| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
64.31 miles
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Altitude Gain:
4,438 ft
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Avg Speed:
15.80 mph
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Route:
Tour de Scranton
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Avg Grade: 0 %
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Max Grade: 0 %
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Max HR: 152 bpm
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Avg HR: 123 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Hills
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Bike: Look Blade RS 795 Iconic Ltd Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Sunny 81 F Wind NE @ 3 mph |
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Drove two hours to Scranton, PA for the twentieth and final ride for the Tour de Scranton metric century. Fortunately, it had a ten AM starting time so didn't have to rise at an unreasonable hour. I have ridden the course a few times in the past. It used to be our first organized ride of the year when they held it in April, but in the past few years they moved it to September. Never thought that was a good idea since the cycling schedule in September is crowded. This year the Tour de Shunk was scheduled for the same day and there probably isn't much over fifty miles between them. The promoter has stated this is the last year as the number of riders had never recovered since the government shut the country down for the Wuhan Flu. The course is rather hilly with four decent climbs including one over Elk Mountain. It is a great course once out of the city of Scranton but the first few miles through the pothole lined streets is a scramble through a minefield. Had two teammates this year as Doug and Joe joined me. Not sure how many people started the ride but assume it was at least one hundred though the mass start would separate into six different courses. Wasn't sure how my legs would respond after a major effort yesterday, but overall plan was to ride with Joe who lately has been lagging on the climbs but bombs the downhills. Pace started out quite fast as several members of a club from NE PA with green jerseys set a strong pace. An early short steep climb usually results in the first separation and after the first mile there were only probably twenty riders in the front group. Doug and I drafted near the front for the first few miles, and we lost Joe somewhere along the way as he later stated he wasn't comfortable dodging potholes in a paceline at high speeds. As we left town and started up the slopes of the first climb, I was pushing hard to stay on the wheel of an elderly man mashing the grade. I mentioned to Doug how strong the old guy was, and Doug told me that the guy had an electric bike. At the first early rest stop, a few of the green jersey riders pulled off and the group split further as most riders took a parallel bike path along the course. Doug, me and one other rider stayed on the road. Tragedy struck when Doug touched wheels with the other rider and went down hard at a good speed. He landed poorly and got some nasty road rash and a few good lacerations on both legs and one arm. He picked himself up and decided to keep riding although both muddy and bloody and still dripping a little blood. We were soon passed by most of the front group and rejoined by Joe. We kept riding up the first climb to the first real rest stop at a high school that had to be reached by climbing a short twenty percent grade climb. There was a nurse at the rest stop and after Doug was cleaned and patched up the three of us continued the ride. The next climb was up and over Elk Mountain. I pretty much just kept pace with Doug on the climb and had a good run down one of the two most excellent downhills of the day. Joe caught us on the downhill and then stopped at a rest stop at the bottom of the third climb of the day a highway climb of eight hundred feet over four miles. I dropped Doug on the climb as he started struggling as it is sometimes best to let one suffer in private. Ended up having a pretty good climb and milked the next downhill waiting for Doug to rejoin. I was surprised when Joe caught up instead of Doug. Joe and I stopped at the last rest stop and chatted with attendants until Doug went by. We had one more climb left and then a long fast downhill back to Scranton. The final climb is a half mile long steep wall that in years past I usually cramped on. This year I was able to climb it without difficulty that is more of a reflection of the easier pace I rode the course this year rather than my fitness level. I did pass one rider off the bike on the climb who said he was cramping and had to dismount. Been there done that. I was able to catch Doug soon after the climb and we bombed the second of the two most excellent descents of the day then completed the ride with another four miles back through the start through the city streets catching and pacing a few riders from the shorter courses. We ended up completing the day with some not very good pizza but great cake. Joe won a gift basket in a raffle. Had a good time at the ride though would rather have done without Doug's crash. He has had a very rough year. There was some talk about another promoter being interested in picking up the ride next year but will have to wait and see.
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