I took a good beating on last month’s ACP 300 km ride. I took most of the week off so I’d be fresh for the Tour de Cure (TdC) the following Saturday. I opted to ride the easier metric century. I’ve ridden enough centuries in the past two years that I have nothing to prove in riding yet another. Instead, I wanted to hit the road early, have a good ride, and finish up soon enough to get back home with daylight left. The weather forecast included clear skies and temps rising from 63 to 75 degrees. My CrossRip is awaiting parts to adjust its fit, so I brought out the Domane along with my large Banjo Brothers saddle bag to fit the clothing I would inevitably remove. Continue reading “2014 Tour de Cure (65 miles)” →

October 5th marked the 25th anniversary of the Sea Gull Century (SGC). Held on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the SGC is probably the flattest 100 miles anyone can ride. Flat rides usually mean one thing: WIND. Past years reported plenty of wind and even heavy rain. This was my first time on this ride. The weather was PERFECT. The wind was very light for the first 90 miles. Temperatures started in the low 60’s and eventually reached the mid 80’s. Some felt that was a tad too warm. But I like riding warm. Sometimes I even like it hot. The ride offers three routes, all starting at Salisbury University: a metric century (100 km/62 mi) or one of two full centuries (100 miles). Over 7000 riders rode that day. Riders came from all over the Eastern U.S. I even saw a group from Texas. It was good to have us spread out over three different routes. Continue reading “Sea Gull Century (101 miles)” →

I awoke this past Saturday to head out to what I thought was going to be a somewhat ordinary ride. A group of local cyclists ride from a nearby high school each Saturday. The ride is usually brisk. Sometimes I’m up to the challenge of keeping up. Mostly, I wind up regrouping at stops. I feel that I ride the normally flat-to-rolling 50 mile route a little better each time. Some in the group were preparing for an out of town ride in the mountains next weekend. Therefore, this Saturday ride was promoted as “LSD,” or long slow distance. That’s a ride I can do! They were planning to ride in Gloucester, VA. Expecting a relatively short ride, I opted to leave the extra bottles at home and I neglected to apply sunscreen. My gamble was that we’d be in the shade for this morning ride and that my 50-oz Camelbak would be enough to last me between rest stops. Things changed almost as soon as I arrived. Continue reading “Surprise Ride (85 miles)” →

The Civil War Century is an annual event which takes place each September from Thurmont, MD. The ride has commanded such excellent attendance that organizers were forced to limit participation to 1600 riders for safety reasons. Registration opened in April and quickly sold out. I had hoped to stay in Gettysburg. However, I waited too long to get the hotel rate I wanted. I’ll get it right next year. I took Friday off and drove up to stay in Hagerstown, MD. I took advantage of early ride check-in to avoid crowds the day of the event. I was joined by my good friends Todd and Jen. The 104 mile ride featured approximately 7000 feet of climbing. There was practically no warm-up. Riders were climbing a 7-mile long climb with a 1200-ft gain within the first 2000 feet. UGH! Continue reading “Civil War Century (104 miles)” →

On April 20th, I rode in the Tour de Cure (TdC), a charity ride which benefits the American Diabetes Association.  I rode the TdC for the first time last year and enjoyed the route, support and post-ride activities.  One of my riding partners was so pleased with TdC over the past two years that she recruited a team from the ranks of our local fundraising team, Team Killer Bees, who had primarily supported Bike MS over the years.  Team Killer Bees fielded 16 riders and raised nearly $5600.  Three of us rode the English Century, 12 rode the Metric Century and one rode the 30 mile option. Continue reading “Tour de Cure Century (103 miles)” →

Sunday’s weather was too good to pass up for a January ride.  I wore tights, a Smartwool base layer, a jersey, a windbreaker with removable sleeves, a lightweight balaclava, and medium-weight gloves.  Seven riders showed up, including three recumbents:  Keith, Kim, Cory, Ron, Jacob, RecumBrent, and me.  We met at a Hardee’s in downtown Suffolk, signed the paperwork and got on the road fairly smoothly.  The first mile or two was a bit convoluted and took us through some crowded neighborhoods and even through a tiny grassy area where the streets don’t connect.  The road and scenery opened up quickly and then we were going at a steady pace.  Continue reading “Suffolk-Gatesville Populaire (67 miles)” →

It’s been a while since my last long ride.  I missed December’s first 200-km permanent earlier this month due to a hip issue.  The time off the bike made leaping into a long ride unwise, especially without a shorter test ride to ensure my hip was okay.  I’ve done plenty of riding since then and was hoping to ride another permanent tentatively planned for December 16th.  However, the ride was scrapped in favor of a new 117-km populaire.  I’m leaving town for the holidays.  Therefore, I’ll have to reset my run at an R-12 award and start over in January (I’ve only lost two rides).  I’m still working on my attire for cold weather riding.  So the shorter populaire was a nice change which still allowed me to practice doing RUSA paperwork and test my clothing layers without suffering the discomfort of 11-hours in the “wrong” apparel.  My primary goal for 2013 is to complete a Super Randonneur series.  An R-12 would be nice.  But it’s not my priority.  I’ll still continue to attempt one permanent each month if I’m up to it.  In the mean time, populaires are a good way to stay connected with fellow randonneurs. Continue reading “Inaugural Suffolk to Newsoms Populaire (72-mi)” →