| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
53.76 miles
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Altitude Gain:
3,739 ft
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Avg Speed:
18.32 mph
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Route:
Tour de Perry
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Avg Grade: 0 %
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Max Grade: 0 %
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Max HR: 0 bpm
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Avg HR: 0 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Rolling
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Bike: Look 585 Carbon Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Sunny 80 F South wind |
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Headed out to the western part of the state for a short tour that includes a leg through Letchworth State park. Took about and hour and a half to get there and that entailed an early rise as the tour started at 8:00 AM. Registration was easy and got an armband for identification and a T-shirt with a sea serpent pursueing a cyclist. Assume that it is a legendary creature from nearby Silver Lake. Had around fifty people line up for a mass start of the 50 miler and a shorter tour that avoids some of the longer climbs. Seemed to be a better turnout than I remembered from last year. Temperature was really quite pleasant and felt like it was in the seventies with a south wind blowing. They said that there was a storm that dropped an inch of rain the day before and cooled things off. Ride started out with a police escort through town that didn't turn out well as the escort got behind the group then turned on his siren and tried to get by between the group and traffic coming the opposite direction. Turned into a cluster as on the first hill several riders stopped and forced following riders to stop and dismount. Had a teammate near the front and sensing the trouble took off on the hill while I on the other hand got to stop. Eventually sorted ourselves out and started down the backside of the hill. Had a couple of the riders at the front that were pacing themselves while riding double and chatting. Desiring to ride at a bit faster pace than twelve miles an hour I navigated around the gabbers and headed off after my teammate. Took a long pull then pulled over and assumed that someone would pull through. Only had Charles in my wake. Had assummed Cleo would be there as well as the Butternut racer team riders. Charles and I worked together for a few miles but he couldn't climb fast enough to close on my teammate that was lingering up the road but would not do so for long. Waited for Charles on the climbs and tried to pull him on the downgrades but he wasn't strong enough to stay in the draft. Stayed with Charles until the first real climb of the day around the twelve mile point. Spun away form him on the two mile long five percent grade into the headwind but was also loosing time on my teammate who is a strong climber. Went over the top of the climb then got to do several miles of nasty headwind before descending into the first checkpoint at Pike. Signed in and was told IronDoug had passed through three minutes ahead of me. Talked with the photographer who said there were two riders not far behind me then maybe one other. Ate some cookies and waited for some other riders to arrive. Cleo and Charles soon pulled in but didn't appear to be in any hurry to get back on the road. Another rider in white rolled in and I headed out alone. Rolled along easily on the climb out of town hoping the group might catch up but noone appeared behind me. After the climb out of the rest stop at Pike it is downhill to the upper entrance to Letchworth Park. The park leg was some quality riding along a grand canyon. Fourteen miles of twisting downhill along the canyon. Nearly all of the miles are inside a forest. There is an incredible amount of stonework, an occasional eagle flying alongside and occasional glimpses into the abyss. There are two or three short steep climbs to break up the descent. Last year we left the park around halfway through but this year the course went all the way to the bottom. Left the park and all that remained was ten miles and eight hundred feet of climbing to get back to the finish. Wasn't sure what to expect since this was new territory so climbed at a relaxed but steady pace. Thought the return leg would be anticlimatic after the park but was in awe by the veiw from the top of the climb. Ride only had one steep section that occurs in the last couple of miles near the town dump that had a twelve percent grade. Unintentionally dropped out of the big chainring as I shifted to my biggest cog in the back but probably would have done the whole course in the big chainring had that not happened. Didn't ride the course as fast as last year but did get to rubberneck more by riding alone. Very enjoyable ride for $15 and you get a neat T-shirt if you preregister.
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