitch spewed the thickest blackest exhaust ever in America... into my mouth, throat and lungs... three times through the stop-and-go intersections of Wernersville.
I tried to get around this red and silver Smogzilla in order to salvage the effort, but the bus was too close to the curb. So I had to ride a couple of car lengths behind it. Slowly. With my lungs filling with hydrocarbons. Each acceleration of the bus dropped a big stinking black turd across the road. I mean, it felt like this bus was literally shitting in my mouth.
The bus eventually moved out of the way and I cranked with extreme prejudice and finished the time trial. And you know, all things considered, it wasn't horrible (for me). 31:52. But I dry heave when I think about what might've been. My average speed, due in part to all the stopping/starting/smogging, was a crappy 18mph. I need to find a more remote place to time trial. This is really stupid.
I finished the ride with a bit of recovery spinning, then I decided to climb up Furnace Rd and North Galen Hall. That was fun considering I was hacking and coughing Trailways ass cheese the whole way up. This is when I mention that the temperature was around 45 degrees. By the end of the 2 mile, 40mph descent down North Galen Hall, I looked like this:
Sundays will remain intact and outdoors until the snow, but the weekday rides will move into my basement once again, with the exception of perhaps some brief cross practicing over at the school (which also means perpetually changing over to my Maxxis cross tires). I don't really know if I'll be cut out for cyclocross, but it *looks* awesome.
Anyway, this winter I won't be destroying my knees on a stationary bike. I'm buying an indoor trainer today for my Kona, so I'll be doing my weekday evening workouts indoors while watching a 2-3 hour movie. I wonder how long that'll last before I rip my bike off that wretched apparatus and scramble for the door -- our cats tangled in my drivetrain, one of my daughter's drums inexplicably attached to the bars.
I hit the road Friday (yesterday) instead of the usual Thursday for various reasons. And in honor of it being the last weekday ride, I did both a time trial and some climbing.
First, the usual 10-mile time trial. This didn't go so well. I think I hit every red light through Wernersville on the way out, which sucked because I was in a real groove up to then.
I was really moving at around 24mph and my adrenaline was pumping because if I kept it up, I would shatter my previous record. Nah. I usually hit two red lights during each time trial (I know how stupid this sounds -- a post for another time) so my rule of thumb is that I drop 15 seconds off my final time for each stop in order to compensate for the deceleration and acceleration before and after the light. This time, I hit all of the damn red lights. And with on-coming traffic, I had no choice but to stop at each one (when there are no cars around, I cruise on through the red lights because I live on the edge, woo). I lost track of how many 15-second time subtractions I needed for this, but my head started to break anyway and I was losing my will for the time trial.
I turned around at the usual halfway mark and pumped up the hill near L&B Dodge and eventually back through Wernersville where a Trailways bus gave me black lung disease. I mean this son of bitch spewed the thickest blackest exhaust ever in America... into my mouth, throat and lungs... three times through the stop-and-go intersections of Wernersville.
I tried to get around this red and silver Smogzilla in order to salvage the effort, but the bus was too close to the curb. So I had to ride a couple of car lengths behind it. Slowly. With my lungs filling with hydrocarbons. Each acceleration of the bus dropped a big stinking black turd across the road. I mean, it felt like this bus was literally shitting in my mouth.
The bus eventually moved out of the way and I cranked with extreme prejudice and finished the time trial. And you know, all things considered, it wasn't horrible (for me). 31:52. But I dry heave when I think about what might've been. My average speed, due in part to all the stopping/starting/smogging, was a crappy 18mph. I need to find a more remote place to time trial. This is really stupid.
I finished the ride with a bit of recovery spinning, then I decided to climb up Furnace Rd and North Galen Hall. That was fun considering I was hacking and coughing Trailways ass cheese the whole way up. This is when I mention that the temperature was around 45 degrees. By the end of the 2 mile, 40mph descent down North Galen Hall, I looked like this:
29 October 2007
Climbing The Actual Texter Mountain
The mountain I climbed yesterday was definitely Texter Mountain. I don't know what that other one is called. But this one was definitely Texter Mountain, which I confirmed from various signs, as well as from another rider who stopped to chat while I was taking this photo:
The above camera-phone shot was taken at the top of Texter Mountain looking west/southwest.
The route was Sportsman Rd for about 4 miles of climbing. For most of the time, the climb was in the 5% gradient range, but at the top where Sportsman meets Texter Mountain Rd, the grade spikes up into the 18-20% range. I did pretty well and discovered some things about climbing, mainly the rhythm of it. My breathing a pedalling after a mile or so synchronized into an aerobic pattern and when I dropped out of the rhythm, it was difficult to get it back.
I've never endeavored to climb for this distance, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
I turned onto Texter Mountain Rd (where I snapped the above photo) then onto South Mountain Rd for some of the most breathtaking riding I've ever experience. It was a super-fast series of descents through the ridgeline of this particular range of hills and mountains. Then more steep climbing over what I think is South Mountain before the long descent into Newmanstown. The below Google Map shows Sportsman in blue and South Mountain in red.
Total miles: 30. Outside temp: 50-degrees. Miles of climbing: approximately 8. Route: 422-Sportsman-Texter Mountain-South Mountain-Rt. 419-Womelsdorf-422. Path profile:
The above camera-phone shot was taken at the top of Texter Mountain looking west/southwest.
The route was Sportsman Rd for about 4 miles of climbing. For most of the time, the climb was in the 5% gradient range, but at the top where Sportsman meets Texter Mountain Rd, the grade spikes up into the 18-20% range. I did pretty well and discovered some things about climbing, mainly the rhythm of it. My breathing a pedalling after a mile or so synchronized into an aerobic pattern and when I dropped out of the rhythm, it was difficult to get it back.
I've never endeavored to climb for this distance, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
I turned onto Texter Mountain Rd (where I snapped the above photo) then onto South Mountain Rd for some of the most breathtaking riding I've ever experience. It was a super-fast series of descents through the ridgeline of this particular range of hills and mountains. Then more steep climbing over what I think is South Mountain before the long descent into Newmanstown. The below Google Map shows Sportsman in blue and South Mountain in red.
Total miles: 30. Outside temp: 50-degrees. Miles of climbing: approximately 8. Route: 422-Sportsman-Texter Mountain-South Mountain-Rt. 419-Womelsdorf-422. Path profile:
26 October 2007
Climbing Texter Mountain
I think it's called Texter Mountain. I'm not sure. Whatever. Yesterday I rode two circuits of climbing near Wernersville. Furnace Rd up to North Galen Hall was probably the steepest longest climb I've ever made -- Gaul Rd seems like an overpass in comparison.
Looking at the Path Profiler in Google Maps, the steepest sections are 10%, 12% and 15% which are definitely the steepest gradients I've been able to manage. In comparison, nearby Huntzinger Rd (slogan: "Insanely steep!") is around 20% and maxing at 25% -- in the bottom-most section. 25% is truly insane. The steepest section of Gaul Rd, meanwhile, is 10% for about a tenth of a mile. And Gaul has a couple of short recovery descents. I'm beginning to feel a little silly for bitching about Gaul so much.
So I rode two circuits of this. 422-Sportsman-Hospital-Furnace-North Galen Hall past the Caron Foundation, then descended North Galen Hall to Hill Rd and back to 422. 20 miles total, which doesn't seem like a lot. But the climbing, of course, made the whole thing seem longer. Here's the Path Profile. I think you can pick out the Texter Mountain section (click to enlarge):
Looking at the Path Profiler in Google Maps, the steepest sections are 10%, 12% and 15% which are definitely the steepest gradients I've been able to manage. In comparison, nearby Huntzinger Rd (slogan: "Insanely steep!") is around 20% and maxing at 25% -- in the bottom-most section. 25% is truly insane. The steepest section of Gaul Rd, meanwhile, is 10% for about a tenth of a mile. And Gaul has a couple of short recovery descents. I'm beginning to feel a little silly for bitching about Gaul so much.
So I rode two circuits of this. 422-Sportsman-Hospital-Furnace-North Galen Hall past the Caron Foundation, then descended North Galen Hall to Hill Rd and back to 422. 20 miles total, which doesn't seem like a lot. But the climbing, of course, made the whole thing seem longer. Here's the Path Profile. I think you can pick out the Texter Mountain section (click to enlarge):
22 October 2007
Lebanon Half-Century II
It was a beautiful day for riding yesterday, so I revisited last Sunday's horribly aborted mission and rode out to Lebanon and back. Compared with my previous 2 half-centuries, I could really feel an improvement in my fitness level. This trip was non-stop (minus a few traffic lights) and in the saddle for the entire 3-hour ride. Speaking of which, 3:06.00 was the exact trip time -- a full hour shorter than my previous two half-centuries.
The one aspect of riding which I absolutely have to improve is my average speed. Now granted, it was a windy day, but my average speed was 15.9 mph. That sucks. It sucks by at least 6-8 mph. I think with my time trial workouts on Thursdays, this will improve. Hopefully.
The one aspect of riding which I absolutely have to improve is my average speed. Now granted, it was a windy day, but my average speed was 15.9 mph. That sucks. It sucks by at least 6-8 mph. I think with my time trial workouts on Thursdays, this will improve. Hopefully.
19 October 2007
Puncture-Free Thursday
At last, a ride without a flat. Most excellent.
And there's more good news. I topped my previous 10 mile time trial record by a full minute. 31:06 (previously, 32:01). Slowly but surely, I'm nearing a respectable speed and endurance level, but I'm still about 6-8 minutes away from achieving where I'd like to be.
After partaking in the open men's room at Shocktoberfest, I rode back down to Wernersville, then around Elm and Ruth to Wooltown, then up to Hospital Rd for some climbing and descending (no cars!). My front wheel was a little off true, so I made a pitstop at Technocycle for a quick tune-up.
Brad at Technocycle (he referred to this month as 'HOT-tober') mentioned that he thought my saddle was too far forward, forcing me to use more of the back of my legs than the front. Maybe so, but I'm hesitant to monkey with my saddle at this point because my knee-cap/petalla issues are gone. Zilch. No post-ride soreness these days. That makes me smile.
And there's more good news. I topped my previous 10 mile time trial record by a full minute. 31:06 (previously, 32:01). Slowly but surely, I'm nearing a respectable speed and endurance level, but I'm still about 6-8 minutes away from achieving where I'd like to be.
After partaking in the open men's room at Shocktoberfest, I rode back down to Wernersville, then around Elm and Ruth to Wooltown, then up to Hospital Rd for some climbing and descending (no cars!). My front wheel was a little off true, so I made a pitstop at Technocycle for a quick tune-up.
Brad at Technocycle (he referred to this month as 'HOT-tober') mentioned that he thought my saddle was too far forward, forcing me to use more of the back of my legs than the front. Maybe so, but I'm hesitant to monkey with my saddle at this point because my knee-cap/petalla issues are gone. Zilch. No post-ride soreness these days. That makes me smile.
15 October 2007
Updates and Flat Tires
Now it's getting ridiculous. Every time I ride, I puncture. And I'm pissed off about it. For instance, yesterday afternoon I set out to ride to Lebanon and back for a scenic autumn half-century, as well as to test my endurance compared to half-centuries earlier in the season.
Everything was going well. The ride out was slow due to a killer headwind, but I was enjoying myself and at the 20-mile mark, I really felt strong. Looped through Lebanon and headed towards home, savoring the tailwind and resulting speed.
Risser's Diner Sunday Special: "Beef Heart on Filling."
The most un-creative name for a taco stand EVER: "Taco Maker." Lebanon, PA.
On the ride back, I hit Stouchsburg and BLAM. Flatted. Without panicking, I pulled onto a grassy knoll, popped the rear wheel off, removed the tire and tube. Found the puncture. Patched it. Re-assembled everything.
Missed a puncture. Took everything off and started over.
This time, I punctured the tube while putting everything back together (there's no elegant way to put that last 8 inches of tire back on the rim -- you have to force it with all your might). Meanwhile, the sun was going down and the temperature was dropping. Went through this procedure again. No punctures, but the Presta valve must've been damaged along the way and the tube wouldn't inflate. No matter how hard I pumped, no air.
So I had to call for a ride. Nothing can be more humiliating than standing along the road waiting for your wife to drive out and rescue you -- whilst dressed in lycra and standing next to a disabled bike, rednecks and hillbillies slowing to gawk as if you're a crash-landed gay alien.
Anyway, I've been puncturing on almost every ride for the last few weeks. Most of the time, it happens at the very end of the ride. Two rides ago, I only noticed the flat an hour after I was done.
What the hell is happening?
I think they're mostly pinch flats caused by dime-sized jagged pebbles -- the gravel pebbles used in road macadam. And they're invisible/camoflaged against the road so I don't see them until it's too late.
Most of the time, they ricochet away from the bike at an alarming speed. The sound is usually a POP! or PING! then the sound of a tree leaves snapping as they're pegged by the flying projectile.
But lately, I think these pebbles pinch the tube just enough to cause a pin-prick sized hole. But what the hell kind of tubes are these? I think I need something heartier. So my mission this week is to find GOOD TUBES and to take one along with me from now on.
Meanwhile, I've been feeling really great riding. The computer is helping me to improve my overall speed and endurance, simply by giving me instant status reports. It's a real motivator and worth the $60 price tag.
And I've found an amazing new area to ride. The Texter Mountain roads beyond the Wernersville State mental hospital. Rolling climbs and fast descents -- NO CARS. And challenging enough without breaking my legs. However, Huntzinger Road... This will be another long term mission. I don't know the grade, but it's the steepest hill I can find around here and I can only get three or four pedal strokes up the bottom section of it before I have to stop. Put it this way, it makes Gaul Rd seem like a speed bump.
But I thought of a great riding slogan for Huntzinger.
"Insanely steep."
Get it? Mental hospital? Ah nevermind.
Everything was going well. The ride out was slow due to a killer headwind, but I was enjoying myself and at the 20-mile mark, I really felt strong. Looped through Lebanon and headed towards home, savoring the tailwind and resulting speed.
Risser's Diner Sunday Special: "Beef Heart on Filling."
The most un-creative name for a taco stand EVER: "Taco Maker." Lebanon, PA.
On the ride back, I hit Stouchsburg and BLAM. Flatted. Without panicking, I pulled onto a grassy knoll, popped the rear wheel off, removed the tire and tube. Found the puncture. Patched it. Re-assembled everything.
Missed a puncture. Took everything off and started over.
This time, I punctured the tube while putting everything back together (there's no elegant way to put that last 8 inches of tire back on the rim -- you have to force it with all your might). Meanwhile, the sun was going down and the temperature was dropping. Went through this procedure again. No punctures, but the Presta valve must've been damaged along the way and the tube wouldn't inflate. No matter how hard I pumped, no air.
So I had to call for a ride. Nothing can be more humiliating than standing along the road waiting for your wife to drive out and rescue you -- whilst dressed in lycra and standing next to a disabled bike, rednecks and hillbillies slowing to gawk as if you're a crash-landed gay alien.
Anyway, I've been puncturing on almost every ride for the last few weeks. Most of the time, it happens at the very end of the ride. Two rides ago, I only noticed the flat an hour after I was done.
What the hell is happening?
I think they're mostly pinch flats caused by dime-sized jagged pebbles -- the gravel pebbles used in road macadam. And they're invisible/camoflaged against the road so I don't see them until it's too late.
Most of the time, they ricochet away from the bike at an alarming speed. The sound is usually a POP! or PING! then the sound of a tree leaves snapping as they're pegged by the flying projectile.
But lately, I think these pebbles pinch the tube just enough to cause a pin-prick sized hole. But what the hell kind of tubes are these? I think I need something heartier. So my mission this week is to find GOOD TUBES and to take one along with me from now on.
Meanwhile, I've been feeling really great riding. The computer is helping me to improve my overall speed and endurance, simply by giving me instant status reports. It's a real motivator and worth the $60 price tag.
And I've found an amazing new area to ride. The Texter Mountain roads beyond the Wernersville State mental hospital. Rolling climbs and fast descents -- NO CARS. And challenging enough without breaking my legs. However, Huntzinger Road... This will be another long term mission. I don't know the grade, but it's the steepest hill I can find around here and I can only get three or four pedal strokes up the bottom section of it before I have to stop. Put it this way, it makes Gaul Rd seem like a speed bump.
But I thought of a great riding slogan for Huntzinger.
"Insanely steep."
Get it? Mental hospital? Ah nevermind.
07 October 2007
Setting Some Goals
I've set another training goal for myself and that is to eventually accomplish a 10-mile time trial within the realm of the Berks County Bicycling Club racing division TT results.
In other words, I want to be able to ride 10 miles in 24-26 minutes. The club record is 23:28, set by Mike Kuhn.
Friday night, I made my first attempt and I'm not ashamed of the result. 10 miles in exactly 32 minutes (three climbs, 422 from the DQ in Sinking Spring to Big Spring Rd and back). I think by next year at this time, I can reach that 24 minute "podium" level.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Friday ride was awesome. Just took it easy for another 15 miles. Rode out to The Crank, turned onto Elm then descended the (nearly abandoned) Ruth Avenue down to Wooltown, then on back to 422.
Then, I still felt strong enough to try to make it up Huntzinger Rd -- the insanely steep mountain climb just beyond Wernersville State Hospital. I don't know for sure, but that climb has to be in the range of a 20% grade. I was able to eek out three pedal strokes then almost fell over due to lack of forward motion. But oh yes -- I will make it up that mountain one of these days soon.
I backtracked back down the hill and turned onto Hospital Rd and had an awesome ride around the side of the mountain. No cars, beautiful scenery, easy riding.
Overall, I'm trying again on all fronts today.
In other words, I want to be able to ride 10 miles in 24-26 minutes. The club record is 23:28, set by Mike Kuhn.
Friday night, I made my first attempt and I'm not ashamed of the result. 10 miles in exactly 32 minutes (three climbs, 422 from the DQ in Sinking Spring to Big Spring Rd and back). I think by next year at this time, I can reach that 24 minute "podium" level.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Friday ride was awesome. Just took it easy for another 15 miles. Rode out to The Crank, turned onto Elm then descended the (nearly abandoned) Ruth Avenue down to Wooltown, then on back to 422.
Then, I still felt strong enough to try to make it up Huntzinger Rd -- the insanely steep mountain climb just beyond Wernersville State Hospital. I don't know for sure, but that climb has to be in the range of a 20% grade. I was able to eek out three pedal strokes then almost fell over due to lack of forward motion. But oh yes -- I will make it up that mountain one of these days soon.
I backtracked back down the hill and turned onto Hospital Rd and had an awesome ride around the side of the mountain. No cars, beautiful scenery, easy riding.
Overall, I'm trying again on all fronts today.
28 September 2007
Slow, Hot, Painful
I rode the Gaul-422-Myerstown route again last night and just couldn't get into a groove, unlike two weeks ago. In addition to being 86-degrees and not being able to push beyond some heat lethargy, both my hands and feet were killing me as well. And by the time I arrived at the Kumm Esse in Myerstown, thunder and lightning began to roll in so rather than resting, I bolted out of there. Even still, I just couldn't hit a stride for the "time trial" back.
Gaul climbing is getting easier every time. And the bike computer clocked my descent at the top of Wooltown Rd: 42 mph. Total ride distance: 36 miles.
Gaul climbing is getting easier every time. And the bike computer clocked my descent at the top of Wooltown Rd: 42 mph. Total ride distance: 36 miles.
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