Okay, just so you know, I'm aware I'm not the only biker in southern Indiana. I'm aware there are bikers that live outside Bedford, and they are likely scattered all over the southern part of the state. I'm even going to bet there are riders in Bedford that have scoured the southern part of the state, riding every imaginable road in the process.
But... I'm the first one I know of that's ridden from Bedford to Palmyra and back.
This worked out to be a nearly perfect 100-mile ride. I mean... it was meant to be, that simple. Let me explain...
Since we were prevented by natural events (severe storms) from riding last night, I found myself today desperately short of miles on the bike. Eighteen stinking miles by Wednesday is no way to make 150 by Saturday. I needed something special today to make the week.
My first break was the weather, which as often happens after a storm front passes was clear and cool. This allowed me to reasonably consider riding long. Sure, I'd run with the girls in the morning, but it was a leisurely pace. With any luck nothing serious was taken out of me.
The second break was time. Leisa had plans for most of the day, so being gone wasn't going to be a problem. And... gotta love summer break.
Third break - I was relatively well rested. This wasn't by design, but it was now an advantage under the circumstances.
All I had to do was get on the bike and start riding. I wasn't gung-ho to go. I mean really, who looks forward to 5-7 hours of constant physical activity, double the longest ride you might have had in the last 2 months? To be honest, I was worried about it. Just a bit.
I'd had it in my mind to ride down to Hardinsburg and back for 80 miles. That seemed a reasonable goal, it would put me back on track for the week, and I hadn't done it in a while. A little thought kept gnawing at the back of my consciousness... a discussion we had at the Wendy's Pow-Wow... Troy talked about riding down through Salem and into Palmyra. Of course he wanted to hook west after that, head back to Paoli, then north to his home. The math didn't add up for me to try it - I start quite a bit farther north, so that would likely turn into something in the 120-140 range. That would be suicide.
No, I would ride south, get on 60 in Mitchell and head towards Spring Mill. If traffic wasn't bad, I'd consider riding to Campbellsburg. From there, maybe to Salem. After all, there and back would be in the 70 mile range. I could add a little and get 80. Plus if you catch 60 at the right time of day, it's a sweet ride.
Well, traffic wasn't that great, but my mind was already made up. I cruised down to Campbellsburg. The wind was light, but it was against me. This was both unusual and good. This meant I would have something to help me get back, however light it was. I got down to Salem feeling good, so I rode through town and headed to 135. Did I have the nerve to try it?
135 is a Super-2, and it was SWEET! Sure, there were a few long grades, but they weren't all that steep. The wide shoulder made it all worthwhile - absolutely plenty of room to ride, and great views all around. I was going to ride out to the 40-mile mark and turn, but when I got to that point I got all Gumpy and said, "Well, I figure since I've ridden this far I might as well ride to 50!" I hoped to be in Palmyra by then. I wasn't sure how far from Salem it was, only that it was directly south.
It worked out perfectly. I rolled into town right on the mark. I stopped for a drink and a candy bar, then headed back. It had taken something like 2:50 to get to that point, so I was looking at a 5:40ish overall time. That was fine by me. This being the first 100 of the year, I couldn't expect too much. What happened next surprised me.
I was heading mostly northeast, which was taking me into a headwind - light, but there. Also, the elevation was rising all the way back to Salem. What I expected from that was a slower time. The opposite occurred. All of a sudden I'm starting to climb over the 20 mark and spent most of my time well above it. I don't know why. I was purposely cautious all the way out, averaging under 18 to the turn. Maybe I had a lot of gas left. I don't know. But something was definitely up.
I cruised through Salem, got back on 60 (sorry to see 135 go!), climbed out of Salem, then hit the flats. And then it got nuts. From the top of the hill to Campbellsburg I was seeing numbers of 23, 24, 25, 26... I was having no trouble holding 24.5. Heading northwest gave me a bit of a tailwind, but there wasn't much wind at all in any direction - under 5 mph. The counterbalancing force was I was becoming dehydrated. I'd stopped at 25 and 50, planned to stop at 75, but I was beginning to get the early stages of muscle cramps. The smart move would have been to back down and conserve. Never been accused of being smart though. I had speed and I wasn't going to give it up. Sure, I'd pay for it later, but I was going.
I stopped at Campbellsburg, took another Diet Coke, then hit it again. I knew the road wouldn't change all that much, and this would be a good chance to get a substitute ride for last night's missed workout. Plus I knew I could create a Strava segment and check the pace later.
Starting at Campbellsburg and going to almost Spring Mill is a little over 10 miles. I did the 10.1 course in 25:42 for 23.6 mph - in miles 75 to 85 of a century. It's not John T. good, but it's good.
So now I was getting a little nauseous. I eased up, but still the numbers hovered around 20 mph. I needed to get back before the cramping got out of control. I considered the paths back - highway or Rabbitsville? I started to go Rabbitsville, then I remembered on the way out all the gravel strewn about the road by last night's storms. I'd been lucky not to flat before. I didn't wish to push my luck again. To the highway it was.
I didn't want to push, and with a northeast breeze (light) I certainly wasn't going to get any help. Still it was the best option, and I went with it. Aero position was tough by now. I alternately sat up and laid over, my overriding concern being that long climb on the Cut to come.
It was rather anti-climactic. Though slow, nothing popped on the way up, and once on top, I knew I had it in the bag. Better still, I'd made remarkable time on the way back, and was now averaging nearly 19 mph. There was even a chance to get to 5:17, my all-time best 100 time. It didn't happen, mainly because I was too stressed to chase it. I finished the ride upright in my second-best 100 time, put away the gear, then showered. I found some leftover chicken in the fridge (I ate the bones!), and now I am trying to apply liberal amounts of Diet Coke to my lingering thirst.
Would I do this ride again? YES, but with a caveat - traffic has to be light. Highway 60 can be a dangerous road to ride if semi traffic is heavy. The 135 stretch just about makes it worth the entry price to get there though. It is my new favorite road to ride, hands down. On top of that, there are opportunities for breaks at regular intervals (I did it every 25 miles). Take traffic out of the equation and you'd be hard pressed to find a better 100-mile course.
There will be no ride for me tomorrow. We have one planned for Saturday morning, and that will be more than enough to make my week. No, right now I'm only thinking about what's going in my belly over the next few hours...
Oh! The ride data!
But... I'm the first one I know of that's ridden from Bedford to Palmyra and back.
This worked out to be a nearly perfect 100-mile ride. I mean... it was meant to be, that simple. Let me explain...
Since we were prevented by natural events (severe storms) from riding last night, I found myself today desperately short of miles on the bike. Eighteen stinking miles by Wednesday is no way to make 150 by Saturday. I needed something special today to make the week.
My first break was the weather, which as often happens after a storm front passes was clear and cool. This allowed me to reasonably consider riding long. Sure, I'd run with the girls in the morning, but it was a leisurely pace. With any luck nothing serious was taken out of me.
The second break was time. Leisa had plans for most of the day, so being gone wasn't going to be a problem. And... gotta love summer break.
Third break - I was relatively well rested. This wasn't by design, but it was now an advantage under the circumstances.
All I had to do was get on the bike and start riding. I wasn't gung-ho to go. I mean really, who looks forward to 5-7 hours of constant physical activity, double the longest ride you might have had in the last 2 months? To be honest, I was worried about it. Just a bit.
I'd had it in my mind to ride down to Hardinsburg and back for 80 miles. That seemed a reasonable goal, it would put me back on track for the week, and I hadn't done it in a while. A little thought kept gnawing at the back of my consciousness... a discussion we had at the Wendy's Pow-Wow... Troy talked about riding down through Salem and into Palmyra. Of course he wanted to hook west after that, head back to Paoli, then north to his home. The math didn't add up for me to try it - I start quite a bit farther north, so that would likely turn into something in the 120-140 range. That would be suicide.
No, I would ride south, get on 60 in Mitchell and head towards Spring Mill. If traffic wasn't bad, I'd consider riding to Campbellsburg. From there, maybe to Salem. After all, there and back would be in the 70 mile range. I could add a little and get 80. Plus if you catch 60 at the right time of day, it's a sweet ride.
Well, traffic wasn't that great, but my mind was already made up. I cruised down to Campbellsburg. The wind was light, but it was against me. This was both unusual and good. This meant I would have something to help me get back, however light it was. I got down to Salem feeling good, so I rode through town and headed to 135. Did I have the nerve to try it?
135 is a Super-2, and it was SWEET! Sure, there were a few long grades, but they weren't all that steep. The wide shoulder made it all worthwhile - absolutely plenty of room to ride, and great views all around. I was going to ride out to the 40-mile mark and turn, but when I got to that point I got all Gumpy and said, "Well, I figure since I've ridden this far I might as well ride to 50!" I hoped to be in Palmyra by then. I wasn't sure how far from Salem it was, only that it was directly south.
It worked out perfectly. I rolled into town right on the mark. I stopped for a drink and a candy bar, then headed back. It had taken something like 2:50 to get to that point, so I was looking at a 5:40ish overall time. That was fine by me. This being the first 100 of the year, I couldn't expect too much. What happened next surprised me.
I was heading mostly northeast, which was taking me into a headwind - light, but there. Also, the elevation was rising all the way back to Salem. What I expected from that was a slower time. The opposite occurred. All of a sudden I'm starting to climb over the 20 mark and spent most of my time well above it. I don't know why. I was purposely cautious all the way out, averaging under 18 to the turn. Maybe I had a lot of gas left. I don't know. But something was definitely up.
I cruised through Salem, got back on 60 (sorry to see 135 go!), climbed out of Salem, then hit the flats. And then it got nuts. From the top of the hill to Campbellsburg I was seeing numbers of 23, 24, 25, 26... I was having no trouble holding 24.5. Heading northwest gave me a bit of a tailwind, but there wasn't much wind at all in any direction - under 5 mph. The counterbalancing force was I was becoming dehydrated. I'd stopped at 25 and 50, planned to stop at 75, but I was beginning to get the early stages of muscle cramps. The smart move would have been to back down and conserve. Never been accused of being smart though. I had speed and I wasn't going to give it up. Sure, I'd pay for it later, but I was going.
I stopped at Campbellsburg, took another Diet Coke, then hit it again. I knew the road wouldn't change all that much, and this would be a good chance to get a substitute ride for last night's missed workout. Plus I knew I could create a Strava segment and check the pace later.
Starting at Campbellsburg and going to almost Spring Mill is a little over 10 miles. I did the 10.1 course in 25:42 for 23.6 mph - in miles 75 to 85 of a century. It's not John T. good, but it's good.
So now I was getting a little nauseous. I eased up, but still the numbers hovered around 20 mph. I needed to get back before the cramping got out of control. I considered the paths back - highway or Rabbitsville? I started to go Rabbitsville, then I remembered on the way out all the gravel strewn about the road by last night's storms. I'd been lucky not to flat before. I didn't wish to push my luck again. To the highway it was.
I didn't want to push, and with a northeast breeze (light) I certainly wasn't going to get any help. Still it was the best option, and I went with it. Aero position was tough by now. I alternately sat up and laid over, my overriding concern being that long climb on the Cut to come.
It was rather anti-climactic. Though slow, nothing popped on the way up, and once on top, I knew I had it in the bag. Better still, I'd made remarkable time on the way back, and was now averaging nearly 19 mph. There was even a chance to get to 5:17, my all-time best 100 time. It didn't happen, mainly because I was too stressed to chase it. I finished the ride upright in my second-best 100 time, put away the gear, then showered. I found some leftover chicken in the fridge (I ate the bones!), and now I am trying to apply liberal amounts of Diet Coke to my lingering thirst.
Would I do this ride again? YES, but with a caveat - traffic has to be light. Highway 60 can be a dangerous road to ride if semi traffic is heavy. The 135 stretch just about makes it worth the entry price to get there though. It is my new favorite road to ride, hands down. On top of that, there are opportunities for breaks at regular intervals (I did it every 25 miles). Take traffic out of the equation and you'd be hard pressed to find a better 100-mile course.
There will be no ride for me tomorrow. We have one planned for Saturday morning, and that will be more than enough to make my week. No, right now I'm only thinking about what's going in my belly over the next few hours...
Oh! The ride data!
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