Anyone doing the Six Pillars Century in Cambridge MD this weekend?
04-28-21, 04:20 AM
#1
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Anyone doing the Six Pillars Century in Cambridge MD this weekend?
This ride, under various names, has become a favorite of mine. Last year it was cancelled, still on for this year with various precautions. Very nice and very flat ride - even less elevation change than the Salisbury Century.
04-28-21, 06:04 AM
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Glad to see it is happening. Life slowly returning. I have no car this weekend and family visiting so I am a no go. I have been know to hitch a ride over the bridge though
If you ride, report back with a trip report. I see they have a virtual ride!
Bike to Work Day is also going to virtual this year.
If you ride, report back with a trip report. I see they have a virtual ride! Bike to Work Day is also going to virtual this year.
Likes For balto charlie:
05-03-21, 05:28 AM
#3
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Short writeup with some photos:
The husband of my wife's friend and I did the Six Pillars Century bike ride in Cambridge MD on Saturday. Friday night a cold front roared in, with winds of over 50 mph, causing wind and lane restrictions on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and a big traffic jam on the way out. We had planned on eating at Carmela's Cucina in Cambridge after picking up our ride packets, but they had packed away all the outdoor seating (or it had all blown away) because of the roaring wind. We found covered outdoor eating at Theo's (OK, not great) that was pretty well protected from the wind.
Saturday am for the start of the 101 mile ride, the winds had calmed to "gentle breeze" level of 24 mph. Because of recent flooding (common now on the Eastern Shore with the higher water levels), one bridge on the route had been shut down. To make up the mileage lost by that detour, they added an 8 mile out and back near the start - 8 miles directly into the wind. But, of course, that was followed by 8 miles with the wind at our backs. They also pushed out a new RideWithGPS file that I had downloaded but forgotten to sync my Wahoo Roam to - there was a lot of confusion as many cyclists using the old GPS file saw one thing on the GPS, a different story on the road signage. We just followed the road signage, well mostly.
Some beautiful miles down to Fishing Creek and back, and then around the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge - the flags at the rest stops were snapping and crackling. All the food and drink at the rest stops was individually packaged - with meant the rest stop at mile 72 did not have ice cream this year, wah.
We skipped the last rest stop at mile 82 and the last 18 miles were pretty much directly into the diminished winds. My ride partner Parry, a skinny triathlete on a skinny time trial bike, rode with me at my leisurely pace until about mile 88 and then took off and pretty quickly just a skinny speck in the distance. I followed the GPS near the end, and took a long cut - and passed a couple I had passed a while back.
Decent boxed lunches were provided at the finish after 6 hours of pedaling. A well run ride on a beeyootiful route.
The husband of my wife's friend and I did the Six Pillars Century bike ride in Cambridge MD on Saturday. Friday night a cold front roared in, with winds of over 50 mph, causing wind and lane restrictions on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and a big traffic jam on the way out. We had planned on eating at Carmela's Cucina in Cambridge after picking up our ride packets, but they had packed away all the outdoor seating (or it had all blown away) because of the roaring wind. We found covered outdoor eating at Theo's (OK, not great) that was pretty well protected from the wind.
Saturday am for the start of the 101 mile ride, the winds had calmed to "gentle breeze" level of 24 mph. Because of recent flooding (common now on the Eastern Shore with the higher water levels), one bridge on the route had been shut down. To make up the mileage lost by that detour, they added an 8 mile out and back near the start - 8 miles directly into the wind. But, of course, that was followed by 8 miles with the wind at our backs. They also pushed out a new RideWithGPS file that I had downloaded but forgotten to sync my Wahoo Roam to - there was a lot of confusion as many cyclists using the old GPS file saw one thing on the GPS, a different story on the road signage. We just followed the road signage, well mostly.
Some beautiful miles down to Fishing Creek and back, and then around the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge - the flags at the rest stops were snapping and crackling. All the food and drink at the rest stops was individually packaged - with meant the rest stop at mile 72 did not have ice cream this year, wah.
We skipped the last rest stop at mile 82 and the last 18 miles were pretty much directly into the diminished winds. My ride partner Parry, a skinny triathlete on a skinny time trial bike, rode with me at my leisurely pace until about mile 88 and then took off and pretty quickly just a skinny speck in the distance. I followed the GPS near the end, and took a long cut - and passed a couple I had passed a while back.
Decent boxed lunches were provided at the finish after 6 hours of pedaling. A well run ride on a beeyootiful route.
Last edited by jpescatore; 05-03-21 at 05:32 AM.
05-05-21, 04:52 AM
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thanks for the report. Saturday was a nice day for biking, wish I was there. Hope it was well attended. Great to see life returning to normal. I did ride on Friday to Annapolis. Most of the day was great but finished in some serious wind, one gale bringing me to a halt!
05-05-21, 05:29 AM
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Seemed to be pretty well attended, though I think down from 2019 when it was last run. You couldn't use bib numbers as an indicator, because I think many were assigned for the 2020 ride that was cancelled, and were transferred to 2021 for those of use who said "defer my entry fee to 2021" vs. asked for a refund. My big number was 711, from 2020 registration, I was bib numbers in the 900s.
The crowd at the end was definitely down - but I bet some people looked at the weather and said "No way" - with any luck the charity still ended up making some money.
Potomac Pedalers has said they won't be able to have their big weekend-long Back Roads Century ride out of Shepardsburg this fall, but it looks like many of the fall rides will be back.
The crowd at the end was definitely down - but I bet some people looked at the weather and said "No way" - with any luck the charity still ended up making some money.
Potomac Pedalers has said they won't be able to have their big weekend-long Back Roads Century ride out of Shepardsburg this fall, but it looks like many of the fall rides will be back.
05-08-21, 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by jpescatore
Potomac Pedalers has said they won't be able to have their big weekend-long Back Roads Century ride out of Shepardsburg this fall, but it looks like many of the fall rides will be back.
https://www.baltobikeclub.org/index....article?id=284
