Category: randonneuring

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Endless Mountains 1240k

I just sent in my registration for the Endless Mountains 1240k. The ride starts in Quakertown, Pennsylvania and is put on by a very active and successful RBA. For a short time in 2000 I lived a few towns over from the ride start – I was working with a friend surveying, dismantling, moving, and repairing historic barns (we turned 2 of them into houses). The country that the ride traverses is beautiful. I have just about a year to build on my base and get my rando legs back under me – I hope to not only complete the ride – but enjoy the scenery and maybe stop and smell the flowers along the way. I’ll need to complete a full brevet series to qualify – and I’d like to add a fleche to the mix to hone night riding and sleep deprivation skills.

Something I’ve learned over the last few years is that it is important for me to have goals and targets. This year I stayed motivated by planning and riding a solo 300k through the ADKs. With the 1200k on the horizon I’ll be able to build on a series of small goals that lead to the big event. It should be an interesting year.

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Stitching



Stitched together the last bit of a 200k mixed terrain ride… hopefully to become a registered RUSA permanent. Three route options range from 70 miles to 125 miles. The usual suspects will be tackling the 90 miles to verify the cue sheet in early October and I’ll get out solo to confirm the extended closing leg of the 200k route in late October.



Lots and lots of dirt – maybe 80% of the route. Plenty of climbing. Fantastic views to Mansfield and Camel’s Hump – even a quick peak at the lake and the Adirondacks. Country lanes, small towns, country stores, sheep, horses, and mountain ponds. The colors are just starting to pop – I think it will be the perfect leaf peeping ride.

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Cue Reader


I’ve used several different methods for cue / map reading holders – from a zip lock bag taped to my aerobars to the Ortlieb handlebar bag map case. For my 300k I recycled a Honjo fender strut and made a cue holder. This version fits nicely around and behind my stem – but I originally thought I would bend the U shaped curve under the stem. I used heat shrink tubing on the strut to keep it from scratching my stem and bars. A small piece of plexi is mounted to the strut using the original hardware. The cue is printed 4 up on an 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper and rides in an Aloksak bag. I have leftover plexi and Aloksaks for a larger version as many charity rides and brevet organizers each have their own format. I use a zip tie or Velcro around the stem and the strut to keep everything secure.



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D2R2

Prepping for D2R2 tomorrow. I’m in for the short course and I plan on riding the IF. Debating on what to carry – the contols appear well spaced and with the weather looking fine I may ditch the Barley and take a small seatbag. I’m pulling the fenders and lights and I’ll be sneaking on some 32s to give me a bit more tire for the dirt and loose surfaces.

I’m planning on lots of pictures and ‘getting my money’s worth’ of the ride. No racing from control to control – I’ll be happy to be out on the bike and I’ll finish at a reasonable pace.

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Wool is my new Wetsuit – Post 300k Thoughts

For the most part I was happy with my 300k preparation, route, and equipment choices. Looking back I would opt not to carry the rain cape for a mid-summer ride and rely on an extra wool layer or my lightweight ‘breathable’ jacket. I was worried about cold rain and temperatures changing in the mountains. The waxed cotton cape came in handy for 10 minutes during the final push to the finish – but otherwise was a heavy choice as it rode on the front rack for 170+ miles.

Wool is my new wetsuit. I wore an Ibex jersey and carried a woolie base layer that came in very handy. I would have also worn my Ibex shorts – but I had a very bad seam issue on a previous 300k (seam + anatomy + 300k = pain pain pain). I am excited about the addition to the Ibex line of bib shorts – and hopefully I’ll get my hands on a pair to see how they perform. I’m hoping the bibs keep the seams playing nicely with my anatomy.

For the better part of the day the wool jersey did a perfect job of keeping my temperature balanced. I added arm warmers for a descent and wish I had brought my knee warmers – but even after repeated downpours the wool performed as advertised. I shouldn’t be surprised – I’ve been wearing wool gear since I moved to VT – and have never been let down – be it while sweating on the XCBC skis, the snowshoes, or winter runs. It was impressive to have a garment perform through 16+ hours on the bike in rain, clouds, rain, clouds – all while absorbing sweat and retaining a comfortable temperature. If I were to redesign the jersey I’d add a fine blended layer to the inside to cover the zipper @ the throat – as the feeling of metal annoyed me. I’d also play around with a stouter blend of fabric to reinforce the pockets. While I had no structural problems with the pockets they seemed to stretch out and hang lower and lower as the day went on. Near mile 120 it seemed my food stash and camera were bouncing off my saddle as the jersey stretched under the weight. After a gentle washing everything is back to normal…

I rigged the bike with my Carradice Barley (with a Bagman) and a Nitto Mark’s Rack. On the rack I rolled my rain cape and eventually my undershirt. I also used it for extra hydration – carrying a bottle of water when needed. The rack is overkill for a supported brevet – but I am planning to use the rack for some bike camping. In the Barley I had an extra Ibex woolie, a pair of lightweight hiking shorts, arm warmers, energy food (a bit too much), my ‘brevet’ purse with phone, ID, credit card, etc…, my glasses (I wore contacts all day), spare lenses for the Oakley’s, spare set of batteries, DanoLite, Petzl e-Light, spare bulbs for the E6s, zip ties, 2 tubes, patch kit, tire boot, ultralight first-aid kit, multi-tool, hex wrenches, tire irons, and Fiberfix spoke. On the bike I carried 2 water bottles (I have room for a third) and my Lezyne pump.

The stem held my VDO MC1.0+ computer and my cue sheet holder. The cue holder is made from a small sheet of thin plexiglass and a recycled Honjo fender strut. The strut is zip tied to the stem. I used some heat shrink tubing (Radio Shack) to keep the strut from scratching my bars and stem. My cue sheet lives in an Aloksak baggie, clipped in by 2 binder clips.

I didn’t have much time to test the Mark’s rack. With the relaxed geometry of the IF and the middle of the road trail on the fork the bike handled well. I encountered some shimmy no-handed while not pedaling as I approached speeds north of 26 mph. Tucking my knee to the top tube settled the bike. I couldn’t get a consistent repeat on the shimmy speed – some smooth roads induced no shimmy @ 28 mph, while rougher roads induced the shimmy at slightly lower speeds. The wind was variable throughout the day – and I’m sure this adds to the equation. Adding my E6s also seems to have added a place for drag to occur – and I noticed with the cape, rack, and lights the bike is a different beast than when it is naked. No complaints from me – I’m excited to get more gear up front for a fall S24O to the mountains.

I had a few sections of tummy trouble. Clif Bars and Luna Bars caused distress, Clif Shot Bloks and Sport Beans seemed to be neutral and worked fine so long as I could eat them. I really enjoyed the salty Mojo bar – I think I’ll be adding these as a staple. Poweraid is disgusting – I’ll avoid it at all costs. Ginger Ale is a staple for settling my stomach.

My rear end did fairly well. I swapped the Brooks Swallow for the B17 just a week before the ride. I’d had some minor irritation in street clothes on the Swallow and I knew the B17 was good for a century without a pad or bike specific shorts. I opted to wear my Pearl Izumi bibs at the last moment – they worked well and for the most part played nicely with my saddle. I used 2 applications of Lantiseptic – my new found magic potion. The only issue I had with the shorts is the seaming around the pad. I grew uncomfortable around the mile 170 mark and couldn’t slide around on the saddle as much as I liked. When I arrived at the finish a look in the mirror revealed what looked to be an iron on version of the pad – on my rear end. The very edges of the pad at the far end of my bottom were etched into my skin. I’d never had this problem before – previously I would get bruises on my sit bones or irritation between my thighs. I’m not sure what to make of it – perhaps the constant rain did me in… or I need to try a 300k in street clothes. It was painful for 2-3 days – but liberal applications of Bag Balm did the trick. I do not foresee it as a show stopper – but I’ll continue experimenting.

I ate:
2 Clif bars
2 Luna bars
1 Mojo bar
6 packs of Clif shots
4 packs of Sport Beans Jelly Beans
1 bag of salty potato chips
2 PBJ sandwiches

I drank:
12 large bottles of water
1 Canada Dry ginger ale
1 bottle of Powerade (disgusting!)

In all I had a great ride. I feel I prepared well mentally and would have loved to have had more time to focus on physical conditioning for climbing. It feels great to be back in the long distance saddle again… the ride was a huge confidence booster leading up to the D2R2 – and inspiring to plot and plan rides for this fall – and for 2009.

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OneWay300k – Ride Report

Ever since journeying through the ADKs to visit Vermont, or camping at Lake Lila – I’ve wanted to do a long ride through the mountains. This trip would give me the opportunity – and it would also allow me to test the fitness I’ve been working to regain since I last partook of the long distance riding – back in 2006 when I successfully rode a 200, 300, and 400k – and DNFd on the 600k. I was living in southern Vermont and enjoying the rides of the Boston Brevet Series.

We routinely drive the route from Burlington to Utica to visit family. Typically we take the Charlotte Ferry and head over the mountains on Rt. 74 and connect to the Northway. Depending on weather we would then follow Rt. 8 through the ADKs or head south to the NYS Thruway. I modified our driving route by stitching together some quiet roads heading out of Burlington, followed by a climb to Paradox, NY off the main path along Creek Rd. Next time through I’ll add in a few dirt roads I scouted on this trip. From Paradox the route is easy – Rt. 9 south to Loon Lake followed by Rt. 8 nearly all the way to Utica. At the very end there are a few turns to avoid the ‘interstate style’ Rts. 8/12 south into town.


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I prepped the bike by getting my newly replaced (warranty) SON dynohub wired up to my E6 lights. I had also recently cracked my rear Honjo fender – so in the mail was a replacement from Velo-Orange. Add to the mix a long awaited Bagman Sport from Harris and a Nitto Mark’s Rack from Rivendell and I had my hands full wrenching. At the last moment I decided to swap out my tires – the tread on the Conti-GP 4 Seasons would have easily lasted – but I didn’t want to take any chances. I debated switching brands and trying something new – but I opted for the tried and true. Continental GP 4 Seasons have treated me well – so I added another pair of 28’s to my collection.

The first leg of my route is a flat to rolling ride south through the Champlain Valley. A quick ride into Vergennes, VT and then south and over the Crown Point Bridge to New York. I made a bathroom and water stop at the DEC campground just over the bridge. I started rolling at 4:15 am and left the campground by 6:20 am.

Somewhere in Charlotte, VT

The sun was rising over the Green Mountains

Crown Point Bridge – let the climbing begin!

Heading up and out of the Champlain Valley would now begin – I started the climb to Paradox – up Factoryville Rd. to Creek Rd./Rt. 2. Creek Road followed a beautiful creek – up and up into the woods and mountains. I passed along several ponds and then arrived at Rt. 74. A right turn and some busy miles later I arrived in Paradox. I made a quick stop for water at the Paradox DEC campground and headed towards Schroon Lake.

Along Creek Rd.

Creek Road – up and up…

Eagle Lake

Paradox, NY

The IF @ Paradox Lake Campground

I rolled through Schroon Lake and past Loon Lake turning west on Rt. 8. Jen was somewhere en-route. By the numbers she would have met me somewhere along Rt. 9 between Schroon Lake and Pottersville. She got a late start, and I was rolling ahead of schedule. Somewhere near Johnsburg I stopped to check my voicemail – worried that she was lost on the route – and she was. She had made a wrong turn off of Rt. 8. I had been holding off on water and lunch as I knew she was close – I didn’t want to chance running into the only general store along this stretch and miss her. This put me climbing up 11th mountain – out of water and unable (or unwilling?) to choke down anymore calories. My stomach was a upset with the constant stream of energy bars and ClifBloks. I pedaled on – and after stopping for a picture at the 11th mountain elevation sign I saw the flashing of car lights and a friendly toot from the horn. Jen surprised me with PB&J sandwiches – a treat that helped sort out my stomach. She also loaded up on water – so I topped off my bottles and headed out. I was hoping for a nice steady descent to digest my lunch – but the stretch to the Rt. 8 / Rt. 30 merge at the Sacandaga river was work – a rolling downhill that offered minimal respite from the climbing. My lunch stayed put and by the time I reached the bridge and the climb to Speculator I was feeling strong again. I gave up most of the elevation I gained on the climb to 11th mountain – I now had to climb nearly the same distance to Speculator. 7 miles @ 4-5%, with some false flats and a consistent rain pouring down. Jen met me again in Speculator – she had salty chips and ginger ale waiting for me – and I managed to sneak a kiss to our snoozing little one. We conferred on my final route choice and set up cell phone ‘worry times’ – and she was off to dinner with her folks while I rolled another 100k+ into the oncoming weather.

11th Mountain, Rt. 8 – not the hardest climb on the route – but this was the most isolated and mentally longest stretch of the ride.

Jen snapped a pic…

The bridge over the Sacandaga – this is where Rt. 8 and Rt. 30 begin the climb to Speculator.

A self portrait – feeling much refreshed from the rolling descent and the return of some energy!

I had it in my mind that after I arrived in Speculator I would have a much easier time with the terrain. I was mistaken and will remember to use Topo to plot routes before I head out the door. Nothing in the ADKs is downhill. Everything trends upward. Mentally I was preparing for an easier ‘downhill’ run… but I had quite a bit of climbing to do before I could enjoy any descending. I had a fast few miles to Lake Pleasant, then some rain and more climbing. From the river crossing to Piseco the road was fairly busy – so I had the blinkies blinking as the rain came down, and took my fair share of the shoulder or the lane. For the most part I traveled on good road surfaces. There were a few sections that were a bit sketchy – with the pavement crumbling and the shoulder disappearing – but in general I was pleased with the room I had to ride comfortably. As I drew near Poland, NY the weather changed again – the temperature seemed to drop and the clouds rolled in. I swapped my undershirt for a long sleeve woolie and refilled bottles in someone’s front yard. What sounded like a NASCAR broadcast was booming out of the front door of the doublewide – the residents seemed to pay no heed to the cyclist stripping to his bibs on their front lawn in the pouring rain. The end of the ride was to be a death of a thousand cuts by countless rollers – spin up to 28 mph, grind down to 7 – repeat and repeat. It was encouraging that the landscape began to look familiar – West Canada Creek was following by my side, and town and street names came to mind from memory of dozens of car trips through this stretch.

Crossing West Canada Creek

I’ve just finished a century, in the middle of my ride…!

A bit of sunshine…

…followed by some weather moving in.

I arrived in Poland, NY on schedule. Made a quick phone call to give Jen a status update, downed PB&J #2, and rigged for night running. I still had plenty of time before dark – and was hoping to be well into Utica proper before I needed my lights. As I rolled out from the Stewart’s there was a single clap of thunder and the heaviest rain of the day poured down. I didn’t know how long this would last – the sky was far darker than previous and I didn’t want to chill with the night coming on. I donned the rain cape (I carried it all this way!) and gritted my teeth for a soggy 12-16 miles to the finish. The rain didn’t last long – it drizzled out as I climbed Shermerhorn Hill. The sun was setting and the view crystal clear… when I checked traffic behind me I caught a glimpse of the most incredible rainbow I’ve ever seen. I pulled to the side and stood slack jawed for about 20 minutes as the light changed and the intensity of the colors increased. To passing traffic I must have been a sight – a strange creature on a bike in a cape, blinking lights, pointing at the sky with his camera. Oncoming traffic had a view – but only a few folks stopped. I hope the balance at least noticed the wonder before them.

The camera cannot do the intensity of the colors justice…

Refreshed and inspired I pedaled on – up and up again to Walker Rd. only to have my dreams of a long downhill into town dashed by countless rollers. I plotted a poor route to avoid traffic, and called Jen to arrange a convenient meeting place. I debated riding door to door – but that meant an extra 10 miles through town, as night and the rain was falling. Depending on my route I could have added another 10-12% grade within 2 miles of the finish… it would have been an exclamation point on the day – and it would have put me over the double century mark.

I accomplished my goal of riding a 300k through the mountains – and instead of pushing on through traffic and rain and darkness – tired and mentally spent – I gladly met my wonderful wife and the car for the final miles to my inlaws.

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OneWay300k – Complete!


In short – rain, climb, rain, climb, climb, climb, rain, repeat, rainbow.

Amazing ride.
194.5 miles. ~16.5 hours total time. ~13,000 climbing.

Double Rainbow @ mile 180.
Full ride report later…

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Fixed Century


Our Sunday ride group was dispersed this last weekend – so I took off solo on the Surly to retrace a previous ride. I’ve been enjoying the fixed gear bike around town- and my longest ride to date has been about 32 miles – so I decided to test the fit and my legs for a century. I explored a relatively flat route along the Winooski River from Burlington through Colchester, Essex Junction, Richmond, Waterbury and Middlesex. I’ve ridden parts of this on a previous Sunday morning ride with the IF – the terrain is tame – but there are steep rollers on the quiet country and dirt roads – some approaching 10% – but a few easily clearing 12%.

As I left Waterbury I noted the ‘bridge closed’ signs along Rt. 2 and hoped to be able to cross as a pedestrian. No such luck, as the highway department has taken care to make it a formidable obstacle to cross.


I had planned on a detour off of Rt. 2 nearby – and luckily the unnamed road (Lover’s Lane, according to Google) was just to the right of the bridge – so up some steep dirt and gravel and I discovered a lovely abandoned bridge over a ravine. A kayaker was playing in the rapids way down below – running through, rolling, then inching his way back up the side to do it over again.

I had to walk up the other side spinning out the rear tire while climbing the very steep loose sand and dirt road. The road connected me to 100b which rolls into Middlesex where I resupplied at the general store. I debated riding on to Montpelier, again following some quiet dirt roads – but guessed at my mileage and figured I was already halfway through a century.


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I retraced my steps home – not seeing another cyclist until Richmond – which is a popular starting place for GMBC club racers as well as the summer tourists. I negotiated Rt. 2 and 117 in the heat – stopping in Essex Junction for another burst of sports drink, a reload on water, and a snack.

I rigged the Surly much as I would for a 300k – as I’m getting comfortable with the weight and the gear I’ll be taking on my ADK adventure in just over a month. I still have much climbing work to do – I’m hoping to do an intense 2 weeks of hills and then back off and taper for the big day. I’ll most likely be on the IF for the 300k – but I will give the Surly another shot at a century in much hillier terrain before I decide on which steed will carry me through the mountains. I’m currently running 42×16 which has been working well for rolling and mixed terrain. If needed I could remount the Surly Dinglecog and have a 42×17 and 42×19 option for a climby long distance ride.

The fit on the Surly also needs some work. By the numbers it is really close to the IF – but I’ve been riding the IF without gloves and had a successful century last week – on the Surly I had numb and tingling hands only 15 miles into the ride. I packed my riding gloves as insurance and wore them the balance of the ride – they worked – but I have come to like ‘naked hands’. This week I swapped around to an adjustable stem and will play with my bars. The one difference that might come into play is that the width of the bars on the Surly is 44cm and the width on the IF is 46cm – can that 2 cm in width be numbing my hands? Or is it the Cane Creek brake levers vs. the Campy Ergos? Or the gel padded bar tape on the Surly vs. the leather on the IF?

I did have a successful ‘street shorts’ century. I’m wearing Ex-Officio boxer briefs and my old Cannondale touring shorts – no chamois for me – and with the B17 I was comfy the ride through.


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OneWay300k

In August the family will be traveling to Cleveland, Ohio for a family reunion / party / bonfire of sorts. I’ve been scheming to get a long, self supported brevet under my belt this year. To break up the trip from Burlington we plan to stop at my in-laws in Utica, NY. The distance is about 193 miles – perfect for a 300k. The plan is for me to ride the distance, with Jen leaving Burlington later in the afternoon and meeting me mid route. If all goes well I’ll arrive in Utica for a late late dinner, and the following day we’ll car top the bike and head off to Cleveland.


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The route follows the shore of Lake Champlain (along much of the bikeway route) and then heads into the heart of the Adirondack Park in New York, traveling through the mountains and following Route 8 most of the way to the Utica suburbs. The terrain will be a challenge – the route gets progressively more difficult as the ride goes on – there is a fair bit of climbing as I leave the ‘flatlands’ of the Champlain Valley and climb into the mountains. The tentative plan is that Jen will meet me somewhere near Speculator, NY for lunch and re-supply. This will also give me the option to sag the balance of the trip if I have mechanical, weather, or bodily reasons to abandon.

Most of the route finding is complete, as we’ve driven a similar route many many times. I’m planning to take a day connecting some quieter country roads around Utica when we are in town to run the Boilermaker (eek! just 15 days away!) – and I have a few roads to scout in NY after I cross Lake Champlain. There are few options for the majority of the miles in the Adirondacks – Route 8 seems the safest and most scenic option. This ride will start early on a weekday morning – so I shouldn’t have to worry about tourist traffic in the mountains.

While this will not be an official brevet or permanent, I plan on riding it as such and researching and coordinating the route for a future registration. Seeing as we make the trip to Utica several times a year, and to Cleveland at least once a year – this would be a great way to combine training and work towards and R-12 award. Now to get my 200k and 300k local permanents registered so I have options that start and end out my door!

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June Century – Lake Champlain


I rode my first century in quite a long while this past weekend. The Sunday morning crew was down to 2 – so Patrick and I took off north to the Champlain Islands. We stopped for breakfast on North Hero and made our way to Rouses Point, NY through Plattsburgh and to the Port Kent ferry back to Burlington. We kept our average speed fairly high (for our social sunday long rides) – and coming out of Plattsburgh tried to race to make a ferry. Wind, a bit of terrain (the route to this point was fairly flat) and more wind (we dodged thunderstorms all day) took its toll. When it looked like we would miss our boat we eased up and settled into a steady ‘finish the ride’ pace.

This was a shakedown ride for me – so I carried everything that I’m planning to take on the ‘OneWay300k’ that I have planned for August. The 300k will take me to Utica, NY from Burlington, VT by way of the Adirondacks. Rain cape, extra layers, food, maps, tool kit, mini first aid kit, extra shorts, digicam, etc… I brought along everything except my dyno lights which I need to re-wire and remount to my newly replaced Schmidt hub. Patrick was riding the Kogswell, fixed. I’ve debated building an ENO hubbed wheel for the IF – I’m going to try a long fixed ride on the Surly this coming weekend before I change anything. To be honest, even when I was beat at the end of the ride I tended to hang out in 3-4 cogs while in my large ring.



My experiment of riding a century in ‘street’ shorts almost worked – I tried wearing some touring style shorts and some breathable boxer briefs – I hit my limit at about 75 miles when the seams started to fight it out with my saddle. I’m not sure if it was the combination of the fabric and the wet wet morning – but part of the problem with street clothes is the shape of the Selle An-Atomica at the nose. The leather flares a bit and does not drop vertically like on the most Brooks’ I’ve ridden. As weight is applied to the saddle the flare increases – driving the edge of the leather into the inner part of my thighs. This happens with cycling shorts and street clothes. I love the saddle for the comfort on my rear end – but the front end is much more sensitive! Upon return I pulled the Selle An-Atomica off the bike again. I’ve remounted my well worn Brooks Swallow and I’ll try the experiment yet again with a slightly different wardrobe and see how it works out. The Brooks is a great long distance saddle – but I tend to bruise on my sit bones – something that has not happened with the leather ‘suspension’ An-Atomica – but I’ll take sit bone bruises at distances over 100 miles to raw rubbed thighs.