I was still hurting from the Whiteface UPhill race when I rode with Bruce and a crew of six the following week. That did not help me go
up the very steep and too long Glens Falls Mountain Road just before the half-way point of the 55 mile quick ride. Bruce had to wait for me at the top, but as always, the reward is in the descent and we cruised to the Stewart's for a well-deserved break. The second half of the ride was much better as the climbing up West Mountain Road was less steep and at the beginning after the rest. The rollers going back to Skidmore were fun and the ride left a satisfying drained feeling.Stewart Dam Crossing ----->
My work now takes me to WNY for more time to be with new people I have hired and to keep close to our customers there. I have begun packing up the Lemond with both wheels off in the back of the Subaru on my road trips. It saves the Cannondale from getting dinged and makes it possible to go on trails if needed. Also, the bike is heavier, so the rides I do will be better for training. I was able to get away for part of an early afternoon at Letchworth State Park in Mt. Morris, NY. If you have not been there, you should go. It is described as the Grand Canyon of NY. That is a lot to live up to and it does not compare to the western version, but it is a beautiful cut valley from the Gennese River flowing north through the Glacial till of western NY.
I started at the Mt. Morris entry near the dam and rode the length of the road south through the park to the other entrance at Portageville. It is 17 miles one way, so a 35-mile ride altogether. The ride south is uphill all the way with many dips and steep, short climbs mixed in. At first I thought my brakes were dragging on the flats, but I soon realized I was going upriver, so the flats were false ones. I stopped several times to rest my still weary legs and take some pictures of the river that at times was almost 600 feet below my vantage point. The road was smooth, but the air was awful as the local customers were spreading their manure and it was sinking down into the valley. No wind, but plenty of foul air. The return trip was a blast as now the false flats were leaning downhill and the down hills carried you over most of the uphill climbs. I now realized my legs were not as bad off as I thought.
I did get the Epic out for a short stroll one night with Donna walking Harry through our trails. It will be good to get back on the mountain bikes for some real single trail riding soon. The ankle is getting to the point that it will be ok.
I have wanted to do the Glens Falls local club Tuesday Time Trial on West River Road near Ft. Edward ever since they started doing them two years ago. But, Tuesdays have been tough for me to be home for in the summer, and every time I was, I was too tired or there was a thunderstorm. This time I was tired, but decided to go anyway. I was glad I did. There were 26 riders in all, and of all levels of ability and with all kinds of bikes. The Cambridge club riders make up the majority, but riders come from all over. The bikes ranged from state of the art TT bikes with aerobars and disc wheels to regular tour bikes.
I knew the road well from traveling with Donna as she rides to work and back. In fact Donna rode into work this beautiful day and I met her with the car as she was returning. I got to the parking lot about 45 minutes before the start, enough time to ride the five mile out, five mile back course for warm up. A donation of $5, signing the release and getting the number were all I needed to do. We lined up and started 30 seconds apart.
My speedometer was not working, and I was almost glad. I know that a good time would be less than 25 minutes, so I just used the clock on my computer.I hit it hard from the start and judged that I was pushing along at about 165 beats per minute (my heart rate monitor is also not working) by the level of breathing I was doing. I thought I could keep this pace for 25 minutes, so just kept at it. When my legs started to resist, I click up a gear for relief. At the turn around I was about 12 minutes into the ride, so felt I was doing a good ride. I passed two riders on the way out, and nobody else and no one passed me. On the way back I moved to a lighter gear a couple of times to get relief, but kept near the same pace. As I approached the rail road sign, which is near the finish, I pushed hard and had about 12 minutes more on the clock.
As it turned out my time was a little over 25 minutes, or 23.7 MPH, which was good enough for sixth place. I was happy with that! I would love to do it again and think I could improve by pushing bigger gears. The Y-Foil is really fun to ride and I was glad I rode it Monday morning for a 35 mile ride to get used to the positioning of the aerobars. I felt very comfortable with my position on the bike.
Next post should be about getting the Epic and/or Yeti out in the woods.
