I just logged in to toot my own horn. Seeing that the wife and I would be spending all day visiting our fathers today, she decided to give me a full Fathers Day yesterday. I told her that all I wanted was a nice long bike ride.

I grabbed my most comfortable bike, which happened to be a Trek hardtail mountain bike with Brooks saddle. Front suspension fork and 26 X 2.125 tires. Not exactly a typical bike for a long road ride, but my favorite bike nonetheless. After strapping on a Camelbak, and putting a 20oz bottle of iced coffee in my cage, I rode as long as I could. After 5 hours of riding and consuming 160 ounces of liquid, I'd managed to do 56.6 miles of hilly country roads in Columbia and Rensselaer counties. I only stopped because I ran out of liquid. Today I am a god!!!

Okay. It wasn't exactly the Race Across America or anything, but I'm feeling pretty darned good about myself today, considering that I bought the bike last spring, and was barely able to ride it the 4 miles home from the bike store. I'm thinking that it if I can find a good road bike this summer, I'll try doing a century this fall.

Congrats on a day well spent, sounds like it was a great one. Nice country up there also. Enjoy visiting you Dads while you still can.

That kickstand is da bomb.

Hehehehe. When you do as much road riding as I do, it makes sense to have a kickstand. It's easy enough to remove for offroad use.

I used to live in Valatie and I do miss the quite and hilly roads in Columbia and Rensselaer counties. I will say this though, Rensselaer county seems to have more vicious dogs per square inch than any place I've ever ridden except Mississippi. Hope the dogs were at bay. I don't think you will have trouble doing a century in say Saratoga county, which is relatively flat, if you can do 56 miles of those hills.

Congrats on the mileage, looks like a nice lonely road to enjoy a quite ride.

thanks for sharing. just might get my ass back on a bike this week!

Congratulations o n the ride. I'm hoping to be able to get out for a long ride like that this week, I want to see how far I can go if I don't have to stop every few blocks.

Nice story -- great pic! Got the same gift from my wife: time to ride. Let's make Father's Day biweekly.

I really do feel privileged to live where I do. Riding in a hilly rural area definitely has its cycling challenges, but the rewards are also great. Being able to ride for 20 miles on a weekday evening, and having maybe 2 or 3 cars pass by in your direction is really great. I get to drive by alpaca farms, listen to roosters crow, watch horses frolic in pastures, with hardly a car to be found. After a hectic day of work, nothing sheds the stress like a long ride, with my greatest worry being cow manure in my tread.

akohekohe - I live in Valatie also.

Congrats, the first long ride is always the memorable. I see you brought your camera too, awesome

I wonder if you will soon get sick of the Camelbak? I did it before and the sweaty back + "thing on my back" got to uncomfortable for me. So I carry two water bottles in my pannier + 1 in the cage. I tend to be a slave to places that will give me free water on long bike rides

Actually, it sounds like you already have a good road bike. You don't have to buy into the theory that only bikes approved by some elite group are worth riding.

I read Primo levi's autobiography. Before WWII, he and a friend would ride 100 miles into the Italian Alps with skis strapped to their bikes. They would back country ski for three days, then ride back to Milan. The bikes they rode were equivalent to what we would call singlespeed beach cruisers. Their skis were wooden, probably with splinters. They used the same shoes for both cycling and skiing. Would they have done better or had more fun with "better" bikes and skis?

So I looked again at AlmostGreenGuy's photo, and I'm suddenly struck by the signage: "Share the road"--"Next 4 miles". What's the implication here? At mile 5, will we see "Vehicles may resume Darwinian struggle for existence"?