Cool! Next time take pictures. j/k

Funny you say that.

I brought my camera. The batteries were dead so I was going to snag a couple from my parents. Then I opened the slot and realized I had left the memory card at home as well.

-D

Many folks think College is harder because you start in a stop position(or almost stopped). I love this road the most in the series of Catonsville hills(especially if ridden from Ellicott City to Illchester). Either way, its a roller coaster of a ride. One area that you can haul ***** down allowing you to climb the next hill easily(Noracer, not exactly your kinda challenge but fun none-the-less). Be careful of teens early Sat night as they love to drive fast here(a few have died testing their car racing skills)
derath & gurana: nice rides I've been doing a lot of climbing and paddling lately, so bike miles have been down.

Yea I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much going from Illchester to Ellicott City. But it is a fun road.

-D

Racing has put a crimp in my mileage--long miles and bike commuter miles. The season is almost over, though. I'm still hoping to make 10,000 miles at least, but I think it's going to be close.

New Guy's Weekend Report

1. Did the metric route at the Ride to See in Galena. I normally travel on flat ground with wind, around there it's rolling hills with wind. Really kicked my butt, but I was happy to finish my first official event in 3:45. Met lots of nice folks (guy from Lions club on the western shore), couple of ladies that do triathlons and a few others. One thing I couldn't help but notice, though, is that it was a really rather anti-social event. No groups of riders hanging around chatting, very few talking it up at the rest stops (I admit, I stopped at all of them for about five minutes each), and people disappeared once they hit the finish. Are most metrics and centuries the same way? One nice guy did stop and let me use his pump when I got a flat at mile 52 after my pump handle broke, which was tops. Guess I should have happy that I've hit my first goal of the year: Did a 100K event after a few months or riding. Oh yeah, 22.5 lb all-aluminum bikes are one heck of a rough ride over those old farm roads, especially without cycling shorts.

2. Finished the weekend by doing another 30-something miles the following day between Easton and Tilghman. Makes me thing I should have pushed harder the previous day.

3. Got my Garmin 305 all hooked up and plan to start doing some focused training so I can do a full century before the season is over, and hopefully under five hours. I hardly ever do long distance rides, so it'll be fun to see what happens.

4. Another group ride is probably going to happen this Sunday at 8 AM in front of the Bike Doctor in Easton. If anyone wants to show up, come on out and give it a shot. If you're a fast rider, there will be others there waiting for you, if you're slower like me, then bring some friends and we'll run our own group. Idea is to hang with the fast group as long as possible then once they spit us out the back, we'll step it down a bit and try to play catch up best we can.

5. I picked up some clipless pedals (cheap Times) and shoes (cheap Shimano SPD-SLs) and wow, what a difference. Before I was loosening my toe clip straps while climbing hills and constantly having to adjust them, now I'm finding new muscle aches in my legs from being able to spin the pedals much more effectively. They should be a requirement for anyone with a road bike, just like a helmet.

That's it for me. Hope to see y'all on the road!

I have to get one of those garmins... That looked like one sweet ride by the way... LUCKY!!!

That route you posted gave me some ideas about new routes in the elkridge/ellicott city/columbia area though. I've been trying to find ways of escaping the local sprawl to where the roads open up a little.

Hi anyone from montg. county know any good trails mostly around g'burg germantown area??

This is a good resource:
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/gi...s/bikeways.asp

I lived in montgomery village for a couple of years (recently moved) If you look up my username (gurana) in routeslip.com you should find a few routes that are decent, if you're into riding on road.

Choices, choices. Do I do this on the 25th?:

https://www.blueridgeextreme.com/

or, do I do the unpaid BBC club ride Civil War Century in the reverse direstion:

8:30am
START: TCP - Thurmont Community Park
Phil M's century run backwards and extended to run through the Gettysburg and Antietam battlefields. Easy ride out to Gettysburg, then steep climbs and long, gentle descents. You can stop pedaling at mile 100 and coast the last 7 miles into Thurmont.

Whichever... it'll be a sufferfest!

Wow! I could do both, as the BRE is on Sunday the 26th!

I'll be doing the BRE - less than a week away! Actually I'll be doing the metric - should be a great ride regardless.

The Blue Ridge Extreme looks like a daunting ride. I'd love to try that, but 11,000 ft of climbing skears me! I wonder if this is doable if one takes it easy and rolls at an easy pace?

Get that triple crank gear and do switchbacks on the cat 1 climb and you'll make it up no problem. You'll also end up doing 200 total miles, but they'll be easy!

4000' of climbing wore me down in Lancaster; I bow down before those who attempt 11,000.

I have a 12-27 rear cog set, and I did 6,800 in Tahoe back in June but that was pretty docile compared to 11,000 feet. Lancaster was pretty tame, but tack on another 40 miles and 7,000 feet - it could get real ugly in the Virginia mountains. I'd still like to try something like this just to find out if I had the Kahoonas to do it.

I have a hotel reservation im about to cancel at the Afton Inn. I was looking forward to this getway and taking my wife. However, since this date will be 1 year ago that my Mother In Law passed away, my wife is loath to leave her dad by himself.

It'll be line painting for the Bay Country Century for me.


Patapso Ride update.

Saturday i needed about an hours worth of easy peddleing. Having picked up some moto parts from Speeds Cycle right near Levering, i went an paid my 2 bucks to get into the park. I had my bike and kit in the back of the Jeep. I was wanting to discover for myself the connection to Ilchester I had heard about a couple days earlier from some teamates. At first i went down the wrong side and ended up dead ended at the dam on the wrong side of the river. What i was told was that River Rd runs all the way thru now. What i wasnt told was that it wasnt really river road that went thru but the old rail trail on the Balto county side of the park. Once i figured that out, i decided to keep on going out on River Rd road past the abandoned mill. I had no idea where this road went but i kept on going. At the fork i turned right up Thistle. It turned out to be a nice gradual climb all the way out to Frederick Rd. I knew the steeper Hilltop Road to go to Frederick Road. But i didnt want to go that way, what with Ilchester repeats from 3 days earlier still fresh on my mind. I had always thought the fork to the left at the mill was a dead end road. Having just checked a map it turns out that River Rd goes all the way to Ellicott City. And to my surpise at the time It turned out that Thistle went out to Frederick road a little closer down the hill toward Ellicott City from Hilltop Rd. Once Thistle dumped me onto Frederick Rd, i continued up the hill, a little harder climb than Thistle Rd, up past the Candlelight Inn and on to a right turn on Rolling Rd. Now i knew where i was. I went to school at Catonsville Comm College and UMBC. From that turn it was pure bliss of a 5-6 mile downhill run all the way back to the park entrance by way of St. Denis and Relay. The roads to take are S. Rolling to a bear left on Selford Ave, just past the Park & Ride, down the hill to a right at the stop sign onto Francis Road. Francis road to a left on S. Rolling Rd. Follow all the signs to the Park until you hit the Park entrance and go back into the park.

Or...for a more challenging 13 mile loop

Go past the park entrance to Rt-1, turn right and go to a right turn on Levering. Take Levering to a l/t on Laywers Hill. Climb the hill and keep on Lawyers Hill Rd to a r/t on Montgomery. Take Montgomery to a r/t on Landing Rd. Follow Landing all the way to a r/t on Illchester and return to the point of entry back into the park.

Sounds like fun eh?

Do it backwards for a real leg breaker.

After the time trial on Ilchester Rd, Saturday, me and one of my team mates decided to do some riding in the area--he hadn't had enough after the time trial, I guess. We went up College and a few others just for the climbs, riding through Ellicott City on to Frederick Rd, then River Rd, back up Ilchester, and then back to "Our Lady of Perpetual Motion" .

I'll have to check out Lawyers Hill the next time I'm in the area.

lawyer's hill is nice. Steady grade. Compared to the changes that is Illchester. And that TT was fun, I proudly carried the lantern rouge for the Cat 5 men.

The way I do Ilchester is to kind of not do it at all. I start at Bonnie Branch then turn on Beechwood. Its the same elevation but 0.3 miles longer and the climb is a more constant grade (and no 18%).

Bill

Well... here's how things are shaping up for my weekend:

- Saturday: play around on Skyline Drive (warm-up for Sunday?)

- Sunday: Blue Ridge Extreme Century

I'm on my own. I haven't been able to get any of my race team mates to join me (yet--still working on it).

After my race tomorrow, I'll be carb loading for the weekend. I just hope the weather holds out.

BRE looks like a fun challenge. I am determined to do either it or the Cheat Mtn Challenge (or both) next year.

-D

-D,

They'd definitely be good goals to set and motivate you to get to a higher fitness level.

True dat.

And things are finally getting back on track. I am looking forward to a good fall/winter to get my base back up and hit next year running.

-D

Derath: I thought you had kids. If this is the case, never think life will get back on track This wknd I will be taking my youngest off to college. We will officially be empty-nesters. My life has been in a state of kaos for 24 years. I don't know how to live with "things back on track". But I am gonna try to find out
Noracer: BRE, been on my list as has the Cheat mnt challenge. CMC was run last wknd. Good luck but i don't think you will need it.
Calhoun: If you make it up Illchester you've done good.

What I find amazing on the hoco side of the park is the amount of development. Not that long ago there was the Cider Mill farms(kids use to PYO pumpkins), the exclusive private school and Rockburn Park on Landing road. Now!!! Same w/ College ave. Not as pretty as it was just a few years ago.