For this month's metric century I rode the Breakneck 100km Permanent route with Rick, its creator.
We arrived simultaneously for a pre-ride breakfast at the Lamp Post Diner about 6am, its opening time per its website, only to find it dark. The sign out front said, Open 7am.
We left our cars there, geared and saddled up, then rode a short distance to a Wawa, where we ate breakfast sandwiches, turned on our recording devices, and headed out on a grey, humid morning. Forecast was partly cloudy, 72-84F, winds out of the south at 5-8mph. Pretty good riding weather for August.
This route starts in Gloucester Township (not far from Camden County College), heads over to Mullica Hill, down to Vineland, up to New Brooklyn and Sicklerville, across the highest point, in downtown Erial (part of the same alluvial ridge that runs thru Pine Hill and Pine Valley Golf Course), then back down to the starting point. A bit of the early part of the route was on a bike path in Blackwood NJ, but the rest of it was on roads. Several of them were a bit sketchy, with car traffic and minimal shoulders (can't imagine doing it without my helmet mirror), but most of the ride was enjoyable, especially in the farm and orchard country.
This was the first loaded-in course ridden while using my new Garmin 830, which replaces my 820 (possibly a defective unit). I only growled at it once.
Rick was game to accompany me for this monthly metric, even tho he had ridden the route with someone else just a few days (nights, actually) before. I welcomed his good company. We were never at a loss for conversation, and the ride went well and safely.
Another month, another metric century. Rando-lite, I call it.
Pictures, route map and profile are viewable here: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/72995974
