The Suitcase of Courage

Cycling Fun Friday: FMTD Pics

(Pic by Cannibal Team Trustee Mike Kozlik)

I've mentioned our little Friday morning ride before - otherwise known as the Friday Morning Throw Down (FMTD).  It's a loop of over 30 miles in the lower Connecticut River Valley and down along the coast of Long Island Sound.  It officially starts in Chester Center, but some folks (including me) get picked up along the way.  It's an early ride - departing at 5:30am - and there are plenty of bailout opportunities in case you have to get to work a bit early that day.

It's an absolutely beautiful ride through stunning scenery.  Only problem is, it's usually so fast that all you really see is the wheel of the guy in front of you.  And the fastest sections tend to be the flattest.  And the flattest tend to be the prettiest - down by the water.  See the pic at the top of the post for a typical view - moving flat out, single file, along the shore.  As you can imagine, if you're hardly able to take in the scenery while on the FMTD, you certainly won't be able to take any photos.  If you stop, you'll never catch back on.

So, in order to document and share some of the scenes along the way, I took advantage of a beautiful morning earlier this week, riding solo and leaving at the same time as the FMTD would, to show you what we see when we're not too cross-eyed.  Come along for a ride along the route at a leisurely pace so you can enjoy the view...

Those who follow me on Twitter will recognize this shot.  Before I got lazy and started waiting for the guys at the end of my driveway, I used to get out ahead of them by a few minutes to warm up which sometimes gave me just enough time to record this view over the tracks, looking toward the sunrise.

Once we turn right onto Great Hammock Road, the ride begins in earnest.  If you can pry your eyes from the back of the guy in front of you and turn your head to the right, this is what you'd see.

And if you turned your head to the left, perhaps looking over your shoulder to see if it was safe to peel off after your pull at the front, this is the view you'd see.  Hopefully, your eyes would readjust in time to allow you see the road again.

After going through the 4-way stop, we turn along the south shore.  Always the million-dollar view, along Knollwood Beach, this is the "leadout" portion of the causeway sprint.  No matter how fast you're going at this point, you can't help but see the stunning sunrise over our town's two lighthouses (which you can barely make out in the distance).

And this, my friends, is the Causeway - location of the Causeway Sprint (natch).  Like the tail of a comet, some of the guys start falling off the back at this point as the lead guys start drilling it even harder.  It's a LONG causeway (I should actually measure it sometime) and the "finish" is way out there on the horizon, when you get back to the mainland.  Wind is always a factor here, and when you get a tailwind, you can be cruising at 30-35mph and sprinting over 40.  Alas, this morning there was a head/crosswind that put most of us in the gutter and sapped the sprint (kudos to GS for drilling a hole through the wall for a decisive "win").

At the end of the sprint, we coast/cooldown past Saybrook Point Inn and turn left on College Street.  As we turn, we pass Fort Saybrook Park - also the site of the old Connecticut Valley Railroad yard and roundhouse.  That's the excavation of the turntable pit and engine bays.  Yet another reason I love it here, not only do we have great roads and scenery, but where else am I going to find a railroad archaeological dig by the water?  Unfortunately, even though we're cooling down from the sprint by this point, we seldom pay much attention to this site as we go by, so I'm especially glad I stopped this time to get the pic.

The little jog north up to North Cove (you can see the jog in the map above) is part of the extended cooldown/mellow part of the ride.  I guess you could stop along the way here to snap a few photos, but it was a lot nicer - being solo on this particular morning - to take my time.

Another shot of North Cove

And yet another - showing evidence of the ever-present wind.

Once we motor up Main Street and through town, we take a right back up and over the railroad tracks then another right to head east back toward the river.  This is the view just after that road turns left and heads north.  That's Old Lyme across the river, and the 1907 railroad bridge connecting the two towns.

After going "between the bridges" (the RR bridge to the south and the I-95 highway bridge to the north), we turn back west and head through Saybrook's Otter Cove section.  The pace is usually pretty brisk from the last time we cross the tracks up to the Otter Cove turnoff, but the area itself is usually pretty mellow, very woodsy and wind-y.  There is one clearing in the trees though, and we're treated to another view of the river - this time with a little fog burning off.

Once out of Otter Cove, we turn north again and head into Essex - literally right through the center of town.  It'd be fun to mount a helmet cam to an R/C helicopter and video us from above, going around the roundabout.  I'm not sure it would look as cool as those shots you see of 100+ racers doing it in the Tour, but I'd put this rotary in Essex Village up against anything in Europe for looks and charm (Paris & Rome notwithstanding).

The Loop continues north from here, along the river back to Chester Center but at this point, mostly because I'd taken a lot of extra time stopping to take pictures, and partly because I rode more of the route than I usually do before work (I usually peel off and head home right after Otter Cove), I was starting to run a bit late and needed to get to the office.  It was such a beautiful morning though, I couldn't help but turn right at the rotary and head down Essex's Main Street to the end.

While not actually on the FMTD route, it's not that far off and if you have time, it's more than worth it, especially at sunrise.  This is the dock next to the CT River Museum, right at the "Foot O' Main".  I could sit here for hours, watching the fog burn off and following the sun as it makes its trip up and over the water.  But I had to TT home to jump in the shower and get the workday started.  No matter what kind of day I'd have though, it had already been a great day.

I hope you enjoyed this little trip around (most of) the Friday Morning Throwdown Loop.  Maybe you can join us sometime, but if you do, don't bother bringing your camera.  No matter how beautiful it is that day, you probably won't get a chance to use it.

Ashlawn Farm, the Pity Prime, & the End of Spring Racing

The past couple of weeks have been quite a roller-coaster weather and riding/racing-wise.  The day after my last post - Tuesday April 9 (the day was that memorable) - it was so sunny and warm I rode outside in just shorts and a jersey for the first time since last September.  Then the weather was so lousy and windy by Friday morning that I skipped the FMTD.  More times than I can remember in April, I've been on the indoor trainer.  Usually that particular means of torture training is thoroughly banished way before now.

But Saturday the 13th ended up being a lucky day.  After my summer-like Tuesday night ride, I'd already put out a feeler/invite for folks to join me in my first Saturday Morning Clarke ride of the year.  While I'd really thought I'd made a mistake pulling that trigger so early in the week - especially given the weather as late as Friday - it ended up being a beautiful ride.  We stayed near the shore, mostly, riding out to Blackpoint in Niantic and then headed north by northwest to one of my favorite ride destinations - Ashlawn Farm.

You'll want to be sure to click here for a much more detailed post on the Blackpoint Loop, including some great photos and a route map.  I'm not bragging about the photos - the route goes through such beautiful scenery, you really can't help shooting some wonderful scenes.

It was great to get together again with some of my local riding buddies, some for the first time this season, and the ride was made all the more special by the guest appearance of a couple of teammates.

The leisurely "giro de caffe piano" was the perfect way not only to kick off the Saturday group rides (well, for me at least), but a great warmup for what would end up being my last race of the Spring Season the next day.

The Bethel Spring Series usually consists of six races, starting with the first Sunday in March, skipping Easter Sunday, and ending mid-April.  THIS year, however, there would be SEVEN races.  I'd fully planned to do all seven, but when scheduling conflicts started cropping up for the last race, I knew I'd have to stop at the usual six.  "No worries" I thought "There's a Ninigret on Saturday that I can do instead...."  So Sunday the 14th would be my last Bethel.

I had mixed feelings going into it, of course.  It was a little surreal knowing this was my last Bethel, but knowing everybody else would be doing one more.  Our team was out of the running for any podium spots, so we were all free to race however we wanted, with no real strategy going in. So I figured I'd make it the best of it.

SDC, JeffM, Joel and I lined up and took off at the whistle.  Joel got things started off by snatching the first prime in handy fashion with a decisive, take-no-prisoners launch that created an immediate gap and kept the hounds at bay.

Primes (sounds like "preems" but, gawd please, do NOT spell it that way) are to crits what stage wins are to Grand Tour races.  When your team is out of contention during a race series, or it's outgunned, or if you're racing alone, going for - and winning - primes are a nice consolation.  Usually the GC guys and stronger teams are focusing more on the final/overall result.  That leaves the primes prime for the picking.  All you have to do is listen for the bell announcing the prime and then be the first across the line on that lap of the race.

Even when the stronger teams aren't contesting the prime, winning one still ain't anywhere near easy.  But it's great fun to try.  Besides the finish, you have as many additional chances to sprint as there are primes in the race and - unlike just attacking during the race - you actually have a chance to win something for your trouble.

I didn't want Joel to have ALL of the fun so, when I was in a decent position the next time the bell rang, I started making my way up to the front.  As we rounded Turn Two, I started making my way up the left side and right about where the flagpole is (about 50 miles away from the start/finish actually, I don't know how far away from the S/F it is, but it's pretty far out) I starting sprinting like it was the end of the race.  For all I knew, it WOULD be the end of the race for me if I couldn't recover in time and got dropped.  But a "last" race when there's nothing at stake can be the ideal opportunity for taking a chance.  So I gave it all I had.

When I got to the bottom of the hill, I looked back to see how close the pack was.  It was WAAAAY back - I couldn't believe how much of a gap I had!  I was so far off the front, I literally coasted across the start/finish and it took another 1/2 lap of soft pedaling before I got swallowed back up.  I even got an early reward for my effort when a couple guys in the pack said things like "great sprint" & "way to win it" - I'm just glad I could hear them through the throbbing of my heart in my ears.

Since I'd been able to coast a bit, by the time I'd drifted to the back of the pack, I was in good enough shape to hang on with no problem.  I saw SDC back there, tailgunning, but neither of us were prepared for any deep philosophical conversations.  Unlike SDC - who, no matter WHERE he is during the race, always seems to find a way to be at the front at the end - I have a morbid fear of being at the back, especially whenever there's a hill.  I like to drift back on hills to save energy, but they have a name for when you drift back when you're already at the back.  It's called being dropped.  So I started making my way back up through the pack.

After a bunch more laps, I checked and - yup - I discovered I had a few more matches left to burn so, having let a bunch of primes go by (read: I was nowhere near being able to contest them) and knowing there wouldn't be too many - if any - left, I started listening for the bell and getting closer to the front.

When the bell rang, there were a few guys up the road already - but not too far.  As usually happens during a prime lap, the pack will ramp up its speed and that often (though certainly not always) has the effect of gobbling up any escapees that might be dangling out there.  That happened in this case, thankfully.  Unfortunately though, about 50 meters before they all got caught, one them attacked and shot further out - at just about the same time as I launched my effort.  I chased/sprinted as best I could, but by the time I was part way up the hill, I knew there was no way I'd be able to catch him, so I sat up.

I still came in 2nd, but it was only a one-place prime.  Oh well.

What there was left of the race went pretty much as expected.  The teams in contention fought each other for position - with a fair amount of blocking - and it got a little sketchy during the final lap.  But everybody remained upright.  I chose the wrong line and got a little boxed in at the bottom of the hill, but I was still able to eek out 15th.  With the prime win, I was pretty happy.

And here's where it got interesting....

I did my cooldown lap and made my way to the official's tent to get my winnings.  Here's how that conversation went (roughly):

Characters: Me & Mike the Official (also one of the race sponsors and all-around good guy)

Setting: Near the start/finish

Weather: Sunny & dry

Me: So what do I get for my prime?

Mike: You didn't win any primes.

Me: Whattaya mean?!  I totally won a prime - and pretty decisively!  I was ahead by a MILE!  You couldn't have missed it!

Mike: Oh that?  Yeah, we were wondering why you were still sprinting and then sat up.

Me: I sat up because there was no need to sprint anymore.  I was ahead by a MILE!

Mike: Maybe if you'd kept sprinting you would have seen the guy up the road.

Me: AH!  Yeah, I DID notice him - but that was on the SECOND prime I went for.  When I saw I wasn't going to catch that guy, I sat up.  But for the FIRST prime I KNOW I was way ahead of everybody else.

Mike: Yeah, except the guy up the road that actually won the prime.

At this point, I felt like I was stuck in an old Abbott & Costello routine.  We went back & forth like this a bit - I was actually convinced for a while that Mike was pulling my leg - but the upshot was, yes, there actually had been a guy up the road on the prime I thought I'd won (as well as the one I knew I hadn't won).  None of us in the pack had noticed him.

Mike (seeing how disappointed I was, and clearly taking pity on me): Do you want a gift bag?

Me: I would LOVE a gift bag!

Racers are profoundly easy to please.  Well, at least this racer is.  I got a great hat and a waterbottle from Outdoor Sports Center.  Not prime winnings, technically, but a "parting gift" that nicely capped off my final Bethel race of 2013.

Ok - call it a Pity Prime.

Here's the REAL pity though.... After planning on going to race my Favorite Track Ever this past Saturday, and thereby put a punctuating period at the end of my spring racing sentence, I woke up Saturday morning and it was raining.  During a fun and spirited FMTD the previous day, friend (and fellow red/silver C'Dale R900 rider) ChrisW and I discussed Ninigret and he revealed that it'd be his First Crit - provided the weather was ok.  We promised we'd text each other in the morning, but when the forecast Friday night still made Saturday a washout, I emailed him to let him know I'd be sleeping in and would ride in the afternoon instead.

So the rain the next morning was a nice confirmation of my decision.  Until it stopped about the time I would have left the house for the race.  And then it started clearing.  And then it got sunny.  Worse of all - for me at least and the growing pity party I was having - I got an email from ChrisW.  He'd gone to the race and it was "awesome."

Rats!

I did get a couple of nice consolations though.  I sent out a pitiful plea invite for anyone that could join me for a pick-up ride Saturday afternoon (which was turning into a Top 5 day allofasudden) and CharlieV, Jen & Peter obliged.  It's so nice to have riding buddies to count on.  Though as it happens, I wasn't the only one to have bagged the morning - they were thinking the same thing and we all needed only a catalyst to get going.  And we saw a lot of other folks out riding too - including Cannibals El Presidente (ShawnM) and MikeK, both celebrating their birthdays, and Tim.  Tim joined us (perhaps figuring the ratio of guys to gal in our group wasn't quite what it should be, considering the one gal was "Mrs. Tim") and we headed past Rogers Lake up Grassy Hill and through a 1980s-era development of 17th & 18th century houses (I'll try to explain in some future post).

The other consolation was a beautiful Sunday morning ride the next day.  I got on the road in time to catch the sunrise over our town lighthouse(s!) and planned the route so I could at least meet the Cannibals for the start of their ride out of Chester - and congratulate ChrisW on racing his first crit.

So with a wimper rather than a bang, the last weekend of my Spring racing block came to an end.  I didn't get to ride again until this morning - luckily just missing the rain both before and after my ride -  but am looking forward to some great weather - and great riding - over the next few days.  FMTD tomorrow, Clarke ride Saturday, and another Cannibal-intercepting pre-church ride on Sunday.  My next race isn't until May 25th, but there's lots of riding to do in the meantime!

Plainville Win & Ninigret Victories Snatched

So it looks like I'm posting every other week or so - guess that's better than nothing.  And to the extent this is a web log ("blog" - get it?) of what all I've been up to and for my own documentation purposes, I suppose that's enough.  I understand the lack of race pics and video makes these posts a little less sexy, but I'll try to make it interesting.  If even only to me.  Actually, there have been a few fun things going on in SOC land since last I posted.  So, without further ado, here we go...

First FMTD

We had our first Friday Morning Throw Down of 2013 on March 29.  As the pic above indicates, this was the start of the year's Mailbox Tales.  This time I put the flag up just as the guys were coming down the road.  It was a small but select group and the sprint over the causeway - while spirited - wasn't contested.  Not too seriously anyway.  Which is to say, I lost it - to another Chris on another red Cannondale CAAD8 R900, strangely enough.  Ah well.  It's early in the season and he was headed off to Battenkill.  It being Good Friday, I was able to console myself with a BEC at The Villager before heading back south and toward home.

Sunrise Ride

I also attended my first of what I hope will be many Sunday morning Cannibal rides.  Well - if you count riding with them for only the first 20 minutes or so.  I split off after the swing bridge in East Haddam as they headed north into the mountains hills.  I told them I didn't have time to go with them since I had to get to Easter morning service at church.  Which was true.  But also provided a handy excuse for avoiding so much climbing.

 

It also allowed me to do a quick detour to one of my favorite places/views - Gillette Castle.

I caught my share of hills though, having to go over Joshuatown Road on my way home.

That first big climb was with the group, but the big climb in the middle was going past Goodspeed's up to the Castle and then the three peaks at 20-23 miles are the "Three Sisters" of J'Town.

But as nice as all that fun riding is, the racing is probably more interesting - especially because it includes a couple tales of winning...

Final Plainville - EXPO Wins All (well, in the Cat3/4 race, anyway)

I was going to race the first Ninigret of the season on March 30th, but since teammate Stan was leading the individual GC and EXPO was leading the team GC, my task was clear - skip Ninigret and head to Plainville to help insure victory.

 
(pic by SDC)

Given that we had Bethel off this weekend due to Easter, a large squad of EXPO was on hand to share the work of defending.  And defend we did.  We chased everything that tried to break free, but when a split happened that I, defending leader Stan, & Lance happened to be in, we drilled it.

It was a fairly large break of 8 guys, not all of which were sharing much of the work, but we opened quite a gap on the field.  Which made it even more surprising and impressive when teammate JeffM bridged up to join us.  I hadn't remembered him being with us when the split happened and - frankly - in my deprived state of oxygen I wasn't keeping all that close a track on attendance.  But at one point I'd drifted to the back of the break and there he was, apologizing for needing to recover.  I didn't realize til later what a herculean effort he'd put in.

(pic by SDC)

But that wasn't the end of the story for him or for the team.  We kept at our work and as the lap cards counted down it was clear that the now-9 of us would be scrambling for whatever points were left.  I'd missed out on one of the 2-place primes, but snatched 2nd to teammate Stan for one of them - stealing points away from one of Stan's rivals.

(pic by SDC)

But that was all the glory I'd get for myself this day.  The rest of the race belonged to the team and to JeffM.  As the laps of the race wound down and the speed of the race went up, I hoped to get in good position for Stan.  As we headed down the backstretch, I saw Jeff coming up my right and he was looking strong.  By the time we hit the final corner, he went past and opened up his sprint.  There was no holding him back and though we were all pretty close, there was only one clear winner:

(pic by SDC)

Yes, after making a huge effort to bridge, Jeff won the race collecting points that put Team EXPO way over the top in the team GC.  Stan maintained his position as leader of the individual GC and all the prize money went into a pot we plan to dip into for a future celebration.

This, of course, is one of the many things that makes bike racing So Much Fun.  Winning?  Sure.  But racing with so many teammates on such a gorgeous day was a huge win no matter the outcome.

But yeah, winning is pretty cool too.

Heading back to the truck with the pit wheels (pic by SDC)

Second Ninigret - But First for Me (this year)

The Mystic Velo Crit at Ninigret Park - Ah, Ninigret.  How I love thee.  I've gone on (and on) before about this great track located on an old airfield in Charlestown, RI.  I may not always do well here, but I always have a blast.  I've flatted and DNF'd here.  I've also done my longest solo breakaway here, staying away (actually in No Man's Land) for 8 laps and coming in 7th, just ahead of a charging pack chasing the 6 man break.  Last Saturday's race was a great example of that mixture of defeat and victory.

In a huge contrast to the previous weekend, there was only myself, Lance & TJ racing.  Lance's son Xander was doing his first crit - and another friend, CharlieV, did his first crit earlier in the day.  I don't know their respective ages, but suffice it to say they're on different ends of the age spectrum, and both racing for the first time.  What a sport!  And, interestingly, Lance was doing his first Cat3 only race.  He's been racing the 3/4s at Bethel for a while now and putting the hurt on, but he finally upgraded earlier in the week and was getting his first test of the 3s without the 4s.

 Me?  Like I said, I've been here a number of times, it's been a while now since I upgraded to Cat3 (despite the now-misleading tagline on this blog) and I have no interest in upgrading (i.e. doing the work required to become a Cat2).  But each race is its own thing - a clean slate and a new chance to do something different.

Well, I can't say I did all that much different - other than miss the break that finally stuck.  I have noticed that I'm racing more aggressively - or at least less conservatively - than I used to, finding myself at the front more often and even attacking just for the heck of it.  I've been pleasantly surprised that such antics sometimes - if not often - result in opportunities that you wouldn't otherwise get.  But this time I let a couple guys get away, figuring the pack would catch them considering the stiff wind.  Then another guy slipped away, then another.  Before ya know it, there's a break up the road and it's just a little bit too far away to try and bridge.

So for most of the race, I just hung out in the pack, hoping against hope that one of the bigger teams would chase and it'd all come back together.  But as the race went on, that looked less and less likely. So - figuring, like I did here a couple years ago, that I'd at least get a good workout - I went for a couple of primes.

I actually didn't mean to go for the first prime.  I actually had delusions of bridging up to the break - or die trying.  I actually thought I'd be able to reprise my 8 lap solo effort here from 2011 and get some glory.  Well, I attacked pretty hard on the finishing straight and as I crossed the line the bell rung for a field prime - the last crumbs of glory for a bunch of guys that let the race slip away from them.  By the time I hit corner 1, I had a pretty large gap and figured what the heck? might as well see if I can stay away for at least this lap (as you can tell, my 8 lap ambition evaporated pretty quickly).  If I'd had any delusions of grandeur, the building lactic acid burned them away - but I crossed the line before anybody else and won the prime - a sixpack of local beer.

And promptly let the pack catch me.

It was fun to stretch the legs (and lungs, and heart) a bit, so knowing that the break was well and good long gone - so much so that even the announcer said we weren't contesting the finish - I decided to go for the next, and last prime.  It was announced with only 3 laps to go (I think the announcer was desperate to animate the race at any cost) and I started moving toward the front.  As we hit the backstretch before corner 4 and into the headwind - the site of the start of my huge effort a couple years ago - I launched my attack and was able to hold it for the 1/2 lap it took me to get to the line.  I won another prime!  "Boy, that EXPO guy must be thirsty!" I heard the announcer say as I approached the line.  Yup - I'd won another 6 pack.

I was pretty fried at this point and knew I had to recover quickly in order to contest the field sprint.  It wasn't really "for" anything - all the money was already up the road - but I wanted to see if I could do a three-peat.

So I worked my way back to within 10 guys of the front and as we rounded the last corner, I went up the left side and launched my sprint for all I was worth.  I easily shot past the front of the pack and crossed the line decisively and alone.

But what was that ringing in my ears.  A BELL?!  A quick glance at the lap cards confirmed my fear and stupidity - there was still one lap to go.  In my oxygen-deprived state, I'd totally lost track.

And I'd lost what was left of my motivation.  As the pack swallowed me up around corner 1, I got briefly bumped - almost crashed out - by a guy shooting a narrow gap on my left side.  Good thing there are no curbs at Ninigret: I did some grass surfing and he bobbled quite a bit, but we all stayed upright.  That was it for me.  I drifted to the back of the pack and made a couple feeble efforts to hang on, but by the time the sprint opened up around the final corner, I sat up and soft pedaled in with a CLR rider.  One - or maybe both - of us were DFL.

But I didn't really care at that point.  Despite missing the break, I'd won two primes - and with pretty commanding gaps.  So, for me at least, I snatched a little bit of victory from what was otherwise a defeat.

Funny thing though - I don't drink beer.

 

But my teammates do and I was more than happy to let them share in the spoils.

Until next time!

Cycling Fun Friday:Blackpoint Beach Loop

While this blog focuses a lot on bike racing, you'll also find a lot of other posts that explore "fun" riding too.  As fun as racing is, like many others I find it just as fun to answer the call of the open road on a beautiful day and do some exploring at a slower pace.  Incidentally, it's good training too.  You sometimes have to go slow to go fast, and the Blackpoint Beach Loop is definitely a ride you want to take your time doing.

All these roads are familiar to me, so there wasn't much in the way of "discovery," but I'd never strung them together in quite this way before.  I think I've put together a pretty cool route though that includes a lot of neat points of interest and wonderful scenery along the way.  There's even a stop at a local bike shop where you can get your bottles refilled, a great used book store (in case you have some extra time and room in your jersey pocket), and - best of all - an out-of-the-way independent coffee shop where you can get a great snack toward the end of the ride.  So follow along on the map and join me for a virtual tour.  I'll point out the best things along the way.

The only way you can get from Old Saybrook across the Connecticut River to Old Lyme is by taking the I-95 highway bridge across  and its the first major feature of the ride.  Fortunately, the Baldwin Bridge has a bike/ped walkway on its north side so you don't have to dodge interstate traffic.

And as you can see, it affords some really nice views of the river valley from over 80 feet up.

Shortly after you cross the bridge, and on your way to Old Lyme, you cross the Lieutenant River.  You'll notice there are plenty of water views during this ride.

Going across the Baldwin Bridge is of course VERY noisy with all the traffic and the road from the end of the bridge to Old Lyme is a wide 4-lane main road.  But right after you cross the Lieutenant River, you take a left (being careful of the traffic) and head into the village of Old Lyme itself.

Old Lyme is the home of the Florence Griswold Museum and the "Home of American Impressionism."  The village hasn't changed much in the last hundred years and retains much of its turn-of-the-(last)century charm.  Certainly worth taking your time to explore.  Of course, the best way is by bike.

You'll enter town alongside this church and take a right.  You're well off the main roads by now and can enjoy the passing scenery without too much fuss (or dealing with traffic).

And there's lots of scenery to enjoy.  It's still relatively rural out this way and small farms dot the landscape.  This is one such farm between Old Lyme and Niantic.

After taking the backroads, you'll end up back on Rt. 156 - a fairly busy road that roughly follows the shore of Long Island Sound.  Fortunately, the road is smooth and the shoulders are wide.  If you don't get shaken by the occasional big oil truck going by (never too close - they're pretty used to cyclists around here), you can enjoy the big, swoopy curves and undulating terrain.

"Undulating" is one way to put it.  The topography in this part of the state is full of short, steep climbs and quick descents.  But there's one HUGE descent going eastbound, just short of Rocky Neck State Park, that if you have the redlight timed right has a nice long run-out and will likely give you your highest speed of the day (thankfully, it's a T-intersection coming from the left, so cross traffic isn't a problem).

You'll pass the entrance to the Park on your right (itself worth exploring if you have the time) and take a right onto Fairhaven Road toward Blackpoint Peninsula.

Just as an aside, one of the joys of writing this blog - especially "travelogues" like this - is that I end up learning more about where I'm riding.  I'd always thought of the Blackpoint section of Niantic as a refuge for well-off folks in old colonial homes - much like the Fenwick section of Old Saybrook.  But as with most things, there's a lot more than meets the eye.  And especially for the history-minded, you don't have to scratch the surface much before you discover something interesting.

In this case, literally.

Apparently, Niantic was named after the Nehantic Indians that used to live is this area and the Blackpoint Peninsula was their last reservation.  According to the best research available Wikipedia:

By 1870, the Nehantics were declared extinct by the state and their 300-acre (1.2 km) reservation, the Black Point peninsula of East Lyme, was sold. In 1886, their burial ground was sold and desecrated, and the Crescent beach community filled over it. As recently as 1988, Nehantic skeletal remains were uncovered by new construction.

Sometimes, learning history can be depressing.  But it certainly gives you a much richer view of the world and every time I ride around Blackpoint in the future, I'll think of what used to be and thereby honor the memory of those that were there.

But those ghosts of the past were nowhere in my mind as I rode the Blackpoint loop this day, especially not with scenes like these cropping up at nearly every bend in the road.

Given how much shoreline property is (over)developed, scenes like this - where the meadow goes right down to the sea - are especially rare.  I wonder how long it'll be before a house will be built here.  I wonder what the construction might unearth...

Just about every house in this area is worth photographing, but if I got to pick one to live in, it'd probably be this one, right at the point.

The (now-infamous, to my mind at least) Crescent Beach area.  A lovely spot, made all the more poignant by its history.  It was hit especially hard by the hurricane/tropical storm last Autumn.  But it looks like it's about ready for the upcoming season.

At the eastern-most point of our map, you'll find Niantic Bay Bicycles - a local shop which caters to the tourist and beach trade (natch), but there's a respectable number of racing bikes in the inventory as well.  It's run by nice folks (& former racers) who know their stuff - and will let you use the facilities and refill your bottles.

Heading back west now, but still in the Niantic section of East Lyme, you'll pass by The Book Barn.  It's actually a collection of four separate buildings and a number of sheds and offers a little bit of just about everything.

Randy, the owner, is a cyclist as well - though this business keeps him too busy to get out to ride as much as he'd like.  As much as I encourage folks to ride when they can, I have to admit I just about always drive here - all the better to haul more books away (at least until I get a bike trailer).

From here you continue to head west on Rt. 156 from Niantic back past the Blackpoint turnoff, but not quite as far as Rocky Neck.  Fortunately, you take a right and head north before having to climb up that great descent you bombed down earlier.

But what goes down eventually has to go up and though it's certainly not as steep, the northbound leg of this trip is a steady ascent.  Fortunately, you're treated to a lot of nice farmland scenes along the way.  (Un?)fortunately, you'll be going slow so you can thoroughly enjoy them.  At least you won't be slowing down many cars - there's little traffic on this segment.

Once you get to Rt. 1 you've hit one of the highest points of the ride - if not the highest.  You'll turn left to head west and will have to deal with trucks and general traffic until you can turn off just past Rogers Lake.  The shoulders are decent, but not as well-maintained as those on Rt. 156.

But being a much older road (the original "Boston Post Road"), you'll get little gems like this along the way.  I've ridden this section at least a dozen times before, but I guess I've either been going too fast - or, more likely, the foliage was too dense - to see this old milepost, marking 10 miles from New London.

Just past the southern end of Rogers Lake, you'll take a right and head northwest on Town Woods Road.  Unsurprisingly, given the name, it's pretty woodsy but the shade is nice and cool in the summer.  But this time of year, you can see more of the farms along the way.  As with all of these pics, you can click for a larger view and if you "embiggen" this one, you'll see the sheep napping in front of the barn.

Ah - finally - Ashlawn Farm, the home of Ashlawn Farm Coffee Roastery & Cafe.  A little over 30 miles into your ride, you're ready for a nice break - and this is one of the best around.

What started out as a working farm has diversified into one of the best little gathering places in the area.  It's especially popular on Saturdays in the summer (they're closed on Sundays), but luckily they're open year-round.  Just make sure you don't need a "natural" break in the off-season.  The portapotties are strictly summer only.

But no matter what time of year you go, you can't possibly beat this view from a table on the patio.  That's Town Woods Road coming in from the distance.  After you finish your coffee and biscotti, you'll head down the road that goes off to the right, past the stone wall.

Once you get back to Rt. 156 you have two choices.  Either take some more backroads by taking a quick left onto Saunders Hollow Road, or just continue south on 156 back to the bridge.  156 is certainly the busier option, but considering it's mostly downhill from here, you'll just about be able to keep up with any traffic.

Once you get back to the bridge's eastern approach, look for a small path leading off to the right.  It'll bring you down to this overlook, complete with many informative plaques.  Again, these will be of most interest to the history buffs (including natural history buffs), but you've probably come to expect that from me by now.

Incidentally, this view (especially if you enlarge the pic) shows how I outfit my racing bike for these more-leisurely jaunts: saddle bag (horrors!), lights (most of my weekday riding is at least partly in the dark), frame pump (in case you run out of CO2, or find a cyclist-in-need along the way), bombproof wheels (Mavic Ksyrium SL2s - which have never needed to be retrued even after literally thousands of miles).

After this shot, I got back on the bike and - eschewing the little path that brought me here - I practiced a little cyclocross, riding up the side of the hill back to the bridge's walkway.

And from there it was a quick 15 minutes back home.  I'd only ridden 37 miles, and was never more than 15 miles from home, but it took me 3 1/2 hours with all the stops.  Like I said at the beginning, it was a beautiful day and perfect for strolling.  And if you have to go slow to go fast, this ride should make me plenty fast for my next race.

Annual Fat Boy Turkey Day Ride

After two weeks totally off the bike, over a month since riding in daylight, and a large dinner planned for the day, I was really looking forward to our Annual Fat Boy Turkey Day Ride.  This despite the fact that it was on this ride last year that I bonked for the one and only time ever.  Too much trying to "pay it forward" calorie-wise.

This year, I had a GU on the way out and hooked up with everybody in "downtown" Chester.  In addition to seeing some faces I hadn't seen in a while, Team Mullaly showed up as well.  Great mild temps and wonderful mild riding made for a great time.  Thanks especially to Shawn & Chuck for keeping the tradition going.

BONUS: We got to ride all the "Turkey Day" roads.   What are those you ask?

Blueberry Hill Road

Roast Meat Hill Road

and of course - Turkey Hill Road

You can't make these up - they were all on this route (pic attached).

I would have rather had the Blueberry after the Turkey of course, but considering they were ALL hills, no order would have suited me perfectly anyway.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

I Ain't Afraida No Ghosts

(As I was riding my bike one fall day a few years ago, my imagination was ignited by the passing scene of an old New England cemetery, lost in the woods.  This one of my favorite posts, and just in time for Halloween - though the fact that so many are without power after our freak October snow/ice storm is much scarier.)

If you want to see ghosts, ride your bike in Autumn along a lonely back road.  I don't believe in ghosts - at least not the kind you usually think about.  But I do believe in the ghosts of the past - the hauntings of a place by the memories of the people who were there.  Who were they?  Did they have dreams and plans like we do today?

My friend John and I rode past this cemetery a couple years ago.  It's a fairly typical example for this part of the state, where old farmland has been reclaimed by the forest just like the farmers and their families were eventually claimed by time.  It's a very quiet place out in the New England countryside, made all the more eerie by the sunless sky and cold breeze.

On a bike, you're not only closer to everything physically - you smell the fallen leaves and the wood fires burning and feel the cold wind on your skin - but you get closer mentally as well.  Out in the country on a bike all you hear besides the hum of your tires on the pavement are the sounds of the wind going by, the squirrels gathering their food for the winter, and the rustling of the trees.

If during your ride you stop at a spot like this and imagine, even for a few minutes, how these people lived, who they loved, what their hopes were and whether they ever achieved them, you might see some ghosts.  At the very least you'll appreciate more deeply what they went through and how privileged we are today.

And if you're especially quiet, you may even hear in the sound of the leaves floating by on the breeze a whisper of thanks from those people for not letting them be forgotten.

Nadir & Apex: Weekend Rides & Tuesday Rent'

Ah, Fourth of July Weekend!  Despite Memorial Day's lock on being the "unofficial" start of summer, July 4 marks the beginning of summer's height.  This weekend is also often the kick-off weekend for Le Tour de France.  So, for us cyclists, the holiday weekend usually means riding as much as we can.

 
After my late work night Thursday, I was just too beat to ride at all on Friday - despite the gorgeous weather.  I planned to make up for it Saturday morning by tacking on some early miles before meeting up with the regular Clarke group ride.  I still had my race wheels on from Wednesday's fun, so was sure to remember to take an 80mm tube "just in case."  Good thing - 7 miles into my ride, I got a flat.  The first in I don't know how long.  Fortunately, I made it to the group ride in time - catching KimC for the last few miles on the way in.  And after a great ride with the gang, Don & I were able to get breakfast afterwards.  Nice consolation after an inauspicious start - and 55 miles for the day, though the route I took resembles a bowl of spaghetti.

Taking advantage of a rare Sunday morning at home this holiday weekend, I decided to join the regular Cannibal ride.  Had a nice 8 mile ride to the start & had a good time seeing some folks I hadn't in a while.  I was looking forward to the Durham Loop they planned, with a promised hammerfest south on Rt. 77 to the shore.  Once the group got started, ChrisW set a hard tempo pace north to Candlewood Hill Road, but 20 miles in, my rear derailleur would no longer work.  I didn't think I'd broken a cable since I could move between my 23 & 21 cogs, but I couldn't go down the cassette.

Hard to keep pace with such low gears, so I decided to turn around and ChrisB graciously kept me company during the ride back.  Unlike the previous day's bowl of spaghetti, this route was more like a long noodle.  Appropriate - especially given the pace, which was decidedly "noodling."  Got 44 miles in though.  It was only later that I realized I missed 100 for the weekend by one mile.  Oh well.

When I got home and got the hood off of the lever, I confirmed that the cable - while not totally broken - was badly frayed within the brifter.  And it was Sunday of Fourth of July Weekend.  All shops closed, chances of racing Tuesday were looking grim.

But I posted my plight on FB and it was really amazing and cool how many folks chimed in with help & encouragement.  I found a new Campy cable in my shop, but it wouldn't fit my Nokon housing.  I also discovered some leftover Campy housing, but I had no cable cutters.  DonW came to the rescue the following morning with cutters and after a ride with Mrs SOC (on my city bike) and an afternoon at the beach, I got to work.  I cut & installed the housing (that first cut being a little stressful), and the Campy cable of course slid nicely through..... and came about 8" short of reaching the rear derailleur(?!)  It was only then that I realized that Campy (and others?) make different length cables for the front and rear derailleurs.  Of course, I had a front & needed a rear.

I made a desperate, almost literally last minute, call to Clarke of Clarke Cycles who not only had a cable, but would meet me at the shop to give it to me.  And - BONUS! - it even fit my Nokon housing.

So off came the newly-installed Campy housing, back on went the Nokon housing for a permanent-rather-than-temporary fix, new cable installed, bar re-taped, hood back on (tip: use a little dishwashing liquid to slide it on MUCH more easily), and I was back in business - less than 24hrs before Tuesday's race!

I've said it many times before - the folks are the best reason to get involved in cycling.  Special thanks to Don, Clarke, & AdamM, as well as all of those who weighed in on FB the past couple of days, for helping me get back on the road.  It was like you all recognized the tragedy of being without a bike during the holiday weekend.  Turns out replacing a broken cable wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, but it would have been a lot worse without you guys.  And now I'll be sure to keep a spare cable in my bag!

Since I didn't have daylight left to road test my handiwork, I got to the Rent' early the next evening. Despite a number of 1/4 turns on the rear barrel adjuster, the mech was still slightly hesitant to move up the cassette, but downshifting was spot on (all the better for sprinting!)  So, despite knowing I'd have to nurse it a bit, I was still VERY glad I was able to make it to the race after all.

A rough time with our cat Rainy (please keep her in your prayers) compounded by a couple other "life things" on Tuesday kept my mood decidedly down.  The usual pre-race visiting help lighten my mood considerably, but I looked to the race itself as more of a "hang on & wait for the endorphin rush" rather than an opportunity to do anything great.

But races are fickle things.  You can feel ready to conquer the world, but miss the break or get boxed in at the end.  And you can feel lousy and then have the race of your life.  Well, last night wasn't the race of my life, but it sure did turn out much better than expected.

We started off and SDC - surprisingly, and a little shockingly - launched immediately.  I figured he was just trying to jumpstart his warmup (since he doesn't usually warmup much before races), but when he was still off the front two laps later, I started thinking maybe he'd start the first break.  Unfortunately, nobody went with him and he was eventually caught.

Then the counter-attacks started, but nothing was sticking.  There'd been a winning break every week I've been there this year, so I did my best to go with moves or cover attacks when a teammate was up the road.

About 1/2 way through the race I'd been sitting in for a few laps and felt pretty good.  Aidan attacked up the left side after corner 3 and teammate Todd went after him.  So when a Central Wheel guy in front of me launched a chase, I covered.  I'm no great reader of races and thought this was just another move that would get snapped up fairly quickly.  But as we started trading pulls and a few more guys joined us, I happened to look back.  We had a gap.  A LARGE one.

Two EXPO, two CVC, a CCNS, a Central Wheel, a Horst-Benidorm, and one other guy I couldn't make out in my oxygen depleted state.  Eight guys, breaking away from the pack.  With the big teams represented and the gap growing, it looked like this break would actually stick - and I was lucky enough to be in it (if by "lucky" you mean "consigned to lap after lap of pain while keeping up hope you can actually keep up."  I only looked relaxed on the front cuz I knew the Missus was shooting).

The break did stick and we eventually lapped the field, getting back into the pack.  I, for one, was glad for the R&R, but I'd never lapped a field before and realized - almost too late - that you have to be especially watchful of your break companions or else they could slip up the road while you're enjoying the numbing embrace of the peloton.

I have to admit, at that point I considered myself WAY WAY ahead of my expectations for the evening and was almost content to just stay in the pack - one lap ahead - til the end. 

But teammate Cliff would have none of that, and he was thankfully keeping a watchful eye on the other break members, so when he saw one of them go and he motioned for me to get on his wheel, I did - though barely.

There were only a few laps left at this point and teammate Joe - racing especially strong this season - got in front of Cliff and we actually had an EXPO train going for the last couple of laps: Joe, Cliff, me & Todd.

After the bell rung in the last lap, Joe gave a last effort and Cliff took over, continuing his hard, but steady pace: slow enough to keep me on his wheel, fast enough to discourage attacks.  Perfect.

Down the backstretch, I saw Aidan attack and at corner 3 I yelled to Cliff "I got it!" so that I could cut inside him and get on A's wheel.  Todd was on my wheel and as we rounded the final corner, he jumped.  I got behind him to sweep and held that position to the line:

 

EXPO took 1st and 2nd.

 

Todd's a super strong sprinter and, despite working in the break, still had quite a kick at the end.  And, as you can tell from the picture above, didn't look any the worse for the effort - unlike yours truly.

It was an great ending to a roller-coaster Fourth of July weekend.  After the low points of flat tire and broken cable, pet and life issues, I got to race after all.  Sure, being in a winning break was amazing, and coming in 2nd place in the "A" race is something to proud of, especially when your teammate wins.   But just as importantly, the cable held up, the tires stayed inflated, nobody crashed and we got to spend time with our friends.  Few things are better than that.

**** Thanks to Rent' Race Regular Matt Stewart of Action Cycling Photography for the new profile pic!  Just sorry it took me so long to use it.

Four Day Weekend:B&B, Books, and Biking

It's been a nice 7 days since my last post.  Thursday was all about catching up on sleep, doing some post-session cleanup, and restarting my Thursday Night Photo Archive get-togethers.  I finally got on the bike Friday morning for the Rooster Ride (a.k.a. Friday Morning Throw Down).  Didn't contest the sprint and confused a couple folks %^).  Had a nice b'fast & visit with MikeK afterwards & expect that to be a good harbinger for the summer.

Unfortunately, those miles on Friday were the only ones I got in for the week (marking my 2nd week in a row w/35 miles or less).  Mrs. SOC and I had plans to go away for the weekend for our anniversary and since the forecast was for rain, we decided to leave the bikes at home.  Fortunately, we didn't miss them too much, having a great time hitting the local bookstores and hanging out at the B&B.

To the extent this blog is also a stand-in for a personal journal, what follows is mostly a travelogue for our weekend away.  If you're looking for cycling content, you'll have to skip to the bottom to read about my long ride Monday afternoon.  But if you want to "come along" for our trip to Cape Cod, read on!

 

Our first stop was actually at The Egg & I restaurant in Hyannis for their famous (to me, anyway) cranberry pancakes.  But after that, we hit our first old bookstore looking for books by Sara Ware Bassett.  She was a novelist during the 1930s & 40s and wrote most of her stories about the fictional town of Belleport on Cape Cod.  Her books are a fun escape to a beautiful time and place and her characters are interesting and fun folks to know.

We figured Isaiah Thomas Books in Cotuit would be a great place to start, and we were right.  Not only did they have an entire section devoted to Bassett, but we were able to pick up a rare book of Asey Mayo mysteries by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (another Cape Cod author) as well.  And - bonus - I found a bookmark that had our very own Old Saybrook Lighthouse on it(!)

After spending way too much time at Isaiah Thomas, we decided - given the rainy weather - to see what our room looked like and maybe hang out there for the afternoon and read.

 

We arrived at An English Garden B&B and got some pictures of the outside in between rain showers.  As you can see, it's pretty close to the ocean and, from the outside, looks like a cross between a cozy seaside cottage and a beach condo.

  

 But the inside is 100% cozy B&B, complete with fireplace, nice sitting areas and a breakfast room.

 

 

The room didn't disappoint either.  It was certainly cozy, but being up on the 3rd floor, it was the perfect spot to spend an afternoon of napping and reading.

Click on any of these photos for a larger image.  In this one, you can see the hand-embroidered lighthouses on the curtains.  A nice nautical touch.  And that French door opens onto the "Juliette" balcony (apparently, that's a balcony that you can't sit out on).

 

Even though the balcony wasn't large enough to sit on, you could put your chair in front of the open door and get this view of the ocean.

After a wonderful, low-key afternoon, we went up to Orleans for our anniversary dinner.

 
(image from Orleans Inn website)

The Orleans Inn is a beautiful historic inn and restaurant located on the shore of the Town Cove.  Built in 1875, it's been a sea captain's mansion, general store, boarding house, and now a popular place for weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions.  We spent out 15th wedding anniversary here last year, and decided to go back.

The weather prevented us (again!) from eating out on the deck, but the very accomodating staff at least secured a table for us by the window.  Speaking of the staff, if you go there for your anniversary, they ALL seem to know about it and congratulate you.  Despite the grandeur of the place, homey touches like this are common there.  Of course, the free dessert didn't hurt either.

I've already covered the first "B" - the second "B" in B&B is all about breakfast(!)  And here's the breakfast room, all bright and cheery despite the cloudy morning the next day.

 

Of course, the colorful flowers and great food did a lot to brighten up things as well.

 

And right outside our corner table-for-two, there was a bird feeder - though this cardinal preferred to peck at what he/she could find on the ground.

We were able to check out late, so we had enough time after breakfast to hang out in the room some more.  While it would have been wonderful to have our bikes with us and sunny weather to ride in, my next favorite thing to do - especially on a rainy day - is to read.  And a room-away-from-home, without all the home-bound distractions of chores and things-to-do, is an especially nice place to read.  The great view was just an added bonus.

But we did have to pack up and leave eventually and, unlike our typical daytrips, we were already 1/2 way up the Cape and had a huge headstart on our touring.  Of course, bookstores figured prominently in our travels.  And Parnassus Books in Yarmouthport is a must-visit.

 
(image from Parnassus Books website)

Located in an old general store, this shop is absolutely PACKED with books, old, new, rare, and antiquarian.  In fact, there are almost too many books (if that's possible) and specific titles and authors can be difficult to find.  But if you're having trouble, just ask the owner - he knows right away whether he has what you're looking for, and where to find it.  We picked up another Bassett here, with a (barely-intact) dustjacket.

From Yarmouthport, we headed up to Wellfleet and another bookstore.  But along the way, we stopped at the Brewster General Store.

 

I've been by here dozens of times, but don't ever remember going in.  But once I did, I had to go back to the car and get my camera.  It was like taking a step back in time.

 

While the building, floor, ceiling and counters were all the same as they must have been for generations, the stock has changed.  Mostly.  Mixed in with all the stuff you'd expect to find in a modern store, there were plenty of old artifacts too.

 

But the fun really began when I went upstairs.  It was like entering the Twilight Zone.  I don't think many of these things have moved in half a century.  Old WW2 posters, advertising signs, and ephemera were all over the place.

 

The 2nd floor must have at one point been a community room too.  You can just imagine the First Selectman addressing a local gathering from that stage.

 

And it was pretty clear that somebody was deeply interested in wartime stuff.  Not only were those recruiting and morale-boosting posters everywhere, but 1940s magazines ("Life" figured prominently), military artifacts, and lots of models.  Being on the Cape, of course, ship models were most prevalent.  Above is a typical display.

Well worth a visit if you're at all interested in history.

After we left Brewster, and a short drive later, we arrived in Wellfleet and Herridge Books.

 

We've had great luck here in the past, and they carry a large stock of Cape Cod and New England regional authors.  But, sadly, not a single Bassett on the shelves.

 
(obviously from their website)

After Wellfleet, we headed back to Chatham for a late lunch and window shopping.  I was even able to get some cranberry tea (where else other than Cape Cod could you get cranberry tea?) at The Mayflower Shop - another old-fashioned store.

 

Our final stop on the way home was Titcomb's Bookshop in Sandwich.  The Cape is a lot larger than I can ever remember and we got to the shop only 15 minutes before closing time.  But we've been there many times before, so knew right where to go for what we were seeking.  Unfortunately, they didn't have any Bassett either and we didn't have a long time to browse.  So we contented ourselves with what we were able to find and promised ourselves that we'd be back again soon.

After an uneventful trip home, I got this pic of our weekend's acquisitions:

 

We've been to Cape Cod in all kinds of weather and in just about all seasons and no matter what, we always enjoy ourselves.  If it's nice and sunny, there's always bike riding or walking along the beach, but even if it's cold and rainy, you can always explore the many little shops and bookstores tucked in a number of villages along the way.  And if you have a nice, cozy place to hang out at the end of your day of touring, it's even better.

Of course, the next day - and the final day of my 4 day weekend - the sun came out brilliantly.  The Mrs would be out in the afternoon, so I decided to skip a morning ride, sleep in and continue our "B&B" state of mind at least until she had to leave.  I could ride while she was gone.

And ride I did!  Since I knew I'd have a few hours alone, and knowing that the forecast looked good, I'd planned on driving out to Mystic and riding some new roads out there.  On the off chance that he might be able to get away too, I emailed friend PM to see if he could join me.  Not only could he join me, but he came up with a MUCH better route than I could have planned.

 

As you can imagine from the map, it was 54 miles of pure fun and scenic delight.  We started out heading for Stonington, in the far southeast corner of Connecticut.  Then rode along the water all the way up to Pawcatuck, over into Westerly, RI, down to Watch Hill (and the famous Ocean House) and along Misquamicut Beach.  After a mellow TTT along a nice, long coastal road, we headed inland.

The ride profile tells the tale:

Sure there were hills, but nothing too bad and the company (and shared pulls) was great.  At least as good were the wheels PM let me borrow - a pair of Mavic Cosmic Carbone full-carbon tubulars.  Boy, were those wheels suh-WEET.  Every time I'd be rolling along, surprised at how my time-off hadn't hurt me any, I remembered the wheels.  It was no accident it felt like I was floating up the hills (most of the time).  At something like 1000g for the pair, they trimmed my bike down to just 16lbs or so.  Thanks to PM for the loan but my wallet says I need to stay firmly grounded on planet earth.  They sure were nice to try though!

But no matter what I was riding, nothing would beat the scenery on this loop.  Not only was all the shoreline breathtaking, but I didn't know so much pristine farmland still existed in this corner of the world.  The only thing I regretted during the whole ride was that, despite bringing my camera, I didn't take a single picture.  I'll definitely remedy that some Sunday afternoon soon when I plan to take the Mrs. out in the convertible and drive this same route.

So while I didn't get many miles in the past two weeks, I'm off to a great start this week.  54 in the bag and a group ride planned for tonight.  Last night's Rent' Race was cancelled, so I'm glad I didn't shy away from such a long ride Monday.  Though it would have been nice to see how the legs would have raced after such a long layoff and then such a long ride the day before.

But it's all good.  Busy time at work is done and summer is here.  I won't get any riding in this Saturday (doing Father's Day stuff), but I'm already looking forward to Friday's throwdown Rooster Ride - and I may even decide to ride on into work.  If Sunday afternoon is as forecast, I'll even be able to get out with the Missus to ride.  And if that happens, it'll be a great way to cap off another wonderful summer weekend.

Cycling Fun Friday: Giro de Caffe`Piano

 
Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/8729526@N02

A couple of recent posts by my friend Velophoria (here and here), as well as an old article from the Guardian, put into words how I've felt lately about riding.  I enjoy riding my bike fast and you can tell from this blog that I love racing and riding hard.  I've been racing hard since early March and have lots more on my schedule this season.

But any coach or experienced racer knows that you can't go hard all the time, and in fact shouldn't.  It's best for your training if you have rest days.  That doesn't mean you sit around on the couch eating Twinkies and watching TV.  What I have in mind are those images you sometimes see of racers in Euroupe cruising along at an easy tempo, heading out to a cafe somewhere, and heading back.  I haven't been able to find a copy of it on the web yet, but that iconic B&W picture of the racers sipping their coffee while seated around an outdoor table illustrates best what I have in mind.

As V reminded me, the pace is decidedly piano as the Italians say.  "Easy."  Just getting the legs spinning and logging some nice, steady base miles.  Given that most weekend races are on Sunday, Saturday is an ideal day for such riding.  And if you want to have any time to get anything else done (as much as I wish all I had to do was ride my bike), such riding is best done early in the morning.

And what goes best with riding in the morning?  Why coffee, of course.  Or (to butcher some more Italian) caffe`.

We're blessed with a number of great local group rides, but the usual pace is often - shall we say - not piano.  And if there's any stopping along the way (other than at stop signs and traffic lights, natch), it's only for long enough to regroup.  These rides can be ideal training, and if you aren't able to ride hard any other time during the week, they're awesome for motivation.

But what if you just want - or need - to ride easy and still want to ride with a group?  You're not a new rider, so the "B ride" probably isn't appropriate.  And it probably doesn't stop for that morning coffee along the way that you crave.

Thankfully, some of my local cycling friends have indulged me by going along on a different kind of group ride.  In the same tradition of the racer's "easy" day, we do long, steady miles early on a Saturday morning.  And a stop at a roadside cafe or coffeeshop is always part of the deal.

So far, we've done a 50 mile loop to a locally-famous bakery, a very hilly loop to a cool indy breakfast place, and tomorrow we'll be going (again) to a typical New England dairy farm that not-so-typically has an amazing coffee-teria in the old milking house.  Of course, if we can't find anything more creative, a Starbucks will suffice.

If you're fortunate enough to have cycling friends who are game and looking for something different to add to their training/riding, give a ride like this a try.  And if you come up with a Giro de Caffe` Piano of your own, be sure to let me know.  I'll definitely plan to join you.

Turkey Day Ride

 

iPhone photo - vignetting effect from shooting through ZipLoc bag

I finally ended another long hiatus from the bike with a ride Thanksgiving morning.  I'd first heard about the "5th Annual Turkey Day Ride" last week and determined that I would do it, no matter what.

And given this movie  about the ride, how could I not?!  Ok, it's not "Race Across the Sky" but it provided some motivation.

I have to admit that motivation flagged a little the night before as I got my stuff ready, and just about tanked altogether when I checked the temperature the next morning.  But I have what I think is the proper gear - and I wore ALL of it - and I headed out into the cold.

It takes a lot longer to get places in the winter than in the summer.  I'd planned to get to the start place in time to visit a little and maybe even grab a quick cup of coffee.  But as the Chester church chimes rang 8am, I was just making the last turn into town.  I didn't remember how hilly it was to get there - those certainly didn't even seem like hills a few months ago.

After the usual pleasantries and catching up with some folks I hadn't seen in a while, we headed off.  A little too briskly for my comfort right about then, but having been on a few group rides before, I figured it would settle in.

Maybe it did, but it certainly didn't feel like it to me.  Of course, it didn't help much to allow myself to be sucked into a few especially hard efforts near the end.  I'd already been sucking a bit on the ascents, steadily sliding backwards each time the road pointed up.  But I figured I'd at least be able to hold my own when some steady, flat (or even downhill!) pacelining started.

I was wrong.  My last effort - which, frankly, pales in comparison to my memory of last summer's efforts - pretty much cooked me.  Completely.  Stick a fork in me - I'm done.

And I mean REALLY done.  The remaining 10 miles or so went by in a haze that was a combination of me trying to figure out what was wrong and seeing my remaining riding companions inevitably fade in the distance as I did what I could - if not to keep up - at least limit the damage.

I'm not sure if I actually bonked - I don't think I've ever bonked, so I'm not sure what that's supposed to feel like.  But I *do* know that I hadn't eaten during the ride as I usually do, so I scarfed down a GU.  No effect.  Kim gave me a poptart, that helped a little, but I still couldn't seem to get any energy from anywhere.  All I really wanted to do was get off my bike and take a nap.  At least when I wasn't feeling too woozy.

But riding buddies are some of the best friends you'll ever have.  They clearly held back their pace to keep me from falling behind and kept up light conversation as if nothing strange was happening.  And they encouraged me with reminders that form comes back, I haven't been riding, etc.  All the same things I'd be telling them if the roles were reversed.

Despite the last hour or so, it was a good ride.  It was really great seeing a lot of the faces from summer and getting a chance to catch up a little.  And riding the backroads of New England can never be a BAD thing, no matter how bad you might feel.

So special thanks to Shawn for putting the ride together, Kim for the poptart and encouragement, Pete for all-but-pushing-me-home down Bokum Road, and to all the rest of the gang for sharing your Thanksgiving morning.

I'm already looking forward to next time.

-------

For all the gory Garmin data, click here.