| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
101.02 miles
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Altitude Gain:
6,933 ft
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Avg Speed:
14.84 mph
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Route:
Wilderness Ride
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Avg Grade: 0 %
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Max Grade: 0 %
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Max HR: 192 bpm
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Avg HR: 141 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Hills
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Bike: custom built Cipollini RB800 Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Rain 59 F NW wind @ 5 mph |
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Rode a mountain century today starting in Radford, VA that supposedly follows the Wilderness Road that Daniel Boone used to get through the Blue Ridge Mountains. I've done this ride a couple of times and it is one of my favorites. It can't boast of ten thousand feet of climbing that many of the other mountain centuries do, but there is a lot of climbs totaling around six thousand feet. It can boast being one of the most scenic. My fancy cycling computer was identifying climbs as I rode, and I assume they are measured strava type climbs. It told me there were twenty one in the century but there were another half dozen climbs that weren't identified. It wasn't a mass start event, although there were suggested times times if you didn't want to ride alone. Weather forecast suggested that there would be temperatures in the fifties and a chance of showers. Started out fifteen minutes before the cut off time for the century and wasn't sure how the legs would respond. I was still feeling under the weather but the legs felt good. The starting location was different from years past when the first couple miles was a bike course along a river. This year it started near the base of the first climb. Caught up to a group of four riders and a tandem at the base of the first climb. I came out of the saddle on the fourteen percent grade and barely kept up with the other riders that were spinning. Thought it would be a long day but after the steep section I sat and spun and soon easily distanced the other riders. Kept up the pace to the top of the climb and there was no one in sight. Coasted down the back side and thought maybe the group would catch up but only saw one rider back as I started the next climb. Coasted down the back side and was caught by a lone rider. We chatted briefly and he hammered by me down the grade. I soft pedaled to the next climb and caught and passed the lone rider on the climb. We repeated this routine for a few miles until we caught up to another rider. The lone rider slowed down to converse with the new rider and I coasted behind. They both stopped at the first rest stop but I didn't since it was only eleven or twelve miles in and I had hardly drank at all. Passed a few riders on the neat climb and started the big climb of the day alone. The courses split before the climb with the big climb being only on the century route. Saw no one one the climb either ahead or behind. Found out later that of the two hundred riders out for the day only thirty had registered for the century and there were many no shows because of the cold and rain forecast. Once over the top of the climb there is a climbing loop around Pilot Mountain before descending back to join the shorter courses. Passed three or four riders in the loop and two of them were young burners. I was still pretty much pushing the climbs and coasting the backsides. The two youngsters blew by me on a downgrade. I stayed with them for a couple more climbs until they gapped me on a long shallow one. They had a good gap on me and I thought I could catch them on the downhill but opted to stop at a rest stop instead. Old age and lack of testosterone has robbed me of my competitive spirit. I did catch up with them a few miles later and we rode together for awhile before they again gapped me on a climb. I had had a good fifty miles and had done eleven of the twenty one climbs but wasn't able to stay with the burners. Wasn't too concerned though as they were poor descenders and were picking really bad lines on some of the twisting downhills. It had also started to rain. The rain took the wind out of my sails and my riding hard for the day was over. I still pushed the climbs but took the downhills very tenderly. I had carbon rims that didn't brake well in the rain. Got passed by some firetrucks on one section and caught up to them a couple of miles later at one of the twisting descents. One rider had missed a turn and earned a ride to the hospital. I stopped at the next rest stop and was told there had been three accidents so far and that was more than they had had in the last six years of the ride. Computer was giving me trouble as the rain drops were causing it to switch screens and do all sorts of unwanted stuff. Rode the last twenty five miles without seeing anyone else until I got back into town and passed some riders finishing off the shorter courses. With the new starting location the course was shorten by five miles. After completing the course I did the bonus loop along the bike trail through the park to the original starting location and back. The trail was mostly frequently covered with either mud or water and I spun easily through it. It really destroyed my average time but it did get me up to the hundred mile mark. So climbed pretty well today but did nothing on the downhills or occasional flats. The last fifty miles in rain was not very pleasant but it still was a good ride. I had expected warm weather and sunshine and got fifties and rain. Rode most of the course alone. Dried off then packed up and headed to Richmond to spend the night.
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