Riding Day 22 - June 25th, 2019
Start: Don Carter State Park
End: Marietta, GA
Miles: 75.9
Feet climbing per mile: 58
Record of today’s ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/36433983
Today was to be a relatively easy day, 73 miles with just 34 feet of climbing per mile. Instead it was slightly longer with almost twice as much climbing. The extra length was due to rerouting, but I don’t know why there was so much climbing.
The morning went well, with the first third of the miles completed at 11:45. The first hour of my recorded ride consisted of getting to the restroom and cleaning and drying some clothes, so I actually rode the first third of the miles in two and one quarter hours. If I had maintained that pace for the rest of the day, I would have arrived at my destination about 4:15. So how did I manage to take until 8:15?
There are three reasons. First, Craig and Barb Burley, two friends from New York who have recently moved to Winder, GA, met me along my route. We had an enjoyable 30-minute visit in which they supplied me with some keto bars and recharged my phone and external batteries.
Second, the heat and humidity were oppressive. As I wrote yesterday, on hot days I will need to start riding, rather than waking, at sunrise, and maybe take a break for a few hours mid-day.
Third, on the final two thirds of the trip I encountered one after another four-lane highway. I did my best to find alternate routes, but often I could not. I am able to safely take the lane on 55-mile-per-hour two-lane roads in moderate traffic that includes 18-wheelers, but drivers on four-lane roads tend to act as if they don’t know how to make a safe pass and that it’s ok to run me off the road. I think there’s something about the nature of four-lane roads, with their long sight lines and lack of tree cover, that encourages otherwise considerate drivers to assault any cyclist encountered, just as psychologically healthy college students abused their classmates when occupying the roles of guards (see trailer of Stanford Prison Experiment). Fortunately the four-lane roads usually had sidewalks, but riding on a sidewalk is not a way to make good time, due to the irregular surface, the presence of hazards, and the possibility of being hit by a turning car at every intersection.
A shower at the home of my brother Tim and his wife Sonja refreshed me from the difficult ride. We were joined at dinner by Chris Barker, my classmate from graduate school, and his fiancée Kara. It was great to see Chris after more than 40 years and to meet Kara. Tim served a dinner featuring paella which we enjoyed on the deck under the stars.
End: Marietta, GA
Miles: 75.9
Feet climbing per mile: 58
Record of today’s ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/36433983
Today was to be a relatively easy day, 73 miles with just 34 feet of climbing per mile. Instead it was slightly longer with almost twice as much climbing. The extra length was due to rerouting, but I don’t know why there was so much climbing.
The morning went well, with the first third of the miles completed at 11:45. The first hour of my recorded ride consisted of getting to the restroom and cleaning and drying some clothes, so I actually rode the first third of the miles in two and one quarter hours. If I had maintained that pace for the rest of the day, I would have arrived at my destination about 4:15. So how did I manage to take until 8:15?
There are three reasons. First, Craig and Barb Burley, two friends from New York who have recently moved to Winder, GA, met me along my route. We had an enjoyable 30-minute visit in which they supplied me with some keto bars and recharged my phone and external batteries.
 |
| With Barb and Craig Burley |
Second, the heat and humidity were oppressive. As I wrote yesterday, on hot days I will need to start riding, rather than waking, at sunrise, and maybe take a break for a few hours mid-day.
Third, on the final two thirds of the trip I encountered one after another four-lane highway. I did my best to find alternate routes, but often I could not. I am able to safely take the lane on 55-mile-per-hour two-lane roads in moderate traffic that includes 18-wheelers, but drivers on four-lane roads tend to act as if they don’t know how to make a safe pass and that it’s ok to run me off the road. I think there’s something about the nature of four-lane roads, with their long sight lines and lack of tree cover, that encourages otherwise considerate drivers to assault any cyclist encountered, just as psychologically healthy college students abused their classmates when occupying the roles of guards (see trailer of Stanford Prison Experiment). Fortunately the four-lane roads usually had sidewalks, but riding on a sidewalk is not a way to make good time, due to the irregular surface, the presence of hazards, and the possibility of being hit by a turning car at every intersection.
A shower at the home of my brother Tim and his wife Sonja refreshed me from the difficult ride. We were joined at dinner by Chris Barker, my classmate from graduate school, and his fiancée Kara. It was great to see Chris after more than 40 years and to meet Kara. Tim served a dinner featuring paella which we enjoyed on the deck under the stars.
 |
| With Chris Barker |
I"m glad you're seeing some of our NU classmates. Chris and I had lunch last September, whic was the first we'd seen one another since our days in Evanston.
ReplyDeleteWe had such a fun visit -- Barb keeps commenting on it! Hope to see you sometime when we next visit Manhattan, or if/when y'all come to ATL to see Gibbs Gardens and such.
ReplyDelete