What I learned this weekend
 

El Segundo and I rode the Chief Ladiga/Silver Comet trail this weekend. 160 miles round trip and we took 3 days to do it, staying in a motel in Dallas Ga with a shorter ride on the second day.
This is what I learned:
1. At a busy trailhead near Atlanta, with hundreds (really, hundreds) of cyclists buzzing around on all manner of bikes, the two old guys on the powder blue steel Trek and the celeste steel Bianchi will be approached and questioned repeatedly about their "cool old school" bikes. :D
2. The same guys will be stopped and questioned almost as much about their "cool" 50+ jerseys. :thumb:
3. "Cool old school" road bikes don't handle nearly as well with 20# of stuff on a seatpost rack! :(
4. Three days riding in 97 degree heat at 90% humidity will kick your butt. :twitchy:
and finally:
5. I no longer give a rip about whether I ever ride a century or not! :p

Sounds like you had a good time.

Don't worry about that century. I rode my first one at age 63 so you still have plenty of time for yours:)

Yeah, let's hear it for oldschool, steel framed Treks!!

Those that have never lived/been to the south don't understand heat and humidity. They also don't understand why people don't ride a bike to work. You'd need a shower when you got to work or stink all day :). Or why we ride a golf cart when playing golf. You just can't exert much in those kind of conditions.
Good for you for riding in it. Glad you were safe.

I don't know. Philadelphia is right north of the Mason-Dixon line. Yet, most of our summer days are in the 90's to sometimes triple digits with 95% humidity. After the first week or so you get used to it and remember that you have to hydrate even more carefully.

To the OP, it does sound as if you had a great time - one for the memory book.

I lived the first 54 years of my life in the Philadelphia area. Although I tolerated the high humidity, I was never comfortable living where you can work up a good sweat just chewing gum.

Give me 105 degree temps and 12% humidity. I'm much happier in Tucson.

Here in northern lower Michigan on the 45th (halfway to the north pole) we get quite warm on a semi-frequent basis. Learning to ride in 90+ heat is a necessity, if you cant then you give up too much ride time (unless you like rainy 65deg days that dot the months of summer).

Seenoweevil, hope your recovery has gone well and you're planning the next trip. Good ride!

thanks for sharing
you need a proper rear rack and trunk
rest and recover
I know what you mean about a century no longer being an important milestone
oh and congratulations NICE WORK!!!

Well is sounds like you had a great time.:thumb:

Like Beverly said, there's plenty of tme to get that century in. It's liable to just sneak up on you one day and happen!!:eek: And you are absolutely correct about those venerable old steel Trek bikes.

As for weather...let me tell you about weather. Ya all think you got it bad? Well you do. Here in Rochester N.Y. the weather is just perfect! Yep, we couldn't ask for better...but it's 'sposed to be a secret. To keep the rest of the country in the dark about our Shangri La, we all belly-ache incesantly about rain and wind and snow and such. So far it has worked quite well as I see no lines of bicycle laden cars coming up the hiway as of yet. Now don't let on that I told ya....;)

06/18/2011...A typical Saturday in Lower Seneca Park, Rochester N.Y. :)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/IMG_0111.jpg

Lenny,
Your summer weather and mine are just about the same - nice days and cool to crisp nights. NY has great weather for cycling from May through October, several months of marginal weather and then about 3 1/2 months of weather that only diehards like TSL will venture out in. I lived and rode in VA for many years, it is not Florida but it is hot and humid. You can ride quite well in it, it's best though to stay off the bike from 11AM to 4PM. It can be done and really isn't all that bad if you can keep your speed up and the wind blowing, but climb a hill and things change quickly.

We all get hot weather (in NY we get a day or two where it can get over 100 and humid) but VA and places south 100+ degree days are quite common. One or two days is not too bad, several weeks of it just beats you down.

Just remember, you've already read the books, they're just now reading. Sounds like you had a great time. Any pics??

I was there with Seenoweevil, it was HOT, it was HUMID, it was MISRABLE (hills between Cedartown and Rockmart), it was GREAT!! Really, we had a great time, early mornings on the trail were cool and comfortable, met a lot of really nice people especially a guy named Bruce who rescued us from a thunderstorm and flood by giving a two mile ride to our motel. Bikers really are nice folks.

El Segundo at Alabama/Georgia state line.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=207628
Seenoweevil at rest stop in Rockmart Georgia
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=207629

I'm curious about exactly how you broke up the ride into three days starting from Dallas....can you tell more? Also, I told you so on the Rockmart/Cedartown section!:D
Very different isn't it?

First day we (Lance Hamstring and Levi Lumpheimer) started from Piedmont Alabama and rode to Dallas Georgia and spent the night. Second day, Sunday, was easy day, we rode from Dallas mile marker 20.2 to Silver Comet Depot bike shop at mile marker 4.2. Spent some time talking to folks, checking out bikes and answering questions about "Plus 50" jersey. Returned to Dallas after stopping at Mexican resturant in Powder Springs and got back to motel, crashed and watched Levi win the Tour de Suisse. Third day rode from Dallas back to Piedmont, approximately 60 miles.

Very nice ride, highly recommended if you ever get opportunity.

Sorry, but you'll have to go back and do it again. No trip to the Silver Comet is complete without a stop at Frankie's Italian in Rockmart. ;)

I'm wondering how long it will take before your sentiments reverse themselves? You do know they will, right?

Plan was to stop at Frankie's but we were early and also they were closed Monday. Instead lunch was in Cedartown at Pirkles Deli, not bad either.

Yeah, they were closed, so we didn't get a chance to try the vittles!

Yeah, as the memories of the weather and ride kickin' our butts turn fuzzy and re form into US kickin' the ride and weather's butts, it'll probably happen! Not this week though! Still too clear a picture of the sweat rollin' into my eyes and suckin' in hot wet air. Man, it WAS fun!

The Cedartown to Rockmart section is a rude slap in the face after the rest of the trail! You warned me, but I didn't get the real picture til it was too late. I get the feeling very few go past Rockmart from the east, and Cedartown from the west. Most of the other riders we met turned around for their ride at those points.
That said, I am still impressed in the trail, and loved riding it......and yes, I'll probably do it again....and again!