Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.BluesDawg
07-03-10, 08:07 PM
It was predicted to be a beautiful day today, so I got up early to go for a ride. I decided to have some eggs and grits for breakfast and made enough for the wife and kid. By the time I ate and had a couple of cups of coffee while checking the web, time was starting to slip away. But it was supposed to be cooler today, so I spent a lazy morning with the family. I finally got motivated and hit the road at 11am. That would have been a prescription for heatstroke most days lately, but today it was about 10 degrees cooler than the recent norm, ranging from lower to upper 80s during my ride.
I chose a 63 mile route on roads I've ridden a good bit, but in a new combination. Butternut, my Salsa Casseroll is the bike I usually take for longer rides, and today was no exception. Mostly the route was a combination of parts from the century and metric routes I had used for my clubs April Fools ride three months ago. Within a few miles from home I hit the beginning of what had been a rough 6.5 mile section on the century route. The first 2,5 miles of shake and bake (some of you call it chipseal) was not the really rough kind, but there were several bad sections that were semi patched with asphalt.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4759129246_3b7c4dd7d9.jpg
But then came what had been a terrible 4 miles of awful rough shake and bake full of potholes and cracks. I was happy to see that it has recently been repaved with asphalt as smooth as a baby's bottom. Next year's century riders will be happy to see that.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4758491627_8204c84bce.jpg
After a few more miles on another smooth road, I stopped for water and part of a Clif bar at a convenience store in Haddock. A few more miles and I turned onto a road I have been riding a lot lately, a long stretch of nice pavement with easy rollers and a few hard hills. A young deer nervously scurried across the road in a curve on that road.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4758493097_6a31363efb.jpg
Soon I came into downtown Milledgeville, where I stopped at the LBS for some fresh water and finished my Clif bar while talking to the shop guy and a couple of friends who were having some work done on their bikes. I was about 40 miles into the ride and it was getting warmer, so I quickly got back on the bike and headed on my roundabout way home.
I noticed a Bison in a field where there are usually only horses.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4759132194_b0a1e204d9.jpg
Although not as hot as it has been lately, it was hot enough that I slowed down a good bit in the late part of the ride just to enjoy the ride and not hurt myself. I got home with 63 miles ridden and feeling fine. After a quick shower and some leftovers, I popped the cap off a bottle of Ranger IPA and settled into my recliner to watch the Tour de France prologue. Not a bad day.:thumb:
More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/sets/72157624415520186/show/
Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/39080556
I chose a 63 mile route on roads I've ridden a good bit, but in a new combination. Butternut, my Salsa Casseroll is the bike I usually take for longer rides, and today was no exception. Mostly the route was a combination of parts from the century and metric routes I had used for my clubs April Fools ride three months ago. Within a few miles from home I hit the beginning of what had been a rough 6.5 mile section on the century route. The first 2,5 miles of shake and bake (some of you call it chipseal) was not the really rough kind, but there were several bad sections that were semi patched with asphalt.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4759129246_3b7c4dd7d9.jpg
But then came what had been a terrible 4 miles of awful rough shake and bake full of potholes and cracks. I was happy to see that it has recently been repaved with asphalt as smooth as a baby's bottom. Next year's century riders will be happy to see that.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4758491627_8204c84bce.jpg
After a few more miles on another smooth road, I stopped for water and part of a Clif bar at a convenience store in Haddock. A few more miles and I turned onto a road I have been riding a lot lately, a long stretch of nice pavement with easy rollers and a few hard hills. A young deer nervously scurried across the road in a curve on that road.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4758493097_6a31363efb.jpg
Soon I came into downtown Milledgeville, where I stopped at the LBS for some fresh water and finished my Clif bar while talking to the shop guy and a couple of friends who were having some work done on their bikes. I was about 40 miles into the ride and it was getting warmer, so I quickly got back on the bike and headed on my roundabout way home.
I noticed a Bison in a field where there are usually only horses.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4759132194_b0a1e204d9.jpg
Although not as hot as it has been lately, it was hot enough that I slowed down a good bit in the late part of the ride just to enjoy the ride and not hurt myself. I got home with 63 miles ridden and feeling fine. After a quick shower and some leftovers, I popped the cap off a bottle of Ranger IPA and settled into my recliner to watch the Tour de France prologue. Not a bad day.:thumb:
More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/sets/72157624415520186/show/
Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/39080556