| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
86.79 miles
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Altitude Gain:
5,339 ft
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Avg Speed:
16.42 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: 154 bpm
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Avg HR: 124 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Steep
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Bike: Look Blade RS 795 Iconic Ltd Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Sunny 78 F S wind @ 4 mph |
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Back in the late seventies when we started riding religiously the state put out a bicycling map of the Finger Lakes that had good cycling routes in green, and fair ones in yellow. Hills were marked with between one and three triangles with the three stars being the steepest. We used to plan rides to seek out and climb those tree star slopes. One of them was Bluff Point that is found in the crotch of the Y of Keuka Lake between Penn Yan and Hammondsport. To get to the climb and back we had to ascend another four climbs all totaled to about a mile of elevation gain. After the first run it became a yearly event and often done at race pace. I remember averaging nineteen miles an hour and we may have had better times. I have been too heavy to do anything but suffer on the course lately and haven't done the ride in ten years or so but decided to try it today. It was a really nice day with a slight south wind that would aid me on the first two climbs but the final three run east to west so it would be climbing in a crosswind later in the day. Started up at a good pace up two familiar climbs up 14 A to Reading Center then climbing out of Dundee on SR 14A to Penn Yan. Pushed the first eight hundred feet of climb hard and was able to easily beat my target of fifteen miles in an hour on this section of the course. I was able to average sixteen-eight to Dundee and was almost out the other side before the hour elapsed. Kept the pace up on the second and easiest of the five climbs out of Dundee. After a long downgrade to Penn Yan, I was comfortably in the seventeen mile an hour range. After reaching Penn Yan there is a few miles of gently rolling road along the lake to reach the foot of Bluff Point. I cruised along the road anticipating some upcoming unpleasantness. The road up the Point is not nearly as brutal as it used to be, as while it is still a mile of twelve and fifteen percent grade it is now paved where it used to be dirt with pockets of loose sand. Losing traction is no longer an issue as long as the road is dry. I also am better equipped these days with a 36-34 granny gear ratio. Back in the day we climbed mostly in a 42-19 with a 42-21 as the bailout gear. I didn't have to use the granny but struggled as best I could at least standing on the steep lower slopes before staying in the saddle for the upper half. Made it over in fair condition but survived the climb rather than challenged it and average was down to close to sixteen. Fortunately there is a few miles of downhill to the north end of the lake at Branchport and ten to twelve miles of rollers south on the west shore to Hammondsport. I was able to get the average back to seventeen with some moderate effort but after Hammondsport its ten miles of nasty climbs. While Bluff Point may be the steepest climb the next series of climbs are more challenging. It's a couple miles of eight percent up and over the east shore of the lake followed by the three sisters climb up the start of the Mud Lake Road. I was rapidly running out of leg by the seventy-mile mark and dripping sweat so profusely I was having trouble keeping it out of my eyes. The seventeen average was a thing of the past and now was flirting with high fifteens. There is a brief descent down a three triangle climb to Lamoka Lake and then a small climb back up to Weston and then Tyrone. The final climb is up Sebring Hill that is two miles long and starts out at three percent but gradually increase to ten to twelve. It's perfectly straight up the climb and there is a very judgmental Ancient Oak tree three quarters of the way up the climb that has found me lacking on the climb over the past forty years. Today was no exception as I finally had to drop it down in the granny gear and crawl up the remaining slope. I was totally spent as I finally crested the top. After the climb though it is a seven-mile descent back to Watkins Glen. I mostly coasted exhausted pretty much draped over the bike. I did recover a little on the downhill, so the remaining two miles of flat home was tolerable. Ended up back over sixteen and was surprised I did that well. Really tore the legs up today but went all out in the early sections.
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