| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
61.98 miles
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Altitude Gain:
3,323 ft
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Avg Speed:
18.05 mph
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Route:
Tiffany's Pink Pedal
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Avg Grade: 0 %
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Max Grade: 0 %
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Max HR: 157 bpm
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Avg HR: 134 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Hills
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Bike: Look Blade RS 795 Iconic Ltd Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Sunny 71 F NE wind @ 1 mph |
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Today's metric started in Hershey, PA and is a memorial ride for a young cyclist that recently passed as a result of breast cancer. It was fairly cool at the start with almost no wind and weather was good throughout the ride. There were over two-hundred and fifty riders for the three courses. It appeared a good number were doing the metric length course. Course looked mostly flat with just three good climbs and a healthy amount of rollers. Plan for the day was to try to stay with the front group for an hour and then go into touring mode if necessary for the latter part of the ride. It was a mass start which is always a plus as I would have a group to ride with for at least a few miles. First part of the course was through town with numerous short sections and turns and a short section of bike trail. Didn't care for the trail much as it displaced several dog walkers and probably took a awhile for a hundred rider to pass them riding single file. Stayed in the first four or five riders without ever going on the front. Most of the first five miles were pulled by a heavier rider towing along a group of twelve to fifteen that made up the vanguard. After a few miles he was replaced by an older rider that goes by the moniker Quadzilla. He pretty much pulled the group along in the mid-twenties to the first rest stop where the group all stopped. Not having any facilities at the stop I rode off up the road to a wooded section to get some bladder relief. Soon after returning to the course I was passed by the Quadzilla train and I hopped on the back and into the draft. Legs felt pretty good so far and soon had my hour in. Trouble showed up on the climb of Mount Gretna. It's really just a big hill but in southern central PA any big hill is called mount something or other. Didn't have any problem on the first section of the climb as had nice spin. Once passing through the resort area there are three short steps at the top. Quadzilla and another young climber opened a gap on the first step and I hung onto a group of four other riders but was running out of leg. On the second step the group got desperate and we were all out of the saddle trying not to lose too much time. I fell off the back as my group shattered into individual riders. I was losing more ground on the third step and tried to go out of the saddle again and cracked big time and also damaged a calf muscle. Made it over the top and could still see the riders ahead on the downhill. Looked back and didn't see any other riders so started hammering downhill. Didn't really gain much on the first mile but on the second half of the downhill the fractured group ahead appeared to start coasting, and I was able to overtake them and soon pulled up to the two front riders. I drafted them to the bottom of the climb where we were stopped to allow runners from a footrace to cross the road. Several riders rejoined the group before we restarted. That was about it for me for the day. Had to nurse my damaged calf muscle and was soon lingering off the back of the group barely maintaining contact. We rolled into the second rest stop with an average speed of nineteen. We hung around until the second pack started rolling in and soon a new group was formed from front pack riders and some second pack riders that didn't stop at the rest stop. My calf was singing to me, and I followed the new group for a while although slowly fading back. Quadzilla wasn't with the new group and stated he was going to wait and ride with some friends who were behind. I would occasionally catch up to the front group as they were delayed by busy highway crossing and also a train. On a climb after the train delay the heavy rider that had led the first few miles was dropped from the group. I started stalking him and soon was able to catch and drop him on a couple of lessor climbs. Two climbs remained and I was fearful of how tough they would be but as soon as I was on them recognized them from last year's Tour de Lebanon. I had hammered the climbs last year but this year slowly spun up them. At the top of one of the climbs the course climbed through a cemetery passing the grave where Tiffany is buried. While waiting at a highway crossing I was joined by the heavier rider and we rode the rest of the course together. Turned out to be a great ride with a strong friendly group of riders. Enjoyed the ride although my climbing is still lacking and my endurance is also suspect. Packed up the bike and headed to VA for some more riding.
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