FLCC> Fwd: Thursday Ride Recap

Fri Jan 18 10:28:48 EST 2008

I guess I'll continue the trend and post my ride reports on the FLCC listserve too. So Don, are you joining me for the Saturday "epic" ride?

Vanya Temnykh <itemnykh at yahoo.com> wrote: Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:23:49 -0800 (PST)
From: Vanya Temnykh <itemnykh at yahoo.com>
Subject: Thursday Ride Recap
To: cucycle-l at cornell.edu

     Yesterday Ben Kraft and I decided to go for a 20-mile road ride. When I saw what Ben was riding, I had my doubts about climbing hills. It was a FIXED gear city cruiser bike, gear ratio 42x17, complete with fenders and luggage rack, with a huge plastic crate strapped to it. At least he had clipless pedals...we left my house at 11AM.

 On the road, we were going faster than I would have liked, and the hills did little to slow Ben down. After Snyder Hill and battling a southerly headwind on 79 through Slaterville Springs, we turned right onto  Level   Green Road. This sounded pleasant enough, but the headwind got ridiculous. At Tea Rest Stop number one I was kicking myself for once again underestimating the windchill and leaving my sealskinz socks at home. Hopefully the gradual uphill would get the blood flowing again. I have never ridden Level Green  on a bicycle before...it's a great road with good pavement, gentle slope, minimal traffic, and beautiful forest. Bear right onto Yaple and in another mile we were heading towards Brooktondale on Old 76. It felt like someone had switched the wind from "moderate" to "off". I was finally able to use my high gear, overtaking Ben who was spinning out at 30mph. You feel really powerful pedalling an old bike 37mph down a false flat with the wind at your back. Right
 onto Central Chapel and an easy cruise into Brooktondale. At this point my leather gloves were not adequate, while Ben was complaining of his hands being  sweaty wearing the LG lobster gloves. He declined to trade. 

    The last leg of our ride was to get back up to Snyder Hill, and Ben opted to take 79 back to Collegetown to avoid extra climbing. But then he decided to try riding up Vanderpool Road, that one-lane dirt drive  that curves around a hillside from Six Mile Creek up to Landon Rd. It becomes impossibly steep toward the top. It was covered with snow and ice. OK, let’s try it! First gear on the Centurion was excruciating enough, but what I couldn’t believe was that Ben was still on two wheels and pushing up the hill. With about 50feet to go, the laws of physics finally made him stop. I went about 20 feet past him, until my rear wheel lost traction. We had nothing left to do but continue our climb up Landon. Again, this would be suicide for Ben’s fixed gear. He got a head  start, and I was sure that he would have to get off and walk from the Town of Dryden Line. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t close the gap! How is that guy still on his bike?? That plastic crate
 couldn’t have been more demoralizing. As the road flattened out, the gap actually increased! WTF? Ben explained that  it is harder to give up on a fixed gear. I’ll take his word for it. 

    Anyways, we were back at my house at 12:45 after riding 25miles, about 14mph average speed. 

  Can’t wait for the Saturday ride
I want to continue exploring that neck of the woods, especially Blackman Hill Road and Fire Tower Roads. And I’ll make sure that the hills are steep enough that even Ben will have to downshift. The pace will be slower, and there will be dirt roads on this ride so an MTB is  recommended.
    Rite Aid, 9:30AM. Be there.

  Vanya

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