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Observation and Perspective
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| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
62.47 miles
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Time: 06:15:00
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Max Speed:
42.00 mph
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Avg Speed:
10.00 mph
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Temp:
Min: 57
Avg: 61
Max: 66
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Category: training: general -
solo
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Route:
Highlander tour (independant version)
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Weight:
232
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Altitude Gain:
0 ft
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Avg Power: 0 W
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Calories Burned: 3,700
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Avg HR: 0 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Steep
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Bike: Bianchi 32lb-Castro Valley Road
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Club: Southern Tier Bicycle Club |
| Weather Conditions: Overcast, light misting rain; |
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HCT (Highlander Cycling Tour) was a big success judging from the huge turn-out again this year. This was the tenth year for this event and it appears to be drawing people from all points.
I had dinner after the ride with a fellow, Bruce from Southern New Hampshire. Bruce had heard about the challange of cycling the "Highlander". The tour was everything and more than he had heard! Bruce had "high" compliments for the cycling community in the region and said he would be back to do it again next year. He biked the Midlander which is all the tough climbs of the Highlander in a 70+mile tour. It was my fifth year going and the 3rd attempt at the lowlander. While I didn't have what it required to accomplish the "tour complete" this year, I am looking forward to next year again.
I met up (again)with Chuck (Canadian School Teacher) and his wife. This was their second HCT. Last year I was able to ride with them for several miles but this year they were riding at a higher level of ability and I couldn't match their pace. Chuck paced me on Miller Hill.
The day seemed near ideal at the start. Heavy fog changed to a persistent cooling mist which made the hills more bearable. However, the steady misty rain made the steeper descents somewhat tricky as the roads became wet. My eye glasses were like looking through prismatic droplets of distortion. After several miles of riding that way (wiping the lenses intermittently), I stopped wearing the glasses altogether, until the weather cleared. No eye-wear tends to slow the descents yet further. I coasted quite a bit on the down hills (not typical), but did manage a 42mph top speed on one of the downhill runs. My time was being used up (I was going at a slower pace than last year). I made it to Honeyoye at about 12:40PM.
The Lowlander route was substantially changed this year. However I did not follow the new route after reaching the village of Honeyoye. It was at that point I opted to head back to South Bristol. I headed East on Rte 20A to Rte 64. I cycled Rte 64 doing a couple of 3 mile intervals to Gannett Hill and back to reach a "metric century" total.
I had very minimal interaction with other riders. I am mostly a loner. But on rides like this it would have been helpful to have met up with another rider or group going at a pace I could have maintained. One especially bright spot for me was having my Brother-in-law Mike and Nephew Daniel out on the course as official helpers. Mike was busy on route 12 fixing flats for a couple of women riders. I think when roadways are wet it is difficult to avoid debris that can cause flatting.
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