View Full Version : Harlem Valley Rail Ride '08
Lucky07
07-06-08, 08:17 PM
Who's in? This is a beautiful ride. The longer routes cover 3 states & lots of rolling farm land & country roads.
The 100 last year was great, but tough. Two long climbs including Mt. Washington.
Here's the link if you're interested: http://bikenewyork.org/rides/hvrr/index.html
stevesurf
07-06-08, 08:24 PM
Is there a route map someplace? I think I may have ridden part of it at one time and agree it is beautiful country.
FrankieV
07-06-08, 09:05 PM
I did the 55 last year....beautiful ride.
Not sure if I can do more than 75 this year with those killer climbs.
Lucky07
07-07-08, 05:07 AM
Is there a route map someplace? I think I may have ridden part of it at one time and agree it is beautiful country.
Steve,
I don't think they post route maps, but here are descriptions w/ elevation gains:
30 Miles/Sharon Loop: A ride along the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and then east into Litchfield County, Connecticut. Travel along scenic country roads and through the historic town of Sharon, Connecticut. Flat to rolling terrain with some hills. Riders will have the option to join a group ride led by experienced leaders. Cumulative elevation gain: 2,030 feet.
55 Miles/Kent Loop: A ride using the same route as the 30-mile ride with an additional loop south and east to Kent, Connecticut. Flat to rolling terrain with hills. Riders will have the option to join a group ride led by experienced leaders. Cumulative elevation gain: 3,920 feet.
75 Miles/Three State Challenge: An exhilarating and challenging ride through three states. A loop east through Connecticut, north into Massachusetts, and west back to Copake Falls, New York, before the return to Millerton. Riders climb through Mt. Washington Forest in southern Massachusetts and are rewarded with a breathtaking descent into New York. Includes some especially hilly and demanding terrain. Cumulative elevation gain: 5,590 feet.
100 Miles/Three State Century: Same as the 75-mile ride plus an additional 25-mile loop south and east to Kent, Connecticut. A long and challenging ride with some mountainous terrain. Cumulative elevation gain: 8,105 feet.
mattyknacks
07-07-08, 05:45 AM
Were in. The G/F and I are doing the 55 mile route.
FrankieV
07-07-08, 08:40 AM
Steve,
I don't think they post route maps, but here are descriptions w/ elevation gains:
75 Miles/Three State Challenge: An exhilarating and challenging ride through three states. A loop east through Connecticut, north into Massachusetts, and west back to Copake Falls, New York, before the return to Millerton. Riders climb through Mt. Washington Forest in southern Massachusetts and are rewarded with a breathtaking descent into New York. Includes some especially hilly and demanding terrain. Cumulative elevation gain: 5,590 feet.
100 Miles/Three State Century: Same as the 75-mile ride plus an additional 25-mile loop south and east to Kent, Connecticut. A long and challenging ride with some mountainous terrain. Cumulative elevation gain: 8,105 feet.
Lucy07
Do you actually climb Mt. Washington on the 75 & 100?
This is some info i found at the Mt. Washington website:
"Just how steep is the course? The Mt. Washington Hill Climb is quickly becoming known as the toughest hill climb in the world at 7.6 miles in length, has an average grade of 12% with extended sections of 18% and the last 50 yards is an amazing 22%! Sprint that to the finish!"
mattyknacks
07-07-08, 08:55 AM
Lucy07
Do you actually climb Mt. Washington on the 75 & 100?
This is some info i found at the Mt. Washington website:
"Just how steep is the course? The Mt. Washington Hill Climb is quickly becoming known as the toughest hill climb in the world at 7.6 miles in length, has an average grade of 12% with extended sections of 18% and the last 50 yards is an amazing 22%! Sprint that to the finish!"
I think you were looking at the Mount Washington Auto Road Hillclimb which is in New Hampshire. That is not the same Mt. Washington as in the Harlem Valley Ride.
From Wikipedia:
In August of each year, up to six hundred riders take part in the race which centers around a 7.6 mile (12.2 km) climb to the top of New Hampshire's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire) Mount Washington (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_%28New_Hampshire%29)—the highest peak in New England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England). The Mount Washington Auto Road (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_Auto_Road) has an average gradient of 12% and reaches gradients of up to 22%. This is more difficult than even the toughest climbs of the Tour de France (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France).
The race's most famous victor is Tyler Hamilton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Hamilton) who got his fourth victory in the race in 2006 in a time of 52:21, beating out Ned Overend (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Overend) by 2:20. Geneviève Jeanson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevi%C3%A8ve_Jeanson) holds the women's record at 54:02, while Tom Danielson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Danielson) owns the men's record of 49:24.
zacster
07-07-08, 09:47 AM
I've done the Mt Washington ride in MASSACHUSSETTS recently. It is about 3 miles at a 7.6% grade if you subtract out the flats along the way, and there aren't many of those. This shouldn't be a problem if you have low enough gears, my lowest is 36/26. You then ride along the ridge and down into Copake Falls via Bashbish Falls.
The other hill to try up there is the reverse, from NY State up into MA from Copake Falls. That's a killer.
Lucky07
07-07-08, 09:50 AM
Lucy07
Do you actually climb Mt. Washington on the 75 & 100?
Uh, it's Lucky, not Lucy. :D
Yeah, it's not THAT Mt. Washington. And they do route the ride so it goes up the 'easier' approach to the mountain.
I do recall about 60% of the riders walking it, which never made sense to me. Better to ride up slowly than to push your bike uphill in road cleats... :rolleyes:
FrankieV
07-07-08, 10:08 AM
Thanks everyone.
Sorry Lucy..errr Lucky:)
i am planning on doing this... either the 55 or the 75. i rode Wassaic to Copake Falls and back last weekend. next time, I'm doing the Hillsdale - Great Barrington ride. the hills there look wicked!
songfta
07-07-08, 01:42 PM
In there for the century! Did it last year (century, as well) and loved it!
Hoping to shave over a minute off my time trial time, as well. :D
As far as the climbs go, the Mt. Washington climb is consistently steep for the first 2 miles, then gets easier. As long as you go in with a good spin, you should be fine. If you're in doubt about your setup: a 25-tooth cog (or larger) in the back is a safe bet, and a compact double crank or a triple wouldn't hurt. I did the climb last year with a 39/26 as my low gear, and it was tall but workable - though I'm a fairly strong climber, so your mileage may vary.
The descent down into Copake Falls is steep, and West Road (before Falls) may have a few potholes after this past winter - we'll see, but it's always been a bit sketchy in the road repair department.
That said, I find the earlier climb (Skiff Mountain Road in Connecticut) to be a bit steeper in spots, though shorter (its overall grade is steeper than Mt. Washington: 5.5 percent over 3.2 miles versus 3.6 percent over 5.2 miles for Washington). It's jarring after the first stretch down from Millerton (flat to rolling hills), so that might be why it seems steep. Plus, I'd pre-rode the Mt. Washington climbs before (both directions, including the climb up Falls Road from Copake Falls to Bash Bish - ouch!), so they didn't seem quite so harrowing.
The trick is to pace yourself early on so you have something left in the tank for Mt. Washington and the final big hill (where the time trial takes place).
If you're in doubt about your setup: a 25-tooth cog (or larger) in the back is a safe bet, and a compact double crank or a triple wouldn't hurt. I did the climb last year with a 39/26 as my low gear, and it was tall but workable - though I'm a fairly strong climber, so your mileage may vary.
I'm a n00bie when it comes to cogs & stuff... i'm riding a single-speed Trek Soho S with a 44/17. will this be OK for the climbs found in the 55 or 75 mi. routes?
songfta
07-07-08, 04:08 PM
I'm a n00bie when it comes to cogs & stuff... i'm riding a single-speed Trek Soho S with a 44/17. will this be OK for the climbs found in the 55 or 75 mi. routes?
The 55 is a possibility with your tall gearing, though you'll sweat some of the grades, for sure. The 75 mile route has Mt. Washington, and that would be a grind in a 44/17 setup. Last year I was riding Washington in my 39/21 and 39/23 on the steepest portions (spinning around 72 rpm), and that's a wee bit lower than your setup. Unless you are a strong (!) climber in your current gearing (e.g. able to go up 6-7 percent grades that go on for 2 miles), I'd lean toward the 55.
Just my $0.02 - YMMV.
sounds like i should stick to the 55 this time around and see how that treats me. i ride 20+ miles daily and handled the rolling hills between Copake & Wassaic easily, but i've never tried a real serious climb like you mentioned.
thank you very much for the advice, it was worth more than 2 cents. :)
mattyknacks
07-07-08, 04:52 PM
The 55 is a possibility with your tall gearing, though you'll sweat some of the grades, for sure. The 75 mile route has Mt. Washington, and that would be a grind in a 44/17 setup. Last year I was riding Washington in my 39/21 and 39/23 on the steepest portions (spinning around 72 rpm), and that's a wee bit lower than your setup. Unless you are a strong (!) climber in your current gearing (e.g. able to go up 6-7 percent grades that go on for 2 miles), I'd lean toward the 55.
Just my $0.02 - YMMV.
I'm gonna do the 55 mile route because the bike is capable(Trek 520, 30front/32rear) but the engine is not(268lbs, beer belly):o
This is extremely tempting...
cparekh
07-07-08, 06:45 PM
It's a great ride; I did it last year. The Mt. Washington climb is tough, but really fun. The last hill time trial that they do about 3 miles from the finish is a bit much, though. I don't really want to sprint uphill 97 miles into a century. A downhill would be better!
Lucky07
07-08-08, 04:12 AM
The last hill time trial that they do about 3 miles from the finish is a bit much, though. I don't really want to sprint uphill 97 miles into a century. A downhill would be better!
Yeah, that was pretty evil. I think I managed to finish a solid 60th. :lol:
songfta
07-08-08, 02:05 PM
Yeah, that was pretty evil. I think I managed to finish a solid 60th. :lol:
It's evil - such lovely, fun evil!
I managed 19th last year, and my goal this year is top 10. I figure shaving a minute off my time will do the trick.
So.... how many of us are there who will ride this fun ride (regardless of whether or not the TT is part of the fun)?
cparekh
07-09-08, 11:35 AM
I am signed up for the century. See y'all there.
FrankieV
07-09-08, 05:43 PM
I did the 55 last year.
I'll try the 75 this year.
slugman
07-09-08, 08:52 PM
This is sorta tempting, I did the ride a number of years back with a friend and her friend. The guy showed up on a really low end mt bike... I brought alon a spare bike and convinced him to take my road bike while I went with my decent mt bike with the tires pumped up to the max. They ended up turning around at the last stop for the 50 while I sprinted on finishing the 75 I guess (I thought it was 62 something? When I left them my goal was to finish the extra distance and catch them back to the start so kinda just put my head down and hammered ignoring various hallucinations). They beat me by a few minutes still.
As I haven't gotten off my bum and built up the current road bike yet, I'd probably be riding a 48x17 fixed bike (still have that mt bike and loaning out the old road bike to a friend so could snag it...) Having run the actual NH Mt Washington running race the other week, not too concerned about a ride up this one; I may just be an idiot though. Will have to see if I can get out there for the ride, but might try to convince some acquaintances to join in first as I'm inherently lazy...
cyclebycle13
07-12-08, 11:49 AM
In there for the century! Did it last year (century, as well) and loved it!
Hoping to shave over a minute off my time trial time, as well. :D
As far as the climbs go, the Mt. Washington climb is consistently steep for the first 2 miles, then gets easier. As long as you go in with a good spin, you should be fine. If you're in doubt about your setup: a 25-tooth cog (or larger) in the back is a safe bet, and a compact double crank or a triple wouldn't hurt. I did the climb last year with a 39/26 as my low gear, and it was tall but workable - though I'm a fairly strong climber, so your mileage may vary.
The descent down into Copake Falls is steep, and West Road (before Falls) may have a few potholes after this past winter - we'll see, but it's always been a bit sketchy in the road repair department.
That said, I find the earlier climb (Skiff Mountain Road in Connecticut) to be a bit steeper in spots, though shorter (its overall grade is steeper than Mt. Washington: 5.5 percent over 3.2 miles versus 3.6 percent over 5.2 miles for Washington). It's jarring after the first stretch down from Millerton (flat to rolling hills), so that might be why it seems steep. Plus, I'd pre-rode the Mt. Washington climbs before (both directions, including the climb up Falls Road from Copake Falls to Bash Bish - ouch!), so they didn't seem quite so harrowing.
The trick is to pace yourself early on so you have something left in the tank for Mt. Washington and the final big hill (where the time trial takes place).
Couple of things-- I live in Pawling, so I ride these roads regularly-- Skiff Mountain is what you might call a "front loaded" climb. You gain most of your elevation at the beginning, then it backs off. The grades on that front part run 8 to 13% and what's worse, its not consistent-- much tougher to find a rhythm. It is totally covered by trees though. I've never riddent Mt. Washington from MA to NY, but I've done NY to MA more times than I can count-- have fun descending that-- the area w/ the switchbacks is absolutely horrible (as usual).
Have fun with it. I'm surprised they dont sent you guys up CT4 from Cornwall Bridge over to Sharon-- that's a nice easy 3-4mi climb.
I'm doing it the 100. It should be fun, I'm excited.
nismosr
07-14-08, 09:19 AM
I signed up with 2 friends for 55miles our first.
i just signed up for the 50 on Saturday, the one that starts & ends in Millerton. I decided to skip the main event on Sunday, because I was afraid I'd be too whipped on Monday...
Lucky07
07-23-08, 05:21 AM
If any 100 milers want to meet up to ride, let me know. I plan on going out at a reasonable pace (17-18) & then building speed throughout the ride. Except on the climbs... :D
FrankieV
07-23-08, 08:15 AM
If any 100 milers want to meet up to ride, let me know. I plan on going out at a reasonable pace (17-18) & then building speed throughout the ride. Except on the climbs... :D
Good luck on the 100. It's a tough ride.
I'm doing the 75.
What's your ride...I'll look for you.
I'm on a sliver and blue Specialized Sequoia, blue helmet, Retro or blue Gotham jersey.
songfta
07-23-08, 08:31 AM
As I said earlier, I'm riding the 100.
I'm on a Pedal Force ZX3 (black carbon weave), Campagnolo components, blue & white Giro Atmos lid, and either a Potomac Pedalers jersey (red/white/blue) or a Pereira/Wild Rose jersey (bright green).
Gonna ride a fairly fast pace and hammer on the climbs (prepping for Shasta Super Century on the 3rd). But I hope to see some of 'ya there.
nismosr
07-23-08, 09:31 AM
As I said earlier, I'm riding the 100.
I'm on a Pedal Force ZX3 (black carbon weave), Campagnolo components, blue & white Giro Atmos lid, and either a Potomac Pedalers jersey (red/white/blue) or a Pereira/Wild Rose jersey (bright green).
Gonna ride a fairly fast pace and hammer on the climbs (prepping for Shasta Super Century on the 3rd). But I hope to see some of 'ya there.
Hope I see you there to check out your Pedal Force build, I will be there with 2 of Patricks Carbon Frame from the fareast this sunday, Black Atmos and Saunier Duval Jersey so it's not hard to miss the bright yellow jersey.
Looks like I'm out. I'm on the waiting list for the bus, but without any other way to get to the start, I'm probably staying home.
FrankieV
07-23-08, 05:23 PM
Looks like I'm out. I'm on the waiting list for the bus, but without any other way to get to the start, I'm probably staying home.
Check out the message board on the BNY website.
http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/hvrr/getting_there.html
You may get lucky.
for those on the Saturday ride, i'll be guy in black, riding a black singlespeed trek soho, with a skate helmet that's got lots of stickers on it. i signed up for the 50 but i may change my mind at the last minute and do the 75 instead. been feelin pretty good the last few days...
mattyknacks
07-26-08, 10:22 AM
The G/F and I will be doing the 55 mile route. If anyone sees us from here on BF, wave and say hi. Here is our descriptions:
Her: Trek 7100 hybrid in black with clip on fenders, black helmet. really long brown hair.
Me: Trek 520 touring bike with rear rack and bag, GPS unit on handlebars, bright yellow plain jersey, gray helmet.
mattyknacks
07-26-08, 11:03 AM
Also, I printed a few "bike forums" logos form the top of this page and I am gonna tape them to my rear rack.
ninjaman
07-26-08, 01:22 PM
I'm in, doing 75. Work 'til 2am, go home & shower, straight to the bus. I'll be riding a "Wilier" unpainted carbon frame w/ Record & white DT Swiss, wearing a navy blue Castelli jersey. If I don't fall asleep at the wheel, I'd love some company to ride with. Are we looking at tons of rain, or does it look like it'll taper off?
songfta
07-26-08, 02:58 PM
I'm in Hillsdale right now, 20 miles north of Millerton. The current forecast is for scattered showers all day -60 percent chance. It's currently hot and sunny, but I can hear lightning static on the radio, so the air is unstable.
Road conditions on Mt. Washington and Rte 344 (Bash Bish) are good, though with a few frost-heaved ridges. Rode both areas yesterday. Other roads seem good, too.
I'm definitely in my Potomac Pedalers jersey tomorrow.
songfta
07-27-08, 07:07 PM
The ride was great, so long as you finished riding by 2:30-2:40 pm, when the torrential rains set in. I finished well before then (averaged 18.7 mph for the century), but a lot of riders didn't. I ended up sagging back a rider from the Copake Falls rest stop who had crashed on the Bash Bish descent and wrecked her bike and her knee. The sag wagons were overwhelmed due to the rain, with 20-30 riders experiencing all kinds of difficulties (crashes, cramping, pre-hypothermic symptoms) on the stretch between Mt. Washington and Copake Falls, once the rains set in. After the harrowing descent down Bash Bish/Rt. 344, many riders shortcut the ride back from Copake Falls (HVRT to Rt. 62 and back to Millerton or Rt. 22, skipping the Copake and Ancramdale legs and the time trial).
Before 2:30, it was a great day for riding: mostly overcast and cool, if a bit humid. The rest stops were well-stocked and manned by really nice people. The previous night's rain delayed the opening of the courses to 7:15 to allow proper assessment of tree fall and other road hazards (and the course was in fine shape, all things being equal). The uphill time trial had incredible headwinds that slowed down all times this year (the fastest time was 6:04, compared to 4:58-ish last year in the calm heat - I did it in 7:00).
But I tip my hat to Bike New York: they ran a great ride, and did very well despite weather than turned things very nightmarish in very short time.
FrankieV
07-27-08, 07:50 PM
I did the 75 like I said I would and everything was fine until 25 miles before the end.
The skies opened up with torrential rain, hail, lightning and thunder claps that only made you pedal faster.
Lots of people went for cover but a group of us did 19 miles to the last rest stop under those conditions.
We waited out the rain there.
Once it stopped we finished out the ride.
Great but very challenging ride (for me anyway).
Yo Matty....nice to see you and the GF, even if it was just in passing.
My group (4 of us) got a late start and they wanted to maintain a quick pace.
If I had stopeed to shoot the sh_t, I would never had caught up until the next rest area.
Anyone else see Matty?
cparekh
07-27-08, 08:57 PM
Ride was great. We had a group of six and did the 75 mile ride. We started about 10:30 AM, which meant we would miss all of the rest stops, but we mostly just planned to ride straight through with minimal breaks. As reported earlier, the ride was great until the rain started. Unfortunately for us, this was right in the middle of the very technical decent into Copake falls. We did what we could until it was impossible to see and brake, at which point we waited out the rain at the falls parking lot, about 1 mile before the town.
After the rain let up, we finished the last 20 miles. We dried out after about a half hour, so thank goodness for technical bike wear that dries quickly. The sun came in and out for the rest of the ride, and we ended up with a nice 17 mph average, and a great pulled pork sandwich at the end.
Lucky07
07-28-08, 09:28 AM
My long report...
I rode the 100. I woke up late & didn't get to the start in Millerton until 7:30. Tried to text caparekh and another friend at the start to meet & say hi and I quickly found out that Millerton was a cell dead zone. At least for my phone.
I got started a little before 8. The weather was great. Warm but cloudy. 75ish. Very nice. Got off to a quick start with a small group of riders. We kept a nice pace up to the 1st 100 mile rest area.
The next section of the ride included a climb up Skiff Mountain Road. It wasn't as endless as I seemed to remember. Even so, the 55 route (which intersected the 100 mile at that point) cut out that climb & you could see a bunch of 100 milers considering taking that route. :D
At the next rest stop, I ran into a guy I met on last year's Montauk ride. "You do the Montauk ride this year?" he asked. I told him I did. He wanted to know about all the drama that ensued. I gave him my 2cents & he chuckled. He also said he had been drafting behind me for the last 5 miles (I hadn't noticed) and was that ok? I said that was fine as long as he didn't mind pulling the next 5. When I got ready to leave the stop, I looked around for the guy and he was nowhere around. :rolleyes:
I caught a few more drafters in the 2nd half of the ride. A guy would hang on for a few miles, and then drop off or surge ahead. Doesn't anyone know how to take turns at the front? Oh well.
The climb up Mt Washington was slow, but fun. I didn't see many people walking it this year, which was cool. The decent down to Copake was great, even though I overshot one turn. Even with the warning from the volunteers, I took one corner too fast & slid on some gravel. Luckily I stayed upright & just took a short detour into the weeds.
Around 1:45 the skies were looking ominous. At 2pm, they opened up into a torrential downpour. Thunder & lightning. The works. I stopped to put on a vest and decided just to keep pedalling. I thought I could hammer to the finish & hope the rain would let up at some point. I've been caught in the rain before, but it was usually on shorter rides or my brief commute. I don't think I've ever pedalled close to an hour in the pouring rain. A guy rolled up next to me at one point during the storm & said "This is crazy, isn't it?" It sure was.
I passed by a bunch of riders huddled under a tree at one point. Not a bad idea, except the tree was huge & at the edge of a cornfield. It was easily the tallest thing on the road for a mile around. I slowed to tell the guys that that particular tree probably wasn't the best place to be in a lightning storm. They weren't convinced. Hopefully they were ok. A bit later I ran into a guy changing a tire by the side of the road. I asked if he needed help & he said "Yeah, you have C02?" Yep. I handed him my spare & then he said "Uh, do you know how to use this?" I noticed a couple of discarded C02 canisters by his bike. So I helped him change his flat & he was up and running in a few minutes.
At some point later I picked up another drafter. I decided I'd rather not be alone out on country roads in a thunderstorm, so I was content to let him sit back there. Better to have a witness if I was hit by lightning or struck down by a falling tree, I reasoned.
By the time I got to the Time Trial the weather was clearing a bit. I did the Trial hoping to improve on last year's time. It seemed like most people just rolled past, probably wanting to get to the finish as quickly as possible. Of course I didn't keep track of my time, so I'll have to see if Bike New York posts the results.
Finally rolled back into Millerton around 3pm. By the time I got some food & my shirt the sun started peaking out. Great timing. I wandered around for a while looking for friends doing the ride, but didn't see anyone. I figured they were waiting out the rain, or had finished earlier. I changed out of my wet bike clothes & called my wife. "Oh, you're done? Did it rain there?" Yes, it certainly did.
I've only done Centuries in the Northeast, but I have to say this is easily the prettiest ride by far, even with the biblical rain storm. Rolling farmlands, beautiful views of valleys, rivers and streams & quiet country roads. An amazing route. Bike New York does a great job marking the route & policing high traffic turns. Excellent work. The rest stops were fine. Basic stuff, but all in good supply.
I'd definitely do this ride again and hope the rain skipped the day.
here's my ride report:
showed up at Grand Central Station to take the Metro-North up to Wassaic on the first off-peak train. Was boarding said train with my bike (last car of course) when a cop grabbed me and said, "you're not getting on with that bike." I showed him my bike permit and said I thought it was OK to bring the bike as long as it was an off-peak train. He said NO, laughed at me, and said that I might be allowed onto the 10pm train if it was an emergency.
I was so pissed off that I gave up and went home. and that is my ride report. :(
songfta
07-28-08, 12:20 PM
Was boarding said train with my bike (last car of course) when a cop grabbed me and said, "you're not getting on with that bike." I showed him my bike permit and said I thought it was OK to bring the bike as long as it was an off-peak train. He said NO, laughed at me, and said that I might be allowed onto the 10pm train if it was an emergency.
Sheesh! I'd report that to both MTA and Bike New York ASAP, because the cop was clearly in the wrong, per MTA's own rules. I'd also consider talking to other pro-cycling advocacy groups (e.g. LAB) to let them know what went on.
Sorry you missed out!
songfta
07-28-08, 12:27 PM
I got started a little before 8. The weather was great. Warm but cloudy. 75ish. Very nice. Got off to a quick start with a small group of riders. We keep a nice pace up to the 1st 100 mile rest area.
I'm guessing that I passed you at some point along the HVRT. I was whizzing along, as I started riding at 8:10 (after the ride marshals had indicated that no more 100-mile riders could start) and blitzed long the HVRT. I stopped at the mile 25 rest stop (almost whizzed in the bushes, given that some folks seems to have difficulty in the port-o-lets), and then booked on from there.
If you saw a long-haired guy in a red, white and blue Potomac Pedalers jersey streak by (saying "good morning" after announcing that he was passing), that was me. I had no idea what you were wearing, so I'm sorry that I didn't acknowledge you.
If you want a similarly beautiful ride later on in the season, the Great River Ride in Westfield, MA, is totally worth the trip! It has all of the farmland and rural splendor, plenty of hills, and the fall colors of the Berkshires - really a great ride. You can see some pictures from last year's GRR here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rudiriet/sets/72157602338503281/). It's held over Columbus Day weekend, which helps with travel planning.
Glad you enjoyed the ride!
Lucky07
07-28-08, 03:11 PM
Ha! Yep, definitely saw you! No worries. I was wearing mostly black (bad idea on a somewhat sunny day) on a red/white Allez.
I'll check out the Westfield ride. It sounds great.
I'm guessing that I passed you at some point along the HVRT. I was whizzing along, as I started riding at 8:10 (after the ride marshals had indicated that no more 100-mile riders could start) and blitzed long the HVRT. I stopped at the mile 25 rest stop (almost whizzed in the bushes, given that some folks seems to have difficulty in the port-o-lets), and then booked on from there.
If you saw a long-haired guy in a red, white and blue Potomac Pedalers jersey streak by (saying "good morning" after announcing that he was passing), that was me. I had no idea what you were wearing, so I'm sorry that I didn't acknowledge you.
If you want a similarly beautiful ride later on in the season, the Great River Ride in Westfield, MA, is totally worth the trip! It has all of the farmland and rural splendor, plenty of hills, and the fall colors of the Berkshires - really a great ride. You can see some pictures from last year's GRR here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rudiriet/sets/72157602338503281/). It's held over Columbus Day weekend, which helps with travel planning.
Glad you enjoyed the ride!
cyclebycle13
07-28-08, 07:38 PM
If you liked this ride you may want to check out Tour of the Litchfield Hills. Starts and ends in Torrington, CT, and briefly touches on a couple of the areas you covered, but is mostly east of that area. In the past they only had a 75mi max distance, but this year added a 100-- looking at the route (and having ridden much of it), the scenery is as good and you'll be doing more climbing.
mattyknacks
07-29-08, 04:33 AM
My ride report for the 55 mile route:
The G/F and I drove to the start and we got there at 6:00 am and parked right across the street from the starting point. We ate are breakfasts and got the bikes ready and did some stretching and talking to others as they showed up.
Was going to call my friend who was also doing the ride and realized that my phone had no signal (T-Mobile) and never saw him. Turns out the weather scared him into starting really late (11 am).
We walked across the street to get our ride sheets and armbands, but were told that we weren't getting our sheets until 8:45. Hmmm, it was only 7:15 at that point. We ate some more to kill some time and then we did the "ABC bike check" class and recieved free blinkie lights.
At 8:45, we got our sheets and headed to the porta-potties but they were packed and I decided to try to make it to the first rest stop to pee.
We were off and someone was looking out for me because a mile into the ride, we hit the HVRT and there was a single EMPTY porta-pottie right there!!!! Yay for me!!
I had printed out some "BikeForums" logos and pinned them on my jersey and on my rear trunk bag and in this first few miles I heard someone say "You must be Matty". I said I was and FrankieV introduced himself. He was the only one to admit he was a member the whole day.
When the rail trail ended the hills started and the g/f was not really ready for them. some were pretty steep and long. We moved along at a slow and steady pace and hit all the rest stops. They were well stocked and everyone (the volunteers and the other riders) were friendly and helpful.
After the third rest stop, the 100 mile riders went one way and the 55'ers went another way. Where the the groups came back together, we stopped to stretch and I noticed on the map that we were real close to the rail trail again. The sky was getting darker and the g/f was getting crankier:love: so we decided to take thje trail back instead of blowing out her legs. We werent alone as that turned out to be a popular bail out point.
As soon we hit the rail trail, the sky opened up like I have not seen in a long time. It was cold and windy and it somehow lightened the mood. We were soaked to the core. We got to the car and the rain stopped.
Although we took the detour back to the car, we were pleased to see that the rail trail smoothed out the hills but was not shorter then the actual section we cut out, as we still managed to bike 54 miles.
So all in all it was a good day, and although the g/f was struggling a little bit, she was happy afterwards.
cparekh
07-29-08, 02:54 PM
... the sky opened up like I have not seen in a long time.
No kidding! It was something else. My brakes got so wet that the rear brakes began to dissolve. I had to do half the decent from Mt. Washington with only the front brake. Fortunately, I went to the bike shop in Copake Falls and got new front and rear pads.
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