April 14th, 2023 - Torrington, CT, to Redding, CT

Start: Torrington, CT
End: Redding, CT
Miles: 51.6
Feet climbing per mile: 85
Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/117940718

I was pleased that I had no cramps through the second night of this trip. After applying sunscreen on my arms and legs where I had gotten burned, I left my hotel at 8:30. The temperature was about 65F. As a result of the cool weather that would persist for a few hours, for the first half of this day's ride I felt much stronger than I had the two previous days.

I had planned my return to Redding to be on a route completely different from what I had ridden two days earlier from Redding to Torrington. One mile from my hotel I was in the center of Torrington, and I realized that my hotel had been on its outskirts. After I returned home I discovered that within about a mile of my hotel there were several restaurants of better quality than those where I had eaten my dinners. I enjoy a good meal after a day of riding, so next time I'l be more careful.

Helped by the cool weather, I felt strong for the climb of about a mile and a half that started at five miles into my ride. About a mile after the climb I turned onto East Litchfield Avenue, with little traffic and beautiful scenery that would continue throughout the day.

East Litchfield Avenue

I think my favorite place to ride is through a green forest. 

Whites Wood Road

I needed to walk a short steep hill at mile 21.0, and I would do so again three more times late in the day.

The cows at Toplands Farm alongside Painter Hill Road were not at all curious about me even when I mooed them. Usually I find that at least one of the cows says "hello".

A little more than halfway to Redding I stopped at the Roxbury Market & Deli. Before I entered I was greeted by two signs that caught my attention.

The owner, Wayne, told me that the prohibition on mud was because there were many landscapers who would otherwise come in with mud on their boots.

Vanilla was the only available flavor of ice cream, and it was the most delicious vanilla ice cream I've ever tasted.

Mtn Dew was not available, so I enjoyed a root beer.

In October 13, 2020 - Hudson, NY, to Poughkeepsie, NY I wrote about how twice I slipped, once falling, because one of my heel pads was so worn. I should have learned my lesson, but I hadn't, so when returning from the restroom at the Roxbury Market I again slipped and fell. I wasn't injured, but maybe now I have learned my lesson to replace my heel pads when they become worn. Before leaving  the Roxbury Market I reapplied sunscreen on my arms and legs. I also considered filling the water bottled I had emptied on the first half of my ride, but forwent doing so thinking that my other water bottle would be sufficient for the remaining 24 miles. The morning had been cool but the afternoon would get rather hot, so I would later regret that decision. Paraphrasing Robert Herrick, I've added a new admonition to Aphorisms and Exhortations:

Fill thy water bottles while ye may!

Why would roads be named "Obtuse Rocks Road", "Obtuse Road", and "Obtuse Hill Road"?

Sign at an intersection with Obtuse Hill Road

Sign at another intersection with Obtuse Hill Road

Here are definitions of "obtuse":

1. (of an angle) more than 90° and less than 180°, or (of a triangle) containing an angle of more than 90° and less than 180°
2. stupid or slow to understand

Can a rock be obtuse? Can a road? Can a hill? To me these all sound like category mistakes. Did an obtuse person name these roads?

As I left the Roxbury Market & Deli at 12:20 with 24 miles to go, I thought that I had plenty of time to catch the 3:40 train which would arrive at Grand Central at 5:55. But as I got closer to Redding and needed to walk steep hills at mile 31.8, 35.8, and 48.0, I wondered whether I might miss the 3:40 and need to wait for the 5:32. But despite the delay because of the walking I arrived at the Redding train station a few minutes after 3:00.

My train arrived at Grand Central a few minutes ahead of schedule. As I stepped outside to 42nd Street I thought that in an instant I saw more people than I had seen in three days while I was in Connecticut. After a ride of 1.5 miles I arrived home at 6:10.

* * *

This three-day trip of 142.2 miles was by far the shortest three-day trip I've ever taken. Nevertheless it was challenging, due to both the hot weather early in the year and the climbing of an average of 81 feet per mile. I had originally planned to start the trip on Tuesday but delayed until Wednesday for two reasons. First, I had considered riding to an airbnb in Pennsylvania rather than to Torrington, but early in the week the airbnb became unavailable Tuesday night. (Later it also became unavailable Wednesday night, which eliminated the possibility of riding to Pennsylvania.) Second, my left hip joint had been bothering me because the week before this trip I had been experimenting with Catalyst pedals (watch for a report in a forthcoming Gear Update) without lowering my saddle as needed, and I wanted an extra day to heal. My left hip joint did not bother me at all during the trip. Catalyst pedals make it possible to generate more force, so I wonder whether they would have allowed me to walk less up the steep hills.

As I expected based on using Google Street View, the roads had mostly light traffic and plenty of green scenery. All three days were sunny, and I often thought that what I saw in my rear-view mirrors would have made beautiful pictures. I encountered no aggressive drivers, although a dog hanging out a window barked at me as the car in which it was traveling drove past. As part of my continuing project to generate good will toward cyclists, I often gave a thumbs-up to a driver who made a point of driving courteously.

Last October blood work indicated early Sjögren's syndrome. For the last several months I have experienced dryness in both my eyes and mouth, with the result that my contact lenses do not float as easily as they might and my vision is therefore somewhat compromised. I was pleased that during this trip I did not experience any of that dryness, and my vision was exceptionally good, despite having one visual (optical?) migraine. I wonder if the more generous production of tears is related to the vigorous physical activity. I suspect I need to drink more water, both while on bike trips and not on bike trips.

This was my first trip in six months, the delay being due entirely to the weather, there not being three consecutive days in the 40s during riding hours. I look forward to getting back to my previous routine of one trip each month. Perhaps on my next trip I will ride to Pennsylvania and stay in the airbnb I mentioned above.

Previous day: April 13, 2023 - Torrington, CT, to Riverton, CT, and return

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