| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
108.48 miles
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Altitude Gain:
12,067 ft
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Avg Speed:
13.92 mph
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Route:
Highlander
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Avg Grade: 0 %
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Max Grade: 0 %
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Max HR: 169 bpm
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Avg HR: 131 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Steep
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Bike: custom built Cipollini RB800 Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Cloudy 65 F S wind @ 15 mph |
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Drove over to Bristol, NY for the Highlander Century. The ride promises over eleven thousand feet of climbing in one hundred and eight miles with grades exceeding twenty three percent. We had registered for the event last winter to lessen the rather hefty fee, and it seemed a good idea at the time. Today it didn't look like such a good idea. It had rained heavily most of the night and was still raining as I drove to Bristol in the dark. The drive was around an hour since this is actually one of the closest events to home. Drove into the parking lot of the ski center where the ride starts and passed riders that were heading out onto the course in the dusk. Rain had stopped but a cold wind was gusting and the overall mood would best be described as dreary. Got through registration fairly easily and got my bottle of Highlander commemorative wine. Was surprised when I met Joe in the parking lot as I thought he was smarter than that, but the entry was steep despite our preregistering. Parking lot looked fairly barren though the organizer said there were one hundred riders registered for the century. The course was pretty much an exercise of travelling to a nasty climb. a nasty climb a short downhill, then repeat. There were five major climbs, five serious climbs and a half dozen lesser though still challenging climbs. Once it got fairly light Joe and I headed out into the cold damp wind. We hit the first climb a couple of miles into the ride and headed up the steep grade on the freshly chip sealed road. Got over the steep section fairly easily and started to pass several riders with flat tires. There was a line at a sag support truck for aid and to use a floor pump to re-inflate the tires after repair. Had a puncture on my front wheel and slowed down to give it a chance to seal. Meanwhile a women passed me and said my rear wheel was blowing sealant. Stopped alongside the road to assess the damage, and Joe caught up and stopped. Rear tire was gashed beyond sealing though the front tire had sealed and was holding good pressure. Used my spare tube on the rear wheel and thought seriously about giving up and heading home. Having two flats on the first climb with over a hundred miles of nasty climbs on a cold damp day didn't seem very appealing. I could see another half dozen riders on the climb awaiting the sag and eventually got my turn with the floor pump. Both my tires were holding air but I was fresh out of spare tubes. Against my better judgement we kept on riding. In addition to the chip seal the roads were covered with thousands of acorns, leaves, downed tree branches and an occasional downed tree, Obviously a major storm or wind event had passed through the area last night. After the first climb we went through a series of three lesser climbs. I would gap Joe on the hills but he was close enough that he would catch me on the downhills. After the first rest stop we hit hill five that was one of the big climbs of the day. The bottom section was over twenty percent and the climb was a few miles long. The organizer had painted names on the road, as well as providing a bagpiper for entertainment on the climb. The Grim Reaper was there to greet riders as they crested the steep section of the hill. I actually did fairly well on the climb thanks to replacing my thirty nine tooth gear ring with a thirty six tooth. The climb would have been much tougher with the thirty nine. I did get passed by one woman who spun by me apparently effortless though she probably only weighed one hundred pounds. Stopped at the second rest stop and hooked back up with Joe. Tt was fairly miserable at the top of the climb but once we made the descent the sky lightened up a little and it warmed up into the sixties making riding a little easier. Climbing continued throughout the day. Met up with an rode with the occasional rider for a few miles before drifting apart on the endless climbs and descents. Met one rider that had had three flats, and he still had another twenty five miles to ride. Joe finally gave out and started cramping on the fifth major climb, and I would only see him after that at the rest stops and the finish. Got through all the major climbs fairly easily but that was all I was doing as rested on the descents and did very little work in the transitions between climbs. With about ten miles to go I had done all the major climbs and had just a few rollers remaining. I was passed by fast rider and thought if I could stay with him I might be able to finish with over a fourteen mile an hour average. It was not to be though, as he popped me on a small climb, and I cracked trying to stay with him. Pace slowed way down after that and body quit putting out any significant watts. Good news was that it was only a few miles to go and it was mostly downhill. Didn't feel very good but felt better than the riders I passed in the last few miles that had flat tires. I have never seen this many riders with flat tires in any event. Joe said it was because the stone chips stick to the tires on the wet roads. Last two miles was unpleasant and I was glad it was over. Can't really say I enjoyed the ride but was glad I did it and gladder that it was over.
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