The Longest Ride

Saturday August 11th marks the day I rode 115 miles on my bike. It's the longest bike ride I have ever been on distance wise. The weather was picture perfect, blue skies, sunny, not too hot.


We started out at Catamount Family Center in Williston. There were about 50 or so riders leaving for the big ride, and we were to meet up with more along the way. at 50 and 25 miles from the finish at Harpoon Brewery in Windsor.

We had a visit and pep speech form our very own Governor Douglas, and we were off at 8 am.
I've never been a such a large pack of riders before, but somehow I managed to get my way to the back of the first pack and hang on during the very familiar stretch of road that is Route 2 between Williston and Waterbury. Things were rolling smoothly, when my compadre Bruno suffered a flat tire just outside of Waterbury.
What a place to get a flat, not 2 miles from home.
We lost our position behind the lead pack of crushers, which included very fit individuals, and collegiate cyclists, but I guess it was for the better. I certainly couldn't have made it at that pace.


After the first water stop, the ride turned down Route 12, where I have never ridden my bike. It is a beautiful stretch of road that winds along a river valley. There was a gentle climb for a few miles, and we were then rewarded with a screaming descent though a mountain valley next to a mountain stream. We were hauling! It exhilarating winding down the road at 40 mph in dappled sunlight.
We caught most of the lead group again at our second water stop.


The third water stop, around mile 75, was halfway up this hill that would never end, and had a beautiful lake which was tempting many riders to hop in. I would have been done in if I had taken a dip. The cramps were beginning to raise their ugly head, and I'm sure that my legs would have turned into pretzles in the cool water.

Once we crested the hill, the reward was another long downhill, where I got my "roadie" name, the G-Train. Hop aboard, we're going fast.
(Hey, it's better than fat ass)
It's about the only time I can pull people with me, I lack the fitness to pull on climbs, but I can do really well on downhills and flats.


Bruno had another flat halfway down, which was actually pretty good, because I needed to stretch my legs out a bit. Right about mile 85 is when my legs cried anarchy. The ride then became about cramp management, and I had to back way down on my speed.


At mile 95, there was another waterstop where I pounded salty peanuts and grabbed a couple bags of Cliff Shot Blocks. The flavor choice was "Margarita - with Sodium".
Those things are pretty amazing. Very easy to eat and they don't sit in your stomach like a lump. And energy delivery at this point in the ride was almost instantaneous. We call the term "Blocking Up" now, and we have decided that a serving size is one packet, not the two per packet as stated on the label. The engine was burning everything that went into the tank at this point. Bruno pointed out that right after I Blocked Up, I had a tendency to fire the booster rockets. Kinda makes you wonder how the hard stuff like EPO works...

woo hoo!

I passed the 100 mile mark with Mt Ascutney in full view. This is where the VT 50 will take place in September.
There was one more long uphill followed by the smoothest and swoopyest downhill before we finally finished at the Brewery. I was ready to be done, but once I Blocked Up, and the road went down, it was time to hop on the G Train more time. I finished the last section in a ludicrously short amount of time. This is where I got my top speed of 45 mph plus some.


I was expecting to feel a lot worse than I did. Don't get me wrong, I was beat, but I thought I'd be a lot closer to death than I was. The post ride beers helped I'm sure.

I was also very surprised to find that the ride itself took Bruno and I only 6 hours and 10 minutes. I had a total elapsed time of 7:15 on my Garmin, but that included all the rest stops. Bruno had paused his computer during the breaks, but not during the flat changing. I was pretty impressed at our time.
All in all, the event was very organised and supported. The route took us through some quintessential Vermont towns. And the weather was amazing. You couldn't ask for a better day.
And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

The Primero was a star. It did everything I asked, felt super comfortable and stable at any speed. I got to know it very well. In fact, as I write this, I'm contemplating hopping on it for a quick recovery ride.....but have made the choice to stay put on the couch, drink some beer, and watch some baseball.

Tomorrow, it's the return of an old friend.

On the Road Again

With all the rain we've had over the last few weeks, trail riding has been pretty hit or miss. We get a couple of nice days in a row bookended with several days of rain. All this adds up to poor trail conditions.
And, being one of the few that help maintain our local trails, riding them when they are wet never seems right. When I found the big washout after our biblical rains a few weeks ago, I was extremely disappointed to see tire tracks on the trails. I have an idea who those tracks belong to, but unless you catch them in the act, nothing can really be said.

This Thursday, July 26th, VMBA, Stowe Mountain Bike Club and Five Hills Bikes will be camped out at the tunnel leading up to the Perry Hill Trail Network. There will be some BBQ, beverages, riding and tech support. Thursday is by far the busiest night on the trail, and we are trying to spread awareness of what it actually takes to keep the trails in the best possible condition.

Sunday the 29th is also a work day, sponsored by Five Hills Bikes. After the work, we ride and have a BBQ to thank all those that joined in.
Contact the shop for more details 802.244.7330

So needless to say, all work and no riding can make George crazy, so it became clear that something needed to be done. This something manifested itself in a shiny red Salsa Primero.


There are some folks that are probably scratching their heads about this decision, but I look at it a couple of ways.
1. I need to ride. Road riding is a good way of getting out and spinning your worries away.
2. I have the Vermont 50, a 50 mile off road race to do at the end of September. I need to train for a long day in the saddle.
3. Last year I was talking big about wanting to do the Harpoon Point to Point ride. This year I am going to do it. 110 miles is a great way to break in the booty.

The money raised at the Point to Point will benefit the Vermont Food Bank
The ride is on August 11th, and I am accepting donations in any amount, but my goal is to reach a minimum of $500. Anyone wishing to help out can contact me directly, or go on to my profile page and donate directly.
Remember, it is for a good cause, so be generous.

How does the Primero ride? Well, pretty friggin' awesome. Mandy and I cranked out 50 miles yesterday, and the bike disappeared beneath me. I feel that with the correct attention paid to fuelling the engine, 110 miles should be attainable. I'll post some more details on my new 17lb steel skinny tired 29er in an upcoming post. I will say though, that this is the finest riding road bike I have ridden in a looong time.

Did I mention that the Point to Point ends at a brewery?