Ride report...great day and almost a century (long)
06-10-06, 04:34 PM
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Never fear the hills...
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Ride report...great day and almost a century (long)
What a great day for a ride in the east today. It was a bit windy but other than that the temps were only in the low 70s with some light clouds.
I ventured out around 11:30AM which was much later than I thought but it was cool this morning and I decided to make breakfast for the family. After I got them off to a 3yr olds birthday party at Chucky Cheese (I opted out!) I departed with the full intention of doing my first solo century.
I left the house heading for the BWI airport and on to Annapolis Maryland on the B&A trail. I was riding pretty strong and holding myself back because I knew it was going to be a long day in the winds. Everything was going smoothly when I reached the Marley Station Mall.
I was crossing the pedestrian bridge over Rt. 100 and just about the time I reached the other side a girl on a mt. bike was coming onto the bridge. The bridge is plenty wide for 2 bikes to pass and she was riding about in the middle. I thought no problem... boy was I wrong. I went by her going about 18mph and (don't know what I was thinking) but forgot there is a sharp left at the end of the bridge. I figured I could still make it and then looked down and fixated on a patch in the trail right at the turn. I thought I should miss it since it was raised up slightly. Well missing it to the right and the almost 90deg. turn just didn't go well together.
I hit the brakes hard and locked the rear as the giant (7' high) black chain link fence came at me. I went into the fence hard and managed to hit one of the support posts with my head and shoulder. I didn't go down and the bike is OK (no damage at all!). I gathered myself up, unclipped, took a quick inventory... bike-check, head-check, hands-check, arms-check, legs-check, no broken bones. Hmm, dumb luck it wasn't worse. I had some scratches on my right arm but nothing bad at all. My helmet took a pretty good hit into the pole but it just had some scuffs of black paint. After about 2mins. I continued on down the hill ... hey I was only at 28miles and had a long way to go today.
About a tenth of a mile down the trail I noticed my seat had turned about 20degs. I pulled over and massaged (read: pounded) it back in line. At this point since I was stopped I decided to take another look at my helmet. It is a 2005 Bell Alchera..not the most expensive helmet but not bad looking either. I turned it over and sure enough there are two cracks in the foam... almost all the way through. Damn... good thing I always wear a helmet or I might not be writing this now.
Anyway, to shorten the story up... I already hit the good part. I've got a nice bruise on my upper bicep and some great scratches and bruises on my shoulder. I'll probably be really sore tomorrow but don't have anything planned except taking my son (2 1/2yrs) to his first movie theater movie. Cars.
I only ended up with 86.8miles today. I shouldn't have done one more lap of BWI airport on the way back (11miles around). I felt pretty decent at the end and could have finished it but I had obligations at home. I figured the wife wouldn't like it if I was gone for yet another hour. I guess my first solo century is going to have to wait for another nice day.
Final tally:
distance: 86.8 miles
total time: 5:40
ride time: 5:09 (yeah, I didn't stop much)
ave. speed: 16:8mph
ave. heart rate: 153bpm
calories burned: 2397
good excuse: asking for a Sweep R for Father's Day! Don't know if the wife will justify the expense though...
I ventured out around 11:30AM which was much later than I thought but it was cool this morning and I decided to make breakfast for the family. After I got them off to a 3yr olds birthday party at Chucky Cheese (I opted out!) I departed with the full intention of doing my first solo century.
I left the house heading for the BWI airport and on to Annapolis Maryland on the B&A trail. I was riding pretty strong and holding myself back because I knew it was going to be a long day in the winds. Everything was going smoothly when I reached the Marley Station Mall.
I was crossing the pedestrian bridge over Rt. 100 and just about the time I reached the other side a girl on a mt. bike was coming onto the bridge. The bridge is plenty wide for 2 bikes to pass and she was riding about in the middle. I thought no problem... boy was I wrong. I went by her going about 18mph and (don't know what I was thinking) but forgot there is a sharp left at the end of the bridge. I figured I could still make it and then looked down and fixated on a patch in the trail right at the turn. I thought I should miss it since it was raised up slightly. Well missing it to the right and the almost 90deg. turn just didn't go well together.
I hit the brakes hard and locked the rear as the giant (7' high) black chain link fence came at me. I went into the fence hard and managed to hit one of the support posts with my head and shoulder. I didn't go down and the bike is OK (no damage at all!). I gathered myself up, unclipped, took a quick inventory... bike-check, head-check, hands-check, arms-check, legs-check, no broken bones. Hmm, dumb luck it wasn't worse. I had some scratches on my right arm but nothing bad at all. My helmet took a pretty good hit into the pole but it just had some scuffs of black paint. After about 2mins. I continued on down the hill ... hey I was only at 28miles and had a long way to go today.
About a tenth of a mile down the trail I noticed my seat had turned about 20degs. I pulled over and massaged (read: pounded) it back in line. At this point since I was stopped I decided to take another look at my helmet. It is a 2005 Bell Alchera..not the most expensive helmet but not bad looking either. I turned it over and sure enough there are two cracks in the foam... almost all the way through. Damn... good thing I always wear a helmet or I might not be writing this now.
Anyway, to shorten the story up... I already hit the good part. I've got a nice bruise on my upper bicep and some great scratches and bruises on my shoulder. I'll probably be really sore tomorrow but don't have anything planned except taking my son (2 1/2yrs) to his first movie theater movie. Cars.
I only ended up with 86.8miles today. I shouldn't have done one more lap of BWI airport on the way back (11miles around). I felt pretty decent at the end and could have finished it but I had obligations at home. I figured the wife wouldn't like it if I was gone for yet another hour. I guess my first solo century is going to have to wait for another nice day.
Final tally:
distance: 86.8 miles
total time: 5:40
ride time: 5:09 (yeah, I didn't stop much)
ave. speed: 16:8mph
ave. heart rate: 153bpm
calories burned: 2397
good excuse: asking for a Sweep R for Father's Day! Don't know if the wife will justify the expense though...
06-10-06, 05:12 PM
#2
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See if you can get a crash replacement deal on that helmet. Why solo? Aren't there other century candidates around?
