Starting with the end: I managed to get an actual century ride (i.e. 100 miles or more) in today. Yay me! I did my usual "Peterborough Loop" which is actually a little under 100 miles, so I end up having to tack on some random miles as I get closer to home. I like this loop because it's simple (turns are relatively few and obvious), the 2 big climbs on the ride are pretty long and good for building stamina -- and the scenery is really nice.
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| Route and Elevation for today's Ride |
Anyway, I knew today was going to be a hot/muggy day, so I made it a point to be on the road by 6AM. I was, but even at 5:55 AM, it was already warm and the humidity was so heavy my mirrors were instantly fogged up. Once I got moving and acclimated the ride started off great.
I also knew that the day was just going to keep getting hotter, so I opted to skip some of my usual stops on the first 50 miles, knowing that I'd probably be needing to make more stops on the 2nd half -- not as much shade for long stretches. I was certainly right.
By the time I got to Peterborough (my mid-point), I decided to check out a side road and found the Peterboro Basket Company. They had a sign on the road proclaiming the wonders of their "famous bicycle baskets" (of which I had never heard), so I decided to check them out. The factory is a little old and nothing to write home about -- at least as far as I could tell standing outside. Their 'factory store' area was closed (it's Sunday) so I took this picture.
Once I got home I googled them and was surprised to find that yes, they do make some pretty high-end woven baskets. They're a bit twee and pricey for my tastes, but apparently they're all the rage with hipsters and Martha Stewart devotees. Guess I learned something new today.
I also came across this funny sign in Peterborough -- and uploaded it to Facebook immediately:
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| Bass Player Crossing |
After pausing in Peterborough to change fluids and brace myself, I started the 4-mile grinding climb up and out of town, headed east on 101. 4 miles doesn't sound like a lot, but it sure feels like it when you're already 50 miles into a ride, hot and you're watching that 9% grade stretch out, then disappear around a bend. This is when I just gear down, relax and work on being patient and NOT CRAMPING UP.
The best part of the ride is probably the nice corresponding 8% downhill grade that I get once I get past the peak at Miller State Park on 101. I usually stop at that peak just before it breaks and then perform a full check on the bike (loose spokes, wheel/brake pads OK, nothing falling off), but this time I stopped on the uphill just before that at the turn-off for the Temple Mountain Meditation Center (a Bhuddist Temple & Gardens).
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| Pre-descent bike check at the Buddhist Temple |
And it was so worth it.
The bike was solid and and fast all the way down into Wilton. If you've never gone 54+ mph on a bicycle, I highly recommend it. "You will not regret it if you live." (appropriated from Mark Twain.) It made all that climbing so worth it. Motorcycles don't count. This is as close as you'll get to flying, short of one of those "flying squirrel" suits that those nut cases use to jump off cliffs....
Where was I ? Wilton: I had to stop in Wilton to replenish my gatorade and have an ice cream sammich, Then it was back into full sun on Route 101 / 101A for a few miles. I was broiling and my head was starting to hurt. I made a tactical mistake of just relying on my camelbak with Gatorade and not bringing a water bottle. If I'd had a water bottle -- with actual water in it, not Gatorade -- I would've been soaking my head thru my helmet periodically. Lesson learned there.
Once I got back onto 122 headed south, I was able to find shade. It's a lovely stretch of road, with Silver Lake park and beautiful farms, fields and orchards along the way back to Pepperel. In Pepperel I added a little extra on the rail trail (looped North then back) to make sure the end route was 100 mi this time. Even on the relatively flat and shady Nashua River Rail trail, I needed to stop a couple of times to cool down -- something I don't usually need to do. I ended up in Ayer and stopped at Kevin's house to check on his progress. Sandy was putting up primer on the upstairs walls and Kevin was laying in hardwood flooring in his living room. I don't know why I didn't think to take a picture. I blame the heat. ;-)
I left Kevin's house then headed the last 5 miles home. When I got close to the house, I was at 99 miles -- just about on track to cross over the 100 mile mark when I hit my driveway. At 99.1 miles, my rear tire blew out. Less than a mile from my house and I have a blow out. Unbe@#%^@#lieveable. At that point, I just wanted it over -- but I didn't want a repeat of last weekend's ride that was just 3.5mi shy of a legit Century. I didn't want to change the tube in the hot sun when I was so close to home, so I just walked my bike home. When I got home, I was still 0.5 miles shy of 100mi. I was not about to be denied having a legit Century ride by just 0.5 miles. So, in the relative cool of my garage, I pulled the rear wheel off my bike, swapped the entire wheel out with a ready spare wheel I have, got back on the bike then rode down the street and back until my trip computer read 100.39 miles. Done! If I hadn't had that spare wheel ready, I don't know if I would've had enough willpower left to fix that flat and finish out the 100 miles.
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| Yay, me. |
At that point, I decided that I should write this experience up and share it. But only after a cold shower and a soak in a cold tub. I mean, to get 99.1% of the way through a century ride and THEN get a flat?!?
Here endeth the story. My takeaways for this ride ?
- Stop to take more pictures
- Always always always carry a water bottle -- with water in it.
- Always keep that spare wheel inflated and ready to go.
- The ride isn't over until it's over.
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