Riding Day 20 - June 23rd, 2019
Start: Greenville, SC
End: Clayton, GA
Miles: 79.5
Feet climbing per mile: 78
Record of today’s ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/36359218
From the start of today’s ride my drive train felt the smoothestI can remember it being. In addition to being able to shift from the large ring to the small ring without the chain jamming, I was also able to backpedal while in the large-ring/next-to-largest-cog gear without the chain jumping to the next smaller cog. Furthermore I had none of the clicking or knocking that I had been experiencing. So I wonder whether the loose cones had been the source of all those troubles.
Sunday morning traffic was light on the route I had planned, but the surface of the road on 81 was rough, so I used google maps to find a new route. I was planning to stay at the Quality Inn in Toccoa, but shortly before noon, 35 miles into the day, I received a message from my graduate school classmate Bob Pittman that he would be available in the evening. I had thought his son’s wedding was today but it was yesterday. So I cancelled my reservation in Toccoa and again rerouted, this time to Lakemont.
At about 2:15 the heavy downpour with lightning and thunder prompted me to take shelter under the awning of a closed business. The Dark Sky app I had thanks to Michael Dutka’s suggestion showed that the heavy rain would last for no more than 30 minutes. I was soon on my way, the rain having given me relief from the heat.
The relief lasted only awhile because the sun soon returned, so I was happy to see a sign for tree-ripened peaches. Charlie, who was working at the store, gave me, without charge, two delicious peaches and I bought two bottles of water to fill my water bottles.
In walked Kitty Land, the owner of the store, who suggested I take a half-mile side trip (one mile including the return) to see the view from her farm a little way up the road. Having seen so many beautiful vistas on the Blue Ridge Parkway and being tired from riding in the 90-degree heat, I was not inclined to accept Kitty’s suggestion. She persisted, offering to drive me to and from the store. I figured this was one of those random events that might add to my adventure so off we went, leaving my bike parked inside the store. As you can see in the video below, what an amazing view is had from Kitty’s Chattooga Belle Farm!
There was a substantial amount of climbing up from the river separating South Carolina from Georgia. With the climbs being longer and steeper than what I had encountered earlier in the day, I found myself, exhausted from riding in the heat, using my lowest gear (walking) up the hills. I received a text from Bob Pittman with the address of the Quality Inn in Clayton where he said there were rooms available. I was happy to see a small pool in which I relaxed before Bob met me for dinner. It was great to catch up with him after maybe 40 years.
End: Clayton, GA
Miles: 79.5
Feet climbing per mile: 78
Record of today’s ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/36359218
From the start of today’s ride my drive train felt the smoothestI can remember it being. In addition to being able to shift from the large ring to the small ring without the chain jamming, I was also able to backpedal while in the large-ring/next-to-largest-cog gear without the chain jumping to the next smaller cog. Furthermore I had none of the clicking or knocking that I had been experiencing. So I wonder whether the loose cones had been the source of all those troubles.
Sunday morning traffic was light on the route I had planned, but the surface of the road on 81 was rough, so I used google maps to find a new route. I was planning to stay at the Quality Inn in Toccoa, but shortly before noon, 35 miles into the day, I received a message from my graduate school classmate Bob Pittman that he would be available in the evening. I had thought his son’s wedding was today but it was yesterday. So I cancelled my reservation in Toccoa and again rerouted, this time to Lakemont.
At about 2:15 the heavy downpour with lightning and thunder prompted me to take shelter under the awning of a closed business. The Dark Sky app I had thanks to Michael Dutka’s suggestion showed that the heavy rain would last for no more than 30 minutes. I was soon on my way, the rain having given me relief from the heat.
The relief lasted only awhile because the sun soon returned, so I was happy to see a sign for tree-ripened peaches. Charlie, who was working at the store, gave me, without charge, two delicious peaches and I bought two bottles of water to fill my water bottles.
In walked Kitty Land, the owner of the store, who suggested I take a half-mile side trip (one mile including the return) to see the view from her farm a little way up the road. Having seen so many beautiful vistas on the Blue Ridge Parkway and being tired from riding in the 90-degree heat, I was not inclined to accept Kitty’s suggestion. She persisted, offering to drive me to and from the store. I figured this was one of those random events that might add to my adventure so off we went, leaving my bike parked inside the store. As you can see in the video below, what an amazing view is had from Kitty’s Chattooga Belle Farm!
There was a substantial amount of climbing up from the river separating South Carolina from Georgia. With the climbs being longer and steeper than what I had encountered earlier in the day, I found myself, exhausted from riding in the heat, using my lowest gear (walking) up the hills. I received a text from Bob Pittman with the address of the Quality Inn in Clayton where he said there were rooms available. I was happy to see a small pool in which I relaxed before Bob met me for dinner. It was great to catch up with him after maybe 40 years.
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| Yes, I was tired |
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