| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
100.51 miles
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Altitude Gain:
5,711 ft
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Avg Speed:
17.12 mph
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Route:
Culpeper Century
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Avg Grade: 0 %
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Max Grade: 0 %
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Max HR: 152 bpm
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Avg HR: 127 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Rolling
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Bike: Look Blade RS 795 Iconic Ltd Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Sunny 69 F W wind @ 4 mph |
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The Century today was in Culpeper, VA that started at a rather cool forty-seven degrees. It was a show and go and riders were leaving at seven even though it was barely light. I waited until seven thirty hoping it would get warmer as the sun came up. Started riding out at a relaxed pace with the cold punishing my fingers. Most of the climbing was in the first half of the ride. There weren't any mountain climbs with most of the elevation changes of less than two hundred feet and only an occasional short grade over ten percent. After a few miles I was passed by a pair of riders that looked faster so just kept my pace rather than trying to draft them figuring on riding harder when it warmed up. Turned out they weren't that fast as I caught up to them on the next short climb. It was getting a bit warmer so kicked up my pace and pulled away from the pair on the next climb and didn't see them again. Started feeling stronger and was climbing fairly well over the seemingly unending hills. Got passed by another rider at a stop sign and tried to catch him. He was climbing fairly well and definitely faster than me, but I thought if I could catch him, I might be able to stay up in his draft. Chased for several miles but was consistently losing ground but rationalized I was riding fairly well as was only losing about fifty feet for every mile. Didn't last though as cresting one long climb he was out of sight and now without my carrot slowed down. Rode to the first rest stop and had some candy before rolling out again. Rode aggressively over the next climbing section. Had one section of highway climbing with no shoulder and heavy traffic ending with a left uphill turn thru traffic that wasn't much fun and had me very uncomfortable, but other than that section traffic was light. Finished off the last steep climb of the first two thirds of the ride when I was passed by a group of seven riders. Since the next several miles were heading downwards thought if I could stay with the group, it would make the ride much easier. Tagged on to the back with another rider that was just trying to hang on with the mid-twenties pace. Settled in and got comfortable when we came to a short climb. I easily rode to the front of the group as although they were much faster on the flats and downhills as a group not all the group were strong climbers. They easily caught me on the backside of the climb as the best I could do was low twenties alone. Same thing happened on the next climb except a rider in white went out of the saddle and accelerated up the climb. I went with him and was able to outlast him over the top. After that found me in the paceline eventually taking a long pull that ended at the second rest stop. Chatted for a bit and then headed out alone as the others were trying to decide to head out again or wait for a bigger group to reform. The third quarter was either flat or downgrade with only one long climb in it. Rode about five miles before I was caught by four riders from the earlier group. I wasn't able to accelerate quickly enough to latch on and found myself gapped. There was another rider in blue not far behind and we traded pulls until catching the foursome. I hopped on the back while the rider in blue didn't seem interested in joining the group. Settled into the group of the previously rider in white, one strong rider in red and two riders in yellow. After working through the line, a couple times found one of the riders in yellow had disappeared. We started up the solo long hill of this quarter with the rider in white taking a long hard pull. I was behind the red rider that started to lose the wheel of the white rider, and I went past him to fill the gap. Rode at my limit just holding the wheel until it was my turn to pull. Pulled over an early crest before pulling off to find that the rider in red was gone and the rider in yellow was shaking his head and told me he wasn't going to make it. The rider in white gapped us a bit at the top of the climb but not enough to worry about. Going downhill again we rode past a water only stop and the yellow rider pulled off. I kept going as the next stop was a full rest stop and only ten miles down the road. With only the two of us left we went into chat mode for a few miles. The white rider told me he was going to do some thrashing later in the ride, and I replied I would not. He put his head down on one flat section and I eventually couldn't hold his wheel and faded off. It was only a mile from the third rest stop that I pulled into, but the rider in white still had his head down and rode past it. Had some food and a coke before heading out at a slow pace. I had ridden about the best I have this year over the few miles I was with the group outlasting all but the rider in white but now had to pay the price. Temperature was now in the eighties and I was suffering. Could barely keep a thirteen mile an hour pace over the next few climbing sections and was passed by a group of three from one of the shorter rides. Thought if I could latch on, I might be able to salvage the ride but could only hold their pace for a mile or so. On the last climb was passed by the rider in blue from earlier in the ride that climbed by me like I was standing still. Once over the climb I started downhill only to find I had turned too early and had to climb back up to the course. Really didn't need a bonus climb and was not having a good time. The last few miles were mercifully flat though into a slight headwind. Final mile seemed to take an eternity but finally rolled into the finish. Rode myself to exhaustion but had a pretty good time, nonetheless.
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