| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
43.61 miles
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Altitude Gain:
1,533 ft
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Avg Speed:
13.63 mph
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Route:
Ft Davis-Marfa
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Avg Grade: 144 %
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Max Grade: 160 %
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Max HR: 0 bpm
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Avg HR: 0 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Flat
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Bike: Look 585 Carbon Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Sunny 60 F SW WIND @ 17 MPH |
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Abandoned my plans for a ride to Alpine due to a strong wind. Wanted to do some more climbing but didn't think twenty plus mile return from Alpine in a seventeen mile wind through climby terrain would be much fun nor very good for my decrepit body. Instead planned on a flattish route directly into the wind to Marfa and a tailwind driven return. Thought I might trade a little cold weather riding for a little less wind on the onset. Had planned on riding when temperature hit sixty but looked at weather and found if I started an hour earlier the wind would be only a dozen miles an hour. Drawback was for the hour earlier start would be a starting temperature in the forties. So headed out bundled against the wind and cold. Ride turned out to be pretty much a straight shot into the wind with ten miles of one percent grade then a couple miles of three to five over the ridge and then a mirror image descent into Marta. Wind appeared to rise faster than the temperature and ride turned into another twelve mile an hour high heart rate, low cadence, death march. Crested the ride after eleven miles and five hundred feet of climbing. Not much to look at except the desert and mountains in the distance. My slow speed gave me plenty of opportunity to look at things that seldom seemed to get much closer. After the ridge I started a shallow descent at not much a greater speed but with much less effort. There was a sailplane over the desert that kept me company as well as occasional very friendly traffic. Rolled into Marfa and cruised around town a little before turning around and heading back to Ft Davis. Was a little interested in a sign that informed me that I could view the mystery lights if I stayed at the Thunderbird Motel in Marfa. Had one car make a left turn in front of me that really didn't seem to close to me, but the driver stopped rolled, down his window and apologized profusely for crossing my right of way. I really didn't think it was a problem, but he probably saw me react and go to my brakes that I didn't have to use. Feels good to encounter polite drivers once in awhile. Looked at birds and butterflies on the way back as well as the local flora being blown down the road with me. Ride back was many times better than the ride out. Still felt a little tired at the finish. Might take a bit to get used to the mile high elevation and dry desert wind. Not really a very good ride today but I don't think I did any damage and hopefully converted some more fat to red blood cells.
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