June 2, 2024 - Peekskill, NY, to The Gunks
End: The Gunks
Miles: 60.1
Feet climbing per mile: 81
Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/185852322
For this trip I put the filled water bladder on top of the trunk bag. The total weight of the bike was 55 pounds, the heaviest I’ve ever ridden it.
After taking the train from Grand Central to Peekskill I began riding shortly after 9:00, following a route that avoided the treacherous goat trail along the Hudson River. About seven miles into the ride I got out of the saddle and immediately felt an instability in the steering. I had recently adjusted the headset bearing to be as loose as possible without any play, and thought that maybe I had loosened it too much. Throughout the day I would continue to be concerned about the steering, and never felt my usual connection to my bike.
I stopped at the West Point Motel where I stayed in 2016 on my first multi-day trip after a 40-year hiatus. Vicky, one of the owners, didn’t remember my name but remembered that I had stayed in room 125.
Before starting this trip I had learned that West Point was again open to visitors, so I went to the Visitor Control Center, had my REAL ID drivers license validated as a pass for a year, and rode through the beautiful campus.
I had planned to take route 218 after leaving West Point, but the road was closed.
I immediately knew that I would have a long walk up 9W which had only a gutter as a shoulder. I knew this because I had walked that hill a few years ago. Fortunately there was a usable shoulder for the descent.
At mile 29 I enjoyed some Death by Chocolate ice cream at Chez Ana. At mile 33 I had some black raspberry ice cream at Stewart’s.
At mile 35 a bridge was closed so I found a detour.
I had planned to meet my friends Tom and Carol for dinner at Mountain Brauhaus. I thought that I might get to the campground nearby as early as 3:00, but because of my caution due to the steering trouble and the delays related to the roads being closed, I was way behind schedule. I called Tom and told him I would arrive at the restaurant at 7:00 and then go the the campground after dinner. Ten hours to ride 60 miles! What an exhausting day!
It was just a half-mile ride to the campground. Getting to my campsite required walking my bike up a steep path. Because it was dark and because I was tired, it took an especially long time to set up my camp.
At this campground the showers cost 25 cents per minute. I was glad that the water was immediately hot. I managed to spend just 50 cents. It’s Econ 101.
For much of the night it was no colder than 65, and I found my sleeping bag rather warm. I probably could use my heavy-duty sleeping bag liner rather than the sleeping bag as long as it’s no colder than 55. It was a pleasure to use, for the first time, the sling I had designed to hold my contact lenses.
Next day: June 3, 2024 - Gunks Loop
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I really like the first picture.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the Mountain Hofbrau, it's the Mountain Brauhaus. We enjoyed dinner with you that evening.
I want to reiterate that if your steering is too eager to turn, tightening the headset is not a good solution at all. If you need something, you might consider a wheel stabilizer such as this one (https://velo-orange.com/products/vo-wheel-stabilizer). I tried one, and I found it didn't make riding any more difficult. But it might not apply if the eagerness is closer to the center than at the edges of steering, because I expect the spring tension will be least at the center and greatest at the edges.
Thank you for telling me about my mistake. I'll fix the name of the restaurant now, and I'll take a look at the wheel stabilizer.
DeleteDid you have to let West Point know in advance that you wanted to come in to the campus? Great news that the campus is somewhat open again, but too bad about 218. I think that closure is due to the heavy rains in the fall washing away rock and road. - Hannah
ReplyDeleteIt's necessary to have a pass to visit West Point, but there's no need to inform them in advance of your visit. Passes are obtained at the Visitor Control Center.
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