Well, it was Tour de Cure ride today for Team Lockheed Martin as we help contribute to the cure for diabetes. Weather forecast was very iffy going into today. Got up early and gathered enough sandwich bags to keep the electronics dry (phone, Garmin, pedometer) and headed out. Found the LM tent and got the new jersey which is pretty bangin' I must say. Would have a picture, but it's a soggy mess right now.
Big group started out for the 64 mile version on time. Went through some rain on the way to Boundary Waters Park, but not raining at the start. Very wet streets though. Large rooster tails made drafting very difficult. Although humid, the streets were slowly drying out with some sun peeking through at times. The Tour de Cure is different from most other group rides as the emphasis is on company teams so there are groups of riders wearing their company jerseys and riding more or less together.
Hooked up with one of my LM buddies the the mid-way sag stop. As we headed out, we noticed the ominous dark cloud ahead of us. We made a turn which looked like we were turning away from the main cloud. Uhh, not really. A few big drops, then heavy rain with 50+ mph wind. Almost got blown off the road and my buddy Brad went down but was okay. We're talking Caddyshack storm with a large temperature drop. After a couple of bolts of lightning, we got off the road under some trees (low ones!) in some guy's yard. Howdy, neighbor! The storm was moving fast so the big stuff was over in 10 minutes. Several riders joined up and we slogged toward the finish teeth chattering and wishing I was home on the couch watching golf.
As we got on the main road back, we had to dodge several large tree limbs and junk that had been blown into the road. About 12 miles out a Chattahoochee Hills cop with lights blazing roared up and told me (all of us) to stop. Said the whole event had been called off and to turn off at the last SAG stop about 2 miles up ahead and catch the SAG wagon back to the park. The rain had pretty much stopped and we had warmed up considerably. Well, we try to be good citizens and obey officers of the law, but the SAG had already closed up and nobody knew about any cancellation. Rumbling of thunder in the distance, but we decided to soldier on and rode up on several groups of riders some of whom were really suffering. Everybody likes to ride for a good cause, but some riders just haven't put in enough training time on road hills and have a hard time finishing even the shorter routes. And the Silk Sheets punishes the ill prepared. Believe me, i know!
With cooler temps, I started rolling pretty good (smelling the barn?) and picked up the pace. Rolled back into Boundary Waters Park looking to get some of the post-ride grub at the Team Lockheed Martin tent. Well, it was a disaster area, too. Standing water everywhere and all the Tour de Cure event stuff was packed up or blown to Alabama. There was chow from Willy's though! Pretty good even when having to eat totally soaking wet.
The Green Machine needs a bath! I get to try the ol' newspaper trick to dry out the shoes.
You have events long enough and you're going to get bit by the weather. All in all, it wasn't too bad except for the first few minutes of the storm when I had big doubts as to being able to finish in driving rain and head-on into a substantial wind. Best that I have felt after a long ride in the Silk Sheets.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Taylorsville-Cave Spring 9 Nov 2012
I had been wanting to ride this route all summer but never seemed to do it. Team LM's ride scheduled for this Friday was essentially the Brookstone route. Never had done this one, but was advertised as a hilly training ride. Looking at some of the busy roads on this route, I knew this would be a good opportunity to head west.
Weather forecast was fantastic although a bit chilly. Low wind and no precip. Decided to wait until the temps had a chance to get out of the 30's so I launched at 10:15. The start/end is in "downtown" Taylorsville which is basically a 4-way stop and a few old buildings. The first few miles I recognized as part of another route Taylorsville route. About this time I realized I had run off without my que sheets. Not too smart for riding a route I hadn't done before and no road markings. If my Garmin quit, I would be in deep bandini relying on my phone and route memory to make it back. Hey, it was a beautiful day although a bit chilly so roll on, baby! The colder months can present a challenge on what to wear. On the longer rides, I try to target my clothes for the middle of the ride. That can make for being downright cold at the start. I started out with shorts, longsleeve baselayer undershirt, and jersey. I don't ride with gloves during the hot months, so I promptly forgot mine today. Oh well.
Not much traffic at all as I headed west. There were some good climbs and sharp, steep rollers. More so than I had thought looking at the profile of the route beforehand. A few of the roads were freshly paved. Some of the long climbs were followed with some nice decents. The only problem was several of these seemed to require a turn at the bottom or there was a stop sign. No blasting downhill. Other accounts I have read of this route highlighted how shady it is in general. I agree, but that didn't help the chill factor. I knew this was coming, but you have to ride about a mile on Hwy 27, a busy 4 lane. When I got there, I noticed it was all uphill, too. Took and extended break before setting out. There was a wide shoulder, but it had the "reminder" strips on it. I just rode over these. At my climbing speed, it wasn't too much of a problem.
Continued on through some beautiful country roads outside of Cave Spring.
Rolled into Cave Spring and went to the spring. I haven't visited Cave Spring in 10 years since Matt and I camped nearby while playing a travel ball tourney in Rome. Filled my water bottle with the spring water and took a break watching other folks fill up all sorts of jugs.
Now, I'm headed back to Taylorsville. There were some climbs, but not as many as the first half of the ride. I was glad of that as my legs did not have much left in them. I haven't been road riding lately, so I expected somewhat of a struggle. More great roads.
Made it back to Taylorsville without incident. There was some additional excitement during the ride. Polk and Floyd counties are known for free-ranging dogs. Today was no exception. A new twist was getting run by PACKS. Most were not agressive, but they were certainly big ones. One 4-pack had 2 big dogs run on both sides of me pretty close. That got my heart rate going! On my last break, I was off my bike getting ready to take a picture when I heard some leaves rustling behind me. I turned around to see 2 dogs headed for me. Please be friendly, PLEASE be friendly. Fortunately, they were. Mr Stumpy, the bassett hound, wasn't very interested in me. His friend, was all over me.
Got back to the truck, loaded up, and headed for Hometown Pizza in Rockmart where I proceeded to tear up some hot wings. A great day!
Weather forecast was fantastic although a bit chilly. Low wind and no precip. Decided to wait until the temps had a chance to get out of the 30's so I launched at 10:15. The start/end is in "downtown" Taylorsville which is basically a 4-way stop and a few old buildings. The first few miles I recognized as part of another route Taylorsville route. About this time I realized I had run off without my que sheets. Not too smart for riding a route I hadn't done before and no road markings. If my Garmin quit, I would be in deep bandini relying on my phone and route memory to make it back. Hey, it was a beautiful day although a bit chilly so roll on, baby! The colder months can present a challenge on what to wear. On the longer rides, I try to target my clothes for the middle of the ride. That can make for being downright cold at the start. I started out with shorts, longsleeve baselayer undershirt, and jersey. I don't ride with gloves during the hot months, so I promptly forgot mine today. Oh well.
Not much traffic at all as I headed west. There were some good climbs and sharp, steep rollers. More so than I had thought looking at the profile of the route beforehand. A few of the roads were freshly paved. Some of the long climbs were followed with some nice decents. The only problem was several of these seemed to require a turn at the bottom or there was a stop sign. No blasting downhill. Other accounts I have read of this route highlighted how shady it is in general. I agree, but that didn't help the chill factor. I knew this was coming, but you have to ride about a mile on Hwy 27, a busy 4 lane. When I got there, I noticed it was all uphill, too. Took and extended break before setting out. There was a wide shoulder, but it had the "reminder" strips on it. I just rode over these. At my climbing speed, it wasn't too much of a problem.
Continued on through some beautiful country roads outside of Cave Spring.
Rolled into Cave Spring and went to the spring. I haven't visited Cave Spring in 10 years since Matt and I camped nearby while playing a travel ball tourney in Rome. Filled my water bottle with the spring water and took a break watching other folks fill up all sorts of jugs.
Now, I'm headed back to Taylorsville. There were some climbs, but not as many as the first half of the ride. I was glad of that as my legs did not have much left in them. I haven't been road riding lately, so I expected somewhat of a struggle. More great roads.
Made it back to Taylorsville without incident. There was some additional excitement during the ride. Polk and Floyd counties are known for free-ranging dogs. Today was no exception. A new twist was getting run by PACKS. Most were not agressive, but they were certainly big ones. One 4-pack had 2 big dogs run on both sides of me pretty close. That got my heart rate going! On my last break, I was off my bike getting ready to take a picture when I heard some leaves rustling behind me. I turned around to see 2 dogs headed for me. Please be friendly, PLEASE be friendly. Fortunately, they were. Mr Stumpy, the bassett hound, wasn't very interested in me. His friend, was all over me.
Got back to the truck, loaded up, and headed for Hometown Pizza in Rockmart where I proceeded to tear up some hot wings. A great day!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Silver Comet / Chief Ladiga Trail Ride (Sat 20 Oct 12)
Could not have been a more perfect day for an all day ride on the Silver Comet from Smyrna, GA to Anniston, AL. This would be the 2nd annual event planned by Tom Jones. Eight of us met at the Mavell Rd trailhead at 0730. Most of us are members of Roswell Street Baptist Church, but we put the word out for anyone to join us. One of my old coworkers and Lockheed Martin riding buddies, Henry E. joined us. We had John M. who was on his first long distance ride. John had gone down the same riding path as I and many others have. He bought a hybrid bicycle, but found out he wanted more speed. John was able to return his hybrid and get a true road bike. Also there was our SAG driver, David Beeler, driving the van that would shadow us all day and eventually bring us home. Also at the trailhead were several runners. I was lucky to get parking spot!
Chilly temps meant layers of clothes to start. We suited up and headed out west. The SC was packed with walkers and runners. Turns out a local Catholic church was having a fundraiser with participants walking. Our band of riders snaked in and out of the congested trail at a relatively slow pace. We needed a recording of "on your left" as we passed all these folks.
As we reached Powder Springs, the SC traffic really thinned out. After a brief stop at the Hiram caboose to shed some clothes, we headed west. Next stop = Rockmart. While we were stopped at Hiram a larger group of riders passed by followed by yet another group. Once we got rolling again, we kind of mixed and mingled with these 2 groups. Didn't really get the names of the groups, but it turns out the larger first group was going to Anniston, too. They were going to spend the night and make the return trip on Sunday. At least 15 riders. The other, smaller group was going to the train tunnel before turning around. As we rolled past Rambo Nursery and the large tressel bridge, we could see the large group ahead. We slowly reeled them in and we created a rather large peleton. This large group peeled off at Coots Lake to go to the store. Our group rolled into Rockmart where our great SAG driver was waiting. Minutes later we are rolling on to Cedartown. "Assaulted" the Mt Trashmore hills and paused for a group picture at the top of the hills. We passed a group of younger riders and some parents that turned out to be Boy Scouts camping at Rock Creek Campground. They were our pursuing cycling merit badges. We rode on to Cedartown past our crash site from the previous weekend. Scrape marks are still there. Dry conditions and not slick there today. Still can't determine what is coating the SC there. On in to Cedartown where we broke out the refreshments. One of the Scouts and his parents (we think) rode in. We invited them to help themselves to our little tailgate. They fired a bunch of questions at us about who we were, what were we planning to do, and other general cycling stuff. There in the Depot parking lot was yet another group heading to Anniston.
We rolled on towards the GA/AL state line. With the hills behind us, it's just a matter of doing the miles now. David S, being a strong, fast rider lead out on the long, boring 10 miles to the border. I was feeling sort of spry so I picked up the pace to catch up. I rode pretty hard to stay with David which had some implications for later.
Up until now, I had ridden this part of the Silver Comet before. I had not ridden the segment of the Chief Ladiga Trail from the AL state line to Piedmont, AL so this was new territory. The temperature was in the mid-70s and not a cloud in the sky. On our way to Piedmont, we passed 3 large family groups on mountain bikes and 2 trikes. Man, everybody was out riding today!
We took an extended stop at the welcome station in Piedmont. The lively banter and ribbing each other had pretty much stopped as we started to deal with the miles in our own way. My previous record was 69 miles. Rolling out of Piedmont I welcomed the brand new asphalt surface that had just been paved. The stretch of trail from Piedmont to the end at Anniston used to be very rough with advancing tree roots causing sharp bumps in the trail. Nothing like that now. Smooth as a baby's bottom. Of course, you can't have it all...great weather, smooth road, and a tailwind. Two out of three ain't bad, but the 10 knot headwind takes its toll. At mile 80 I hit my own personal "wall". The rest of the ride is somewhat of a blur. Everything hurt at the end. Neck, arms, back, and my rear end just wanted some relief from that saddle. 93 miles and some change. Ooooorah! We all made it!
Next hurdle was getting all 7 of our bikes into the back of the van. I was skeptical and it took a lot of finagling, but they got in there. Change clothes and off to Outback where we put a serious dent in their steak supply. Of course, they could have put down a large chunk of shoe leather in front of me and I would have just said, "pass the salt".
Tired riders headed back to Smyrna. Of course, it's plenty dark at the trailhead. I couldn't find my keys. Was sure I had put them in my jacket. Was sure I had put them in my backpack. Hmmm, was sure I had put them in my jersey pocket. Well, everyone else is gone now. Repeat search. No joy. Oh, man, Debbie is not going to like this phone call I'm about to make. What, oh yeah, the keys are in my phone pouch on the bike. Heavy sigh of relief. Slept the sleep of the dead Saturday night. Fantastic day on the bike with a lot of laughs on the bike with friends. Can't wait for the next one.
Chilly temps meant layers of clothes to start. We suited up and headed out west. The SC was packed with walkers and runners. Turns out a local Catholic church was having a fundraiser with participants walking. Our band of riders snaked in and out of the congested trail at a relatively slow pace. We needed a recording of "on your left" as we passed all these folks.
As we reached Powder Springs, the SC traffic really thinned out. After a brief stop at the Hiram caboose to shed some clothes, we headed west. Next stop = Rockmart. While we were stopped at Hiram a larger group of riders passed by followed by yet another group. Once we got rolling again, we kind of mixed and mingled with these 2 groups. Didn't really get the names of the groups, but it turns out the larger first group was going to Anniston, too. They were going to spend the night and make the return trip on Sunday. At least 15 riders. The other, smaller group was going to the train tunnel before turning around. As we rolled past Rambo Nursery and the large tressel bridge, we could see the large group ahead. We slowly reeled them in and we created a rather large peleton. This large group peeled off at Coots Lake to go to the store. Our group rolled into Rockmart where our great SAG driver was waiting. Minutes later we are rolling on to Cedartown. "Assaulted" the Mt Trashmore hills and paused for a group picture at the top of the hills. We passed a group of younger riders and some parents that turned out to be Boy Scouts camping at Rock Creek Campground. They were our pursuing cycling merit badges. We rode on to Cedartown past our crash site from the previous weekend. Scrape marks are still there. Dry conditions and not slick there today. Still can't determine what is coating the SC there. On in to Cedartown where we broke out the refreshments. One of the Scouts and his parents (we think) rode in. We invited them to help themselves to our little tailgate. They fired a bunch of questions at us about who we were, what were we planning to do, and other general cycling stuff. There in the Depot parking lot was yet another group heading to Anniston.
We rolled on towards the GA/AL state line. With the hills behind us, it's just a matter of doing the miles now. David S, being a strong, fast rider lead out on the long, boring 10 miles to the border. I was feeling sort of spry so I picked up the pace to catch up. I rode pretty hard to stay with David which had some implications for later.
 |
| David |
 |
| Tom, Rick, Jim, and John |
We took an extended stop at the welcome station in Piedmont. The lively banter and ribbing each other had pretty much stopped as we started to deal with the miles in our own way. My previous record was 69 miles. Rolling out of Piedmont I welcomed the brand new asphalt surface that had just been paved. The stretch of trail from Piedmont to the end at Anniston used to be very rough with advancing tree roots causing sharp bumps in the trail. Nothing like that now. Smooth as a baby's bottom. Of course, you can't have it all...great weather, smooth road, and a tailwind. Two out of three ain't bad, but the 10 knot headwind takes its toll. At mile 80 I hit my own personal "wall". The rest of the ride is somewhat of a blur. Everything hurt at the end. Neck, arms, back, and my rear end just wanted some relief from that saddle. 93 miles and some change. Ooooorah! We all made it!
Next hurdle was getting all 7 of our bikes into the back of the van. I was skeptical and it took a lot of finagling, but they got in there. Change clothes and off to Outback where we put a serious dent in their steak supply. Of course, they could have put down a large chunk of shoe leather in front of me and I would have just said, "pass the salt".
Tired riders headed back to Smyrna. Of course, it's plenty dark at the trailhead. I couldn't find my keys. Was sure I had put them in my jacket. Was sure I had put them in my backpack. Hmmm, was sure I had put them in my jersey pocket. Well, everyone else is gone now. Repeat search. No joy. Oh, man, Debbie is not going to like this phone call I'm about to make. What, oh yeah, the keys are in my phone pouch on the bike. Heavy sigh of relief. Slept the sleep of the dead Saturday night. Fantastic day on the bike with a lot of laughs on the bike with friends. Can't wait for the next one.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
First Cycling Crash
As I have been riding my road bike the last year and a half, I sometimes get asked why do I take the risk of riding and crashing (with the inference of broken bones etc). Well, when I drive my truck on the roads of the Atlanta metro area, I could ask the same question. Fact is, I don't worry about it too much. I try to "stack the deck" in my favor by not riding on busy roads, watching for rocks and whatnots that could cause me to lose control. When I do think about crashing, I always hope and pray it doesn't include a sudden stoppage of the front wheel causing a demonstration of physics "in action". That is, a body in motion tends to stay in motion or in this case, rapid flight across the handlebars followed by some broken bones upon landing (usually a collarbone).
Well, I didn't "stack the deck" too much in my favor on the LM Team "off-Friday" ride last week. The scheduled ride was a routine ride on the Silver Comet from Rockmart to the GA/AL state line. The weather forecast indicated a 10% chance of rain. Got up as usual, loaded the bike, and headed to Rockmart. As I headed west, the horizon kept getting darker and darker. Weather reports on the radio called out showers north of Rome. Well, it was pretty dark at the Square. Several riders were already there and ready to go. I thought we would cancel, but everybody wanted to ride. I had to hastily get my stuff together to catch up. It started to drizzle pretty heavily and I tried to figure out how much extra clothing I would need and would I mind it getting soaking wet. There were 9 of us that set out west. It was still drizzling off and on, but we could tell heavier rain had fallen ahead of us to the west. The ride west was pretty uneventful. We paid careful attention to the boardwalk bridges. The wooden surface is really slick when even just a little bit damp. I usually coast thru them and try to take the straightest line possible. Our group was sort of strung out after going over the Mt Trashmore hills. Myself and Hale were coming into Cedartown. There is a little bridge just before you get to the Depot with a 90 degree turn just in front of it. I swung wide so I could enter the bridge straight on. Hale was behind me and I hear this big WHUMP and I knew what had happened. Stopped immediately and got off my bike. Hale had gone down on the bridge. He said he hit his head pretty good, but his helmet was not broken. A skinned elbow was the extent of his injuries. We had to adjust his front brakes, but Hale was good to go.
We made it to the arch at the state line. After a brief rest stop, we headed back.
Nobody in our group had ever been to Slaughters Grocery just off the SC in what is called Esom Hill. Several in the group wanted to go so I led them off the trail to the store. We followed some country roads back to the SC. One of the guys had a flat front tire. We stopped to "help", tell jokes, and just pass the time until Joel got his tube replaced. In the meantime, one of our guys asked did we see the "trapped" goat just up the trail. Uhh, no. So, with Joel well on his way to completing his flat tire fix, we rode to see the goat. Turns out this little goat was just off the SC behind a chain link fence. There was a farmhouse visible, but this goat was just wailing. It really wasn't stuck or caught in anything. Joel rode up and we hung around a little while. The goat got quiet, but when we started to ride off, it started wailing again. I'll always know that spot as the "lonely goat" place.
We ride back to Cedartown. My friend, David S, was there to meet us. David has jumped on the SC at the Tara Drummond trailhead and ridden to meet us coming back. Four of us were together as we rode thru Cedartown eastbound. With Hale in the lead on the SC that runs along Lake Street, we rode down a slight downgrade. Suddenly, I see Hale go down HARD. In the split second that I saw, it really looked bad. David S veered a little to the left and I knew he was going down. I must have slightly turned right, but in any event it seemed like one second I was upright, the next second I'm on my side sliding. I don't even remember hitting the pavement. I didn't hear Robbie crash behind me, but I could hear him moaning. So there we are, 4 of us laid out on the trail. My right hip was hurting, but I was able to move the bike off me and sit up. David S had gotten to his feet; Hale and Robbie were still down. I eventually was able to stand up, but Hale and Robbie were still down. At this time, I started thinking about calling 911. About this time, the rest of our group came riding up. I hollered at them to stop and/or get off the trail. Fortunately, none of them crashed. By this time Hale and Robbie had managed to stand up and all four of us were "walking it off" as they say. Man, Hale had both elbows and legs scraped up pretty bad. Robbie was limping around. Everybody wanted to continue! Our bikes turned out to be okay. We made it back over the Mt Trashmore hills to Rockmart. Frankies was closed (2:00pm) so we decided to go to Hometown Pizza. Hale went with us, but Robbie wanted to get home to his hot tub. At lunch, I could tell Hale was hurting. He said his chest hurt when he laughed. We finished and went home.
It's now Monday and I started getting emails asking what happened on the ride Friday. One of the emails said one of us was in the hospital. I called around and found out Hale was in the hospital with a collapsed lung and a cracked rib. Robbie had been to the ER and found out he had a cracked pelvis! On crutches for 3 weeks. I was stunned and feeling very fortunate to escape with just a big bruise on my right hip! All that extra padding must have helped!
We still don't really know what caused the crash. My jersey was stained with something black that did not come out until some serious soaking. David S and I were part of a group ride that went by the crash scene a week later. The marks we made are still there! There is some sort of organic stuff coating the trail there like mildew/algae. Wasn't slick when dry, but was slick enough to put us down without warning when wet. I later found a scrub patch on my right brifter as the only evidence of bike damage. I'll take that!
Here's to a speedy recovery for Hale and Robbie!
Well, I didn't "stack the deck" too much in my favor on the LM Team "off-Friday" ride last week. The scheduled ride was a routine ride on the Silver Comet from Rockmart to the GA/AL state line. The weather forecast indicated a 10% chance of rain. Got up as usual, loaded the bike, and headed to Rockmart. As I headed west, the horizon kept getting darker and darker. Weather reports on the radio called out showers north of Rome. Well, it was pretty dark at the Square. Several riders were already there and ready to go. I thought we would cancel, but everybody wanted to ride. I had to hastily get my stuff together to catch up. It started to drizzle pretty heavily and I tried to figure out how much extra clothing I would need and would I mind it getting soaking wet. There were 9 of us that set out west. It was still drizzling off and on, but we could tell heavier rain had fallen ahead of us to the west. The ride west was pretty uneventful. We paid careful attention to the boardwalk bridges. The wooden surface is really slick when even just a little bit damp. I usually coast thru them and try to take the straightest line possible. Our group was sort of strung out after going over the Mt Trashmore hills. Myself and Hale were coming into Cedartown. There is a little bridge just before you get to the Depot with a 90 degree turn just in front of it. I swung wide so I could enter the bridge straight on. Hale was behind me and I hear this big WHUMP and I knew what had happened. Stopped immediately and got off my bike. Hale had gone down on the bridge. He said he hit his head pretty good, but his helmet was not broken. A skinned elbow was the extent of his injuries. We had to adjust his front brakes, but Hale was good to go.
We made it to the arch at the state line. After a brief rest stop, we headed back.
Nobody in our group had ever been to Slaughters Grocery just off the SC in what is called Esom Hill. Several in the group wanted to go so I led them off the trail to the store. We followed some country roads back to the SC. One of the guys had a flat front tire. We stopped to "help", tell jokes, and just pass the time until Joel got his tube replaced. In the meantime, one of our guys asked did we see the "trapped" goat just up the trail. Uhh, no. So, with Joel well on his way to completing his flat tire fix, we rode to see the goat. Turns out this little goat was just off the SC behind a chain link fence. There was a farmhouse visible, but this goat was just wailing. It really wasn't stuck or caught in anything. Joel rode up and we hung around a little while. The goat got quiet, but when we started to ride off, it started wailing again. I'll always know that spot as the "lonely goat" place.
We ride back to Cedartown. My friend, David S, was there to meet us. David has jumped on the SC at the Tara Drummond trailhead and ridden to meet us coming back. Four of us were together as we rode thru Cedartown eastbound. With Hale in the lead on the SC that runs along Lake Street, we rode down a slight downgrade. Suddenly, I see Hale go down HARD. In the split second that I saw, it really looked bad. David S veered a little to the left and I knew he was going down. I must have slightly turned right, but in any event it seemed like one second I was upright, the next second I'm on my side sliding. I don't even remember hitting the pavement. I didn't hear Robbie crash behind me, but I could hear him moaning. So there we are, 4 of us laid out on the trail. My right hip was hurting, but I was able to move the bike off me and sit up. David S had gotten to his feet; Hale and Robbie were still down. I eventually was able to stand up, but Hale and Robbie were still down. At this time, I started thinking about calling 911. About this time, the rest of our group came riding up. I hollered at them to stop and/or get off the trail. Fortunately, none of them crashed. By this time Hale and Robbie had managed to stand up and all four of us were "walking it off" as they say. Man, Hale had both elbows and legs scraped up pretty bad. Robbie was limping around. Everybody wanted to continue! Our bikes turned out to be okay. We made it back over the Mt Trashmore hills to Rockmart. Frankies was closed (2:00pm) so we decided to go to Hometown Pizza. Hale went with us, but Robbie wanted to get home to his hot tub. At lunch, I could tell Hale was hurting. He said his chest hurt when he laughed. We finished and went home.
It's now Monday and I started getting emails asking what happened on the ride Friday. One of the emails said one of us was in the hospital. I called around and found out Hale was in the hospital with a collapsed lung and a cracked rib. Robbie had been to the ER and found out he had a cracked pelvis! On crutches for 3 weeks. I was stunned and feeling very fortunate to escape with just a big bruise on my right hip! All that extra padding must have helped!
We still don't really know what caused the crash. My jersey was stained with something black that did not come out until some serious soaking. David S and I were part of a group ride that went by the crash scene a week later. The marks we made are still there! There is some sort of organic stuff coating the trail there like mildew/algae. Wasn't slick when dry, but was slick enough to put us down without warning when wet. I later found a scrub patch on my right brifter as the only evidence of bike damage. I'll take that!
Here's to a speedy recovery for Hale and Robbie!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Beautiful Backroads Century - 15 Sept 2012
The Beautiful Backroads Century's routes are in one of the prettiest areas of north Georgia. The ride starts and ends at the Budweiser Brewery just off I-75 in Bartow County near Cartersville. The routes are year round favorites of cyclists. There are several options from 14 miles all the way up to 101 miles. In keeping with my pattern and fitness, I rode the metric century (67 miles).
This ride is very popular (1500 riders) and with the brewery having only one road in and out, traffic really backs up. I set my alarm for 0500. I woke up with my sinuses reacting to the weather changing (cooler, dryer temps) making me feel pretty lousy. I had registered online on the last day so I did not want to blow off a whole $40, but I thought about it. Uninspired, I loaded the bike and gear and headed north. It takes me about 50 minutes to get there. Once on I-75, it seemed like almost every car had bikes on it and why not? Who else would be up at this hour?
With even the ungodly early start, there was a line of cars backed up on the Brewery Drive. It was stop and go for a long time, but I still had plenty of time. I saw up ahead the volunteers were directing traffic into the large grass field on the brewery property. Plenty of space, but a looooonng way from the registration area and food pavilion. Just as I was about to turn in, they directed me on down the road to the other side of the brewery. This lot is right near the preferred parking and close in. What luck for the 2nd year in a row! I'm feeling a lot better as I start getting excited with all the other cyclists getting ready. I strike up a conversation with 2 guys next to me who had never ridden the routes. I assured them they would love it. I saw them a couple of times at the SAG stops and they concurred with my assessment. I make the easy walk to get my wristband for the SAG stops and food afterward. Did I mention there was free beer given away at the end of the ride? Wonder if that had anything to do with the huge turnout?
I got ready in plenty of time. I met one of my Lockheed Martin riding buddies (Steve) and we went to the start area. The temps were ideal; mid-60s and low humidity with little to no wind. A lot of riders don't like the mass starts as this can be a recipe for disaster i.e. wrecks, but I really enjoy them. There was a long line of riders for the first few miles. I noticed we were really cooking along. A few riders I knew came and went. We passed by the first SAG stop and continued on. I have ridden this section quite a few times, but the metric portion from mile 32 or so on I had only ridden once before in last year's ride.
Steve and I (and Steve's neighbors) stopped at the 2nd SAG stop at the 24 mile mark. I realized I was feeling pretty good at this time and had gone through some of the hillier sections better than I had ever ridden.
Pics of the 2nd SAG...
I bumped into yet another group of riders I knew from other rides. I left out with them and rode pretty much the rest of the ride with them. Mike and his friends are some of the friendliest folks I've met. They are also great riders and we had a bunch of laughs. I was concerned about my "48 mile" fitness and wondered how tough the last third of the route was going to be. I remembered last year's ride was very hard for me. Well, we were rolling along really well. Did I mention the weather was perfect? I was "surprised" how well I still felt at the next SAG stop. Don't really know why, but I felt like I was getting stronger! This cycling thing has about as strong a mental aspect to it as golf. Anyway, the last 15 miles are mostly uphill, but I didn't seem to be fading much. I followed a smaller young lady rider for much of the way to the last SAG stop and tried to match her speed. Got to the last stop still feeling great. In the process of getting off my bike, I somehow scraped the inside of my right leg on the crank setting off a little blood flow down my leg. It was starting to get warmer and as I sat in the shade I wondered how much I had left in the tank. Our little group plus my buddy Steve joined us as we headed for the barn. After getting the kinks worked back out, Steve and I put the hammer down (at least for us old guys). We pounded our way home. On the last 4 miles going back down Brewery Dr, I spotted a guy and decided to see if I could catch him. Man, I was really flying and I couldn't believe I could still be pounding away after 60+ miles! I caught him and rode his wheel the last mile until he turned off. I had a little extra ride to get to my truck in the far lot, but I was feeling really great. Put the bike up, changed clothes, and had some great hotdogs and chicken fingers. Truly my best day on the bike so far.
Mike Harmon aka "Hollywood" takes some great videos of rides. Here is his video of the 2012 Beautiful Backroads
click on da link-->2012 BBC Video
This ride is very popular (1500 riders) and with the brewery having only one road in and out, traffic really backs up. I set my alarm for 0500. I woke up with my sinuses reacting to the weather changing (cooler, dryer temps) making me feel pretty lousy. I had registered online on the last day so I did not want to blow off a whole $40, but I thought about it. Uninspired, I loaded the bike and gear and headed north. It takes me about 50 minutes to get there. Once on I-75, it seemed like almost every car had bikes on it and why not? Who else would be up at this hour?
With even the ungodly early start, there was a line of cars backed up on the Brewery Drive. It was stop and go for a long time, but I still had plenty of time. I saw up ahead the volunteers were directing traffic into the large grass field on the brewery property. Plenty of space, but a looooonng way from the registration area and food pavilion. Just as I was about to turn in, they directed me on down the road to the other side of the brewery. This lot is right near the preferred parking and close in. What luck for the 2nd year in a row! I'm feeling a lot better as I start getting excited with all the other cyclists getting ready. I strike up a conversation with 2 guys next to me who had never ridden the routes. I assured them they would love it. I saw them a couple of times at the SAG stops and they concurred with my assessment. I make the easy walk to get my wristband for the SAG stops and food afterward. Did I mention there was free beer given away at the end of the ride? Wonder if that had anything to do with the huge turnout?
I got ready in plenty of time. I met one of my Lockheed Martin riding buddies (Steve) and we went to the start area. The temps were ideal; mid-60s and low humidity with little to no wind. A lot of riders don't like the mass starts as this can be a recipe for disaster i.e. wrecks, but I really enjoy them. There was a long line of riders for the first few miles. I noticed we were really cooking along. A few riders I knew came and went. We passed by the first SAG stop and continued on. I have ridden this section quite a few times, but the metric portion from mile 32 or so on I had only ridden once before in last year's ride.
Steve and I (and Steve's neighbors) stopped at the 2nd SAG stop at the 24 mile mark. I realized I was feeling pretty good at this time and had gone through some of the hillier sections better than I had ever ridden.
Pics of the 2nd SAG...
I bumped into yet another group of riders I knew from other rides. I left out with them and rode pretty much the rest of the ride with them. Mike and his friends are some of the friendliest folks I've met. They are also great riders and we had a bunch of laughs. I was concerned about my "48 mile" fitness and wondered how tough the last third of the route was going to be. I remembered last year's ride was very hard for me. Well, we were rolling along really well. Did I mention the weather was perfect? I was "surprised" how well I still felt at the next SAG stop. Don't really know why, but I felt like I was getting stronger! This cycling thing has about as strong a mental aspect to it as golf. Anyway, the last 15 miles are mostly uphill, but I didn't seem to be fading much. I followed a smaller young lady rider for much of the way to the last SAG stop and tried to match her speed. Got to the last stop still feeling great. In the process of getting off my bike, I somehow scraped the inside of my right leg on the crank setting off a little blood flow down my leg. It was starting to get warmer and as I sat in the shade I wondered how much I had left in the tank. Our little group plus my buddy Steve joined us as we headed for the barn. After getting the kinks worked back out, Steve and I put the hammer down (at least for us old guys). We pounded our way home. On the last 4 miles going back down Brewery Dr, I spotted a guy and decided to see if I could catch him. Man, I was really flying and I couldn't believe I could still be pounding away after 60+ miles! I caught him and rode his wheel the last mile until he turned off. I had a little extra ride to get to my truck in the far lot, but I was feeling really great. Put the bike up, changed clothes, and had some great hotdogs and chicken fingers. Truly my best day on the bike so far.
Mike Harmon aka "Hollywood" takes some great videos of rides. Here is his video of the 2012 Beautiful Backroads
click on da link-->2012 BBC Video
MACC One Love Century - 1 Sept 2012
Debbie and I decided to chill out Labor Day Weekend instead of going camping with the big group from Roswell Street. Christie's wedding plus work stuff had us on the go for most of the summer. The camper was in disarray as I didn't have time to get it out, cleaned, and the leaks taken care of.
I decided to ride in the Metro Atlanta Cycling Club's (MACC) "One Love Century" on Saturday. I had heard great things about this ride and the hosts and they were right! I chose to ride the metric century which was 62 miles. The route is in the southwest part of the Atlanta metro area south of I-20 and east of I-285/I-85 in what is known to the local cyclists as the Silk Sheets.
I got out of bed really early due to the fact that I had not pre-registered and wanted to beat the crowd. As it turned out, I got to the start of the ride (a local elementary school) early enough to get a good parking spot up front. Walked up and paid the ride fee and they handed me a XXL tshirt. I don't expect to get tshirts large enough so that was a good surprise. There was a scheduled "mass start" at 8:00am but there was a steady stream of riders leaving to begin the ride from 7:30 on. I waited awhile, but decided to head out about 10 minutes early. There was only a slight chance of rain predicted, but high temps were guaranteed. The first 15 miles were easy with some long descents. I grimaced on some of the longer descents as the last part of the route came back along these roads so I was not looking forward to climbing at the end of a long, hot ride.
The route itself was fantastic. We rode on some of the roads I had ridden on the Tour de Cure ride back in May only we were going the opposite direction this time. Sag stops were really great. The MACC members manned the rest stops and provided a whole raft of food options. Tomatoes and pickles were added to the usual peanut butter sandwiches, bananas, and sports drinks. The MACC members go above and beyond in their support of riders. Volunteers took my bike and filled my water bottles. As if the ride wasn't hard enough, a yellow jacket popped me really good on my right arm just below the elbow. I'm not allergic to the stings, but MAN, do they hurt. This particular sting bothered me until I went to bed Saturday night.
With large gaps between longer rides this summer, I knew the last third was going to be tough. Most of this summer I have had what I call "48 mile" fitness. Trouble is, this ride is 62 miles and I really started to feel it at 50. The normal route had a detour coming back in due to a bridge being out on Cochran Rd. The detour took us on Creel Rd. I have never been on Creel Rd and I wish I could still say that. There was a good 7% climb on it and it just about finished me off. My heart rate was off the charts at the top of that thing and I still had a good ways to go. There was one looooonng steady climb left about 3 miles from the end. I just put my head down and stared at the white line and slowwwwly climbed that sucker. Rolled back into the parking lot completely whipped. Did I mention it was HOT! That's 3 times I've ridden routes in the Silk Sheets and each time I've been whipped at the end. Fun times anyway!
The MACC has the coolest bike kits of any cycling club I've seen. They have some great color schemes. Anyone who knows me knows I like the intense colors. Hope to hit this ride again next year!
I decided to ride in the Metro Atlanta Cycling Club's (MACC) "One Love Century" on Saturday. I had heard great things about this ride and the hosts and they were right! I chose to ride the metric century which was 62 miles. The route is in the southwest part of the Atlanta metro area south of I-20 and east of I-285/I-85 in what is known to the local cyclists as the Silk Sheets.
I got out of bed really early due to the fact that I had not pre-registered and wanted to beat the crowd. As it turned out, I got to the start of the ride (a local elementary school) early enough to get a good parking spot up front. Walked up and paid the ride fee and they handed me a XXL tshirt. I don't expect to get tshirts large enough so that was a good surprise. There was a scheduled "mass start" at 8:00am but there was a steady stream of riders leaving to begin the ride from 7:30 on. I waited awhile, but decided to head out about 10 minutes early. There was only a slight chance of rain predicted, but high temps were guaranteed. The first 15 miles were easy with some long descents. I grimaced on some of the longer descents as the last part of the route came back along these roads so I was not looking forward to climbing at the end of a long, hot ride.
The route itself was fantastic. We rode on some of the roads I had ridden on the Tour de Cure ride back in May only we were going the opposite direction this time. Sag stops were really great. The MACC members manned the rest stops and provided a whole raft of food options. Tomatoes and pickles were added to the usual peanut butter sandwiches, bananas, and sports drinks. The MACC members go above and beyond in their support of riders. Volunteers took my bike and filled my water bottles. As if the ride wasn't hard enough, a yellow jacket popped me really good on my right arm just below the elbow. I'm not allergic to the stings, but MAN, do they hurt. This particular sting bothered me until I went to bed Saturday night.
With large gaps between longer rides this summer, I knew the last third was going to be tough. Most of this summer I have had what I call "48 mile" fitness. Trouble is, this ride is 62 miles and I really started to feel it at 50. The normal route had a detour coming back in due to a bridge being out on Cochran Rd. The detour took us on Creel Rd. I have never been on Creel Rd and I wish I could still say that. There was a good 7% climb on it and it just about finished me off. My heart rate was off the charts at the top of that thing and I still had a good ways to go. There was one looooonng steady climb left about 3 miles from the end. I just put my head down and stared at the white line and slowwwwly climbed that sucker. Rolled back into the parking lot completely whipped. Did I mention it was HOT! That's 3 times I've ridden routes in the Silk Sheets and each time I've been whipped at the end. Fun times anyway!
The MACC has the coolest bike kits of any cycling club I've seen. They have some great color schemes. Anyone who knows me knows I like the intense colors. Hope to hit this ride again next year!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Team Lockheed Martin "Off Friday" ride - The Pocket (Rome, Ga) 22 June 2012
First team ride since the Tour de Cure last month. This route was part of the Up the Creek Without a Pedal charity ride (aka UTC) north of Berry College in Rome, GA. The team met up in a corner of the parking lot at Mt Berry Mall. Thirteen riders set out a little after 9:00 and headed north. Didn't take long and we were in the rural area. The UTC routes are my favorites. This time we were going in the opposite direction of the UTC, but rolling through farmland on nice paved country roads with mountain ridges all around can't be beat. Karl, our ride leader, usually has a shorter route available but all of us were "going long" today. Our turn-around point was Lake Marvin in the Johns Mountain Wilderness Area. The lake was really nice and a bonus of an ICE MACHINE took some of the edge off the hot temperature. Some of the guys climbed a bit farther to the top of the mountain while the rest of us chilled down by the lake. Heading back, I was feeling good and pumped up the pace in the first few miles. The stronger riders eventually caught and passed me, but it was fun leading the way for awhile. We turned off onto a different road going back and after the first long uphill climb was pretty flat. No shade though, and we pretty much "cooked" on the way back. That ice in the water bottles didn't last too long. 45 miles in the books.
All of us made it back okay and a great post ride lunch at Fudrucker's in Rome was enjoyed. As always, we have lot of laughs at these things.
Need to start taking pictures with my phone. I wish this area was closer to Cobb County as it is my favorite road riding area.
Next ride in 2 weeks is out west in Polk County I believe. Polk County to me (in addition to great riding roads) is the land of free-ranging dogs. Maybe it will be too hot for 'em to bother with us.
All of us made it back okay and a great post ride lunch at Fudrucker's in Rome was enjoyed. As always, we have lot of laughs at these things.
Need to start taking pictures with my phone. I wish this area was closer to Cobb County as it is my favorite road riding area.
Next ride in 2 weeks is out west in Polk County I believe. Polk County to me (in addition to great riding roads) is the land of free-ranging dogs. Maybe it will be too hot for 'em to bother with us.
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