| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
87.30 miles
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Altitude Gain:
5,627 ft
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Avg Speed:
16.08 mph
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Route:
Bluff Point
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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: Steep
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Bike: Look 585 Carbon Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Sunny 90 F N wind @ 8 mph |
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Another really hot and humid day today. Have been having some discussions about doing the Highlander Tour this year as for some reason it is a different weekend then the Tour de Shunk. Thought I would go out and do some brutal climbing today and see how my body responded before shelling out a hefty entry fee for the Highlander. Ride has five climbs with the last three being especially difficult. Got an early start and felt good on the first climb up SR14 & 14A to Dundee. Caught a couple guys from Binghamton who had come over to ride around Seneca Lake and we rode together on the first half of the climb out of Watkins. Felt good on the climb and pushed into Dundee with a decent average speed. The next climb was the easiest of the five being a long shallow highway climb on 14A between Dundee and Penn Yan. Had another good climb on this one though was slowed a little as it was into a steady headwind. Got a good deal on winds though as the headwind was soon at my back as I headed down past Keuka College along the cottages on my way to the first nasty climb up Bluff Point. Got cheered on by a group of young boys out on their own tour up the lake and it lifted my spirit as I started up the approach to the big climb of the day. The approach itself is no small task as it is a mile long with grades over ten percent. Hit the base of the climb and decided to sit and spin. Didn't set any records nor have a very good climb but kept a steady speed and didn't crack, which for me was a small victory on this long eighteen percent wall. Still was in a good position to have a decent time as I went over the top. Couldn't seem to get much speed on the downhill from the point back to Branchport but thought little of it and blamed it on the headwind. Really needed a strong section between Branchport and Hammondsport down 54A. Figured with the tailwind I would fly through the rollers. Didn't happen though and had to struggle a bit over the tops of the rollers as my energy was waning. Needed to get the average up before the final two climbs but it didn't happen. Rolled into Hammondsport with a seventeen mile an hour average but figured I really should have been near eighteen to be able to finish with a good average. Took a rest stop at the park on the end of the lake and tried to rehydrate as the ninety degrees and hills were really drying me out. Started out fairly slowly on the fourth climb up the east side of the lake out of Hammondsport. Planned on trying to push the pace on the center section where the grade was lesser and hopefully saving some energy to avoid cracking on the three sisters section of the climb after the turn back toward Tyrone at the top section. Legs were trashed as I neared the top and could not build up any speed. Cracked big time on the three sisters climb and legs turned to jelly. Saw a bunch of spots before riding over the top and tried to rest a bit on the downhill between Lamoka and Waneta lakes. Went into the last climb up Sebring Hill in poor spirits as the last climb had destroyed any chance at a good time and now it was not a question of pace but just finishing. The two mile climb up Sebring was made in my lowest gear and I could barely turn it over. Suffered tremendously as I just tried to keep pushing the pedals down as the legs kept screaming at me just to get off and walk already. Wasn't sure if I would make it or not but got to the top. At one point I was going so slow that a butterfly flew through my rotating front wheel without touching a spoke which I found to be amazing for some reason at the time. Was thankful I got over it without having a heatstroke and coasted down the last seven miles into Watkins. Finished off the ride with a sixteen mile an hour average. Would have been satisfied with a seventeen and ecstatic with anything over that. Had three decent climbs of the five but the last two were very disappointing. It turned out to be a very difficult eighty-five miles.
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