I love to ride. This past week I had had the chance to ride in some of my favorite places--places that are almost completely opposite in terrain and character:
--An isolated hill in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
--Three boroughs and 30 miles in New York City: rain in the day and clear skies at night
--Skyline Drive in northern New Jersey: 51 mph on the descent.
Last Sunday, I ended the week for the first time this year with more than 100 riding miles, 110 to be exact. The ride that brought me to the three-digit distance was up the gentle three-mile climb of Snyder Hollow Road in southern Lancaster County. This beautiful, narrow, winding road follows a stream most of the way up. Trees line the road from bottom to top. In the summer it is several degrees cooler than any other road in the area.
On Wednesday I rode from Woodside, Queens, NYC, to Manhattan then north almost 200 blocks to the Bronx. I started in mid afternoon. An hour into the ride in Harlem, the skies opened and the wind howled in my face out of the north. I went down into a subway station and rode the train 28 blocks from 135th to 163rd. When I emerged the rain let up so I rode the rest ofthe way in scattered showers. I had coffee at 239th Street, then rode back to Woodside, mostly in the dark.
The lights are synchronized on avenues, so although I passed through more than 450 traffic lights, they were mostly green when my speed was good.
The next day I rode from Woodside to Penn Station with a 25-pound pack. That was six slow miles. I drove to Skyline Drive in Ringwood, New Jersey then rode up and down the steep 2.5-mile hill. I turned around at the top and rode the first mile of level or gentle hills before the steep drop the last mile and a half. Just as I went over the crest, a flat-bed truck went past carrying four gray Port-a-Potties.
The descent is winding. He went far ahead, but at first hard-right bend he slowed and I caught up. On the straight section he sped away, but as the road bent left he braked and I was back to about 20 meters behind. We were an accordion until the very bottom of the hill when he turned left and I continued straight.
Strava told me I went 51mph (82.1kmh) in the middle of the hill. It was the Port-A-Potty draft for sure!
Three hours later I turned off the PA Turnpike at Morgantown.I was going to ride up and down the 1.5-mile hill on Route 10. But when I got halfway upthe hill there was a line of stopped vehicles. I rode up along the right shoulder to see an overturned truck halfway down. I turned around and drove home.
Today I rode 15 miles and brought my miles for the week to 115.
I rode as much in the last two weeks as in both January and February. So far in March I am close to 300 miles. My bicycle year starts now.
