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11-13-11, 10:58 AM
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/sets/72157627989993345/show/
I rode the metric century at the 16th Annual Cruisin' in the Country ride in Claxton, GA (http://www.claxtonevanschamber.com/display.php?cid=13&pid=46) Saturday. I had planned to make this flat country ride a fast 100 miler, but my recent bout with walking pneumonia took some of the fire out of my belly, so I decided to go for a casual metric instead. I had also planned to camp out before the ride, but the forecast of an overnight low of 31 degrees changed that plan. I almost bailed out of the whole thing, but my friend, Twiggs offered to share the cheap motel room he found, so I went.
I don't do cold weather well anyway, but especially after being sick. It was still in the mid 30s when we started around 8:15 and my poor feet were numb until around 9:30 when it finally broke into the 50s. We would have waited later to start the show and go ride, but Twiggs and I both wanted to finish in time to get home and watch the Georgia-Auburn game. I should have worn an extra pair of wool socks and used my shoe covers, but I knew it would warm later and I didn't want to carry too much stuff in my jersey pockets. I started off in a light cycling jacket and old sweat pants over my l/s jersey and bib shorts with knee warmers. I threw away the sweat pants and stuffed the jacket in my jersey at the second rest stop around 10AM when it finally got up to my comfort zone around 55. After that the ride finally became fun.
It was a beautiful sunny day with very little wind as we cruised the very flat roads through the area's farmland. Most of the roads were smooth, but there was a long stretch of shake and bake where I was glad to be on a bike that rides so smoothly. Twiggs was test riding a bike almost identical to mine except in Test Bike Red instead of my black on carbon.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6110/6339438406_964a918e66_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339438406/)
Roubaixs (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339438406/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
The rest stops were great, especially the first one at a small church where the ladies set out all sorts of homemade goodies for us along with the usual rest stop fare.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6231/6338688889_ddc8e38950_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6338688889/)
Rest Stop 1b (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6338688889/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6224/6338692445_118f189e9a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6338692445/)
Rest Stop 3 Susan & Twiggs (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6338692445/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
Pics from the road:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6223/6339441864_9c3d20f1be_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339441864/)
Twiggs early (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339441864/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6226/6339445932_11bab5c5fb_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339445932/)
bents (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339445932/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6042/6339448402_68112ec234_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339448402/)
passing train (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339448402/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
The boys in red and black finished and ready to drive home to watch the University of Georgia Bulldogs demolish the Auburn Tiger/Eagle/Plainsmen. :thumb:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6236/6339450466_6154af3728_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339450466/)
finished (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339450466/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
I rode the metric century at the 16th Annual Cruisin' in the Country ride in Claxton, GA (http://www.claxtonevanschamber.com/display.php?cid=13&pid=46) Saturday. I had planned to make this flat country ride a fast 100 miler, but my recent bout with walking pneumonia took some of the fire out of my belly, so I decided to go for a casual metric instead. I had also planned to camp out before the ride, but the forecast of an overnight low of 31 degrees changed that plan. I almost bailed out of the whole thing, but my friend, Twiggs offered to share the cheap motel room he found, so I went.
I don't do cold weather well anyway, but especially after being sick. It was still in the mid 30s when we started around 8:15 and my poor feet were numb until around 9:30 when it finally broke into the 50s. We would have waited later to start the show and go ride, but Twiggs and I both wanted to finish in time to get home and watch the Georgia-Auburn game. I should have worn an extra pair of wool socks and used my shoe covers, but I knew it would warm later and I didn't want to carry too much stuff in my jersey pockets. I started off in a light cycling jacket and old sweat pants over my l/s jersey and bib shorts with knee warmers. I threw away the sweat pants and stuffed the jacket in my jersey at the second rest stop around 10AM when it finally got up to my comfort zone around 55. After that the ride finally became fun.
It was a beautiful sunny day with very little wind as we cruised the very flat roads through the area's farmland. Most of the roads were smooth, but there was a long stretch of shake and bake where I was glad to be on a bike that rides so smoothly. Twiggs was test riding a bike almost identical to mine except in Test Bike Red instead of my black on carbon.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6110/6339438406_964a918e66_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339438406/)
Roubaixs (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339438406/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
The rest stops were great, especially the first one at a small church where the ladies set out all sorts of homemade goodies for us along with the usual rest stop fare.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6231/6338688889_ddc8e38950_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6338688889/)
Rest Stop 1b (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6338688889/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6224/6338692445_118f189e9a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6338692445/)
Rest Stop 3 Susan & Twiggs (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6338692445/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
Pics from the road:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6223/6339441864_9c3d20f1be_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339441864/)
Twiggs early (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339441864/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6226/6339445932_11bab5c5fb_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339445932/)
bents (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339445932/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6042/6339448402_68112ec234_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339448402/)
passing train (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339448402/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr
The boys in red and black finished and ready to drive home to watch the University of Georgia Bulldogs demolish the Auburn Tiger/Eagle/Plainsmen. :thumb:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6236/6339450466_6154af3728_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339450466/)
finished (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesdawg/6339450466/) by BluesDawg (http://www.flickr.com/people/bluesdawg/), on Flickr