Doing it with the road bike
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| A different route for the road bike. |
It doesn't seem too many years ago riding almost anywhere across this valley and seldom encounter traffic. That included riding on any of what used to be four of the State highways in the valley. Like everything else, that has changed - a lot. With those changes also come other new opportunities. It used to be, a simple morning ride would be a 40 mile tempo-ride, or maybe a set of 30/30 intervals. The entire route would only have perhaps 850 feet of total elevation change. With the new road cutting up to SR 158, I can get nearly 2,000 feet of elevation, with a couple good climbs - in about 52 miles. This is also pushing me into areas and roads I wouldn't have otherwise taken the road bike in the past. Dust-Guarded dirt roads, loose gravel on some short climbing segments, hoping curbs - a regular Peter Sagan. I still have to push it to maintain a respectable average moving speed. One descent pushes nearly 50 MPH - when traffic permits. The overall statistics are also pretty good, pushing a little into Zone 4, extended Zone 3, with a solid balance in Zone 2. Still dealing with traffic for parts of the ride, I'm having to ride at a hard and deliberate pace for some sections - making it easy to maintain a race pace cadence through parts of the course.
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| The new turn on to SR158 (Powder Mountain Road). |
Hesitant
A lot going through my mind while riding, but not sure where to take it. The changes made to the road bike seem to be having a positive effect. Still need to make a few changes - albeit minor. Thinking a new saddle is in order, bar rotation adjustments, maybe even slightly wider tires. Just not sure where to take everything a this point. It's obvious where the training rides need to go, but the fundraising has completely stalled - as in kaput! Lacking inspiration more than motivation. Something that always seems to land me is going back to "461". Don't ask me why, but that slab of vinyl reminds me of only the best of times on Monte Cristo - and I can't even tell you why. Truth is, Monte is brutal, but a true friend. Few if any changes on the highway after passing the State sheds. Sure, they added a couple new cattle guards going down into Rich County, occasionally they resurface parts of the road - stuff like that. Make no mistake, that ride is a suffer fest - but I keep going back. Providing the work schedule permits, that will be on the agenda for the upcoming week. I still don't know what any of this has to do with "461", but go along with it as though it really makes sense. I'll figure the rest out later.
This wasn't part of the original release in "461 Ocean Blvd", but it was added to the deluxe edition forty years later. This is actually the final show for that tour at the Hammersmith
Ride HARD!
