Down Jersey (windy) Hundy

I decided to attempt a full-century rando ride in early April, as part of my streak of monthly P-12 (100km+) rides and also to gauge if I was up to attempting a pre-ride of my buddy Rick's upcoming 200k (125 mile) brevet for NJ Randonneurs. I had already commited to working one of the controls for the brevet, and it is usual practice for volunteers to pre-ride the course a week or two before the event and get RUSA credit for riding the brevet.

Lately I've gone back to riding the long rides on Sundays (as I used to do pre-retirement when I worked on weekdays); I like not having to deal with rush hours, school buses and dump trucks. Wanting to get this first ride done early in the month, I went ahead with planning to ride the Down Jersey Hundy on the first Sunday even tho the weather forecast showed I would be going into 12 mph headwinds for hours during the mid-to-later stages of the course. But those winds made the ride unenjoyable. "Got 'er done. But it weren't fun."

Thought I felt a flat while riding in the City of Bridgeton, the most urban part of the course. Sure enough. Pulled over and saw that I was in front of the Salvation Army building, so I decided to hike-a-bike onto their grounds to make my repair. I have a soft spot for the place, since I write the annual donation check from my bike club to their food pantry (open twice a week, with morning and afternoon sessions both days - the need is great, apparently). 

I could not find the source of the leak, but I didn't feel any problem inside the tire, so I went ahead and put in a new tube, aired it up with my frame pump and avoided using the CO2 cartridges I carry with me. The pump got things up to riding hardness without too much effort. Thumbs up, Lezyne. I had shifted into the smallest cog to facilitate removal of the rear wheel for the repair, but forgot to shift to an easier gear before pulling away afterward. And of course the first block was a steep uphill, so I really had to grind it out (too difficult to shift while struggling). *urk*

The trickiest traffic part of this course is where major roads (turnpike, interstate etc) come together right by the Delaware Memorial Bridge. It is a real nexus. As I had done before, I thought it best to yield to a big truck coming uphill rather than assert my right of way to cross the off-ramp Yield area. It is not easy for those big rigs to stop and start on an incline. I waved the semi on while coming to a halt safely in the middle of some road striping, waited until it was clear, then continued across the ramp mouth. Sharing the road. I think the trucker appreciated it.

Random thoughts:

1) I started putting my phone in a handlebar mount, as opposed to carrying it in a pocket (tho it does mean I have to attach my front blinky on the fork leg as there is no more room on the handlebar.) I like the new arrangement. On this ride, I responded to a couple texts en route, using the microphone voice-to-text feature to carry on one brief conversation while riding along. Also, now I can see who is calling me, in order to answer immediately if an emergency arises.

2) Saw that what was a Gloucester County peach orchard last year is now a cleared field with some piles of trees to be disposed of. I guess peaches are not as profitable as other crops. I heard that in Hammonton, peach trees are being removed to make room for still more blueberry bushes.

3) Thinking I needed to pay more attention to fueling, I ate a lot more on this ride, including 2 Lara bars, a handful of Clif Blocks, a Clif Shot Double Espresso (no longer sold!), a bottle of Ensure Plus, and 4 SaltStick capsules. And near the end, I treated myself to more caffeine and sugar - a Diet Coke and two Reese cups from the Circle K on the circle on US-130 in Carneys Point.

4) It's curious that the various platforms show a wide range of elevations for this route. Ride with GPS mapping shows it as 1589', while my Garmin file uploaded from this ride shows it as 2149' on RwGPS, but 1801' on Strava! Guess it is not an exact science.

5) Unless I can build up my bike fitness using the trainer in the basement, I don't think I will be attempting any more full-century rides this year. It appears I don't have the leg strength I had as recently as last year, alas.

Ride map, elevation profile and pics here:

Down Jersey Hundy · Ride with GPS

Burden Hill, 2023 Year in Review

I let this ride go until late in the month, 12.26.2023, and with Rixter, rode the Burden Hill 100k RUSA permanent route, completing my third P-12.

It's a good feeling, the P-12, keeping my consecutive-month streak alive at 36. 

Without really setting any goals beyond most miles ever, I accomplished a lot this year, including most miles ever, drawing up and getting approved by RUSA three new permanent routes (Burden Hill being one), riding two 200ks, two full centuries, five time trials (with varying results), one NJ Randonneurs' brevet populaire (Juneteenth 117k) and two bike-overnites (one using my tent at Bass River State Forest). I added a new old bike, a 2008 Trek Madone 5.5, purchased from a club buddy who purchased it from another club buddy who had bought it new. Plus I finally learned how to clear my nose while riding without a hanky. 

Map, route profile and pics here:

Burden Hill · Ride with GPS

Running Down

 I took up running eleven years ago because I wanted some regular aerobic, weight-bearing exercise to complement my cycling. Cycling is not weight-bearing, and does not help to stave off osteoporosis.

The past couple years I've been doing two 5k runs. In preparation for those, I start adding distance to my typically twice-weekly 2.22-mile runs around my neighborhood over the course of the four weeks prior, ramping up to close to 3.1 miles by the end.

In July, I ran the Pineland Striders' Independence Day 5k, and was surprised to finish 40 seconds slower than 2022.

This week, I ran the Audubon Veterans Day 5k, and was even more surprised to finish 2 minutes, 41 seconds slower than last year!

I am not sure why I am running so much slower, but I have to face the idea that age is catching up with me. And quickly. Damn.

My age-percentage is still well above 50, but when I look at the finish-line video, I see an old man trundling along. Others have commented on it as well.

Going forward, I think I will continue my neighborhood runs, and only do the Veterans Day run each November. It is local, and supports American Legion scholarships to Audubon High School seniors. And this way, I can continue to monitor my decline.

Crank Recall Blues

 I learned on bikeforums.net that Shimano issued a CPSC recall for some cranks that were prone to cracking. The 1997 date of the recall didn't seem to have a cutoff period, as someone posting on the bf site just had the recall done, and at no cost to him. Pretty good of them, considering it is now 16 years later.

The forum had plenty of info, so I knew what part numbers were affected. I checked the bikes in my shed, and sure enough, my 1996 GT Outpost (rigid fork MTB with the cro-mo 'triple-triangle' frame) had a crank that fit the bill. The bike had been my work commuter 2 days a week, but I retired 7 years ago, so it has seen only limited use since then. With its racks and 26 x 1.95 tires, it is jeep-like and makes a decent grocery-getter, but I already have 2 of those, with 700c tires for more speed and longer distance. I had it in mind possibly to sell the GT, and since there were plenty of instances of cranks failing, some of which caused injury, I figured I might as well make it right for the next owner.

I contacted my local REI store, figuring my being a member might facilitate things. The guy said to bring the bike in, and they would look into the matter. The tech at the counter during drop-off, tho, said the recall may have ended due to the number of years that had passed. When I protested that someone just had the recall honored a month before, the tech said he was "just trying to manage expectations." Fair enough. He put a $60 charge on the work order, but said that might be picked up by Shimano.

About a week later, I got a call from another tech, telling me Shimano approved the work and was sending new parts - chainrings/cranks, bottom bracket, front derailleur and chain (I'd heard they frequently replaced all those parts for compatibility sake). My charge was now to be $80 (which I did not protest, figuring I could get into that later), and the REI shop should finish the job and call me in a week or so.

I called Shimano, and was told that they supply the parts and include an undisclosed (I asked) allowance to the shop for return shipping (Shimano wanted to see the old parts and take them out of circulation, I think). But Shimano does not cover the labor. That was between me and my shop.

A week or so later, I was told my bike was ready, and the charge was now $139 plus tax. Per the invoice, it broke down this way:

Crankset + Bottom Bracket install $60

Derailleur install $28

Chain install $20

Der cable install $28

It shows on the invoice that I did get the shop member labor rate, $100/hr. This is supposed to be 20% off the non-member cost, which I guess must be $125/hr. Bike shops need to turn a profit, and I'd like to see this one especially survive (tho I do my own work), so I can't begrudge them the invoice amount. It's just that I went into this thinking I'd get it all done free, as some others have. Oh well.

The invoice also pointed out other claimed deficiencies with the bike, including "tires are dry-rotted" (which they aren't) and "cassette is worn and should be replaced." Seeing as how it now had a new chain and probably the original cassette, this last item wasn't surprising. Glad the shop didn't take it upon themselves to go ahead and do that work; I bought the part online ($22) and did my own install.

So now I have sunk $167 into a bike I bought for $125 off Craigslist in 2011 and wasn't using anymore. It's a good bike with a mostly new drivetrain, but I doubt I could sell it and recoup my recent reinvestment.

Still, it makes a good story for bike nuts. 

Oyster Creek Permanent Ride 4.27.2023

With Rick, I rode another one of his perms. He had to keep his 200km monthly streak alive to earn his R-12, and he was running out of month and rideable weather. Rick has had some physical issues, having to cut short a recent attempt at a 300km ride, and he wanted some company for this ride. I was wondering recently if I could still handle the distance, not having ridden 200km in over a year. So it came together, and really went okay.

We met and started riding mid-course in Hammonton NJ, roughly an equally distant drive for each of us. We started out in the chilly rain; not a downpour, but enough to make us hope it would end soon.  Thankfully, after an hour or so, it did.

I guess the rain washed off the lube, as my chain got chattery about halfway thru the ride. Knowing the weather forecast, for the first time I had packed some Finish Line Wet lube just in case. It came in handy. I applied it outside of Bud's Market (a control) in Alloway while enjoying a little time out of the saddle at about 90 miles in. While stopped there, I also enjoyed my first taste of Gerber's organic pureed baby food in a pouch, something I had seen recommended in a comment in a Road Bike Rider newsletter. I immediately wished I had packed a second pouch, it was that good and went down that easily. Along those same lines, I read where many riders like a Snickers for fuel, but not wanting to deal with peanut pieces in my teeth, about 50 miles in I opted for my first (Share Size) Milky Way in umpteen years, maybe since I was a trick-or-treater. Mmmm.

Fauna-wise, I saw a blue heron flying very close by, plus guinea hens, horses, cows, goats, sheep and donkeys, turtles (alive and dead), red-winged blackbirds, a duck family of 5 on a pond, and vultures tearing into a road-killed deer.

Flora-wise, I saw lots of pines (of course), plenty of Atlantic white cedar, blooming dogwood, wisteria, and lilacs (including some bushes planted in rows (?)), plus lots of blueberry fields, all with the bushes in bloom. I hope to be picking some by July 1.

As it turned out, Rick was his usual strong-riding self. He even chased after a trio of young bucks out on a training ride, and, even with his fendered bike sporting a big handlebar bag, damn near caught them before they turned off.

Me, I was happy not to have to resort to ibuprofen or additional caffeine; I just made sure to dose myself every 25 miles with a couple SaltStick capsules to fend off my old nemisis, the cramp monster. The ride went well enough that I plan to attempt another 200km in the near future.

I didn't care enough for this route to want to do it again, mainly due to traffic / shoulder concerns. However, Rick is working on creating another 200km permanent, in deep South Jersey, so I may be doing that one in the next few months.

On the 2013 Specialized Roubaix, my rando rig.

Route elevation, profile and pics here:

Oyster Creek 200km Permanent Route - A bike ride in Hammonton, NJ (ridewithgps.com)

Runnemede-Bridgeton-Runnemede randonneur ride 3.12.23

I rode a RUSA randonneur permanent route yesterday to get my monthly 100k+ ride in for the (27th straight) month. I picked a day with the forecast showing low winds (4-6 mph), which helped, as this route goes thru a lot of open farm country on NJ 77. Wind-chills were about 25F to start, but rose to close to 40F. Not bad.

One plus about riding solo, I can stop to take pictures whenever I want, so I do.

A couple miles into the ride, I realized I left my Clif bar in the glove box of my RAV. Riding solo, and without a good lock to use while I went inside a Wawa or some such, when I a saw sleepy little convenience store with just one car pulling away, I thought that would be a safe place to leave my bike unattended and pop in for some sustenance. A good excuse to buy a Reese's, I reasoned.

Saw about 20 turkeys together in a field, with a few of them showing their tail-feathers in all their glory. Must be mating season.

Had a yappie dog hanging out a car's back window yapping at me as I was going by close, negotiating a tricky traffic spot of bad road surface. I yelled at him, Shaddup! Just shaddup! The cur yapped even faster, but at least I stuck up for myself.

Had to pop 200mg of ibuprofen when my left knee started protesting, but it was enough to get me thru.
A good day on the bike.

Map, route profile and pics here:

Runnemede-Bridgeton-Runnemede - A bike ride in Runnemede, NJ (ridewithgps.com)

Gibbstown-Springtown URR rando ride again

Rode a rando route solo yesterday (26th straight month), Gibbstown-Springtown Underground Railroad, and happened to pick a day when the wind really favored me; it was mild in my face going South in the first half, then picked up a bit to become a nice tailwind on my return.

Still, I struggled, with my legs protesting the effort, which surprised me, as I had gotten a lot of miles in during January. Maybe it was the amount of up and down today, or the fact that I didn't get a lot of sleep last nite. Or maybe it was my lowered tire pressures, as I was trying 65/55psi, rr/fr. Dunno, but coming back thru Swedesboro with less than 7 miles to go, I did an unusual thing: I stopped for a big slice of pizza at Mama Francesca's. It was great, I ate it standing up and I felt revived.

I saw an eagle in a tree watching over a distant pasture along Kings Highway. Thought I captured it in a picture, but I must've aimed at the wrong tree.

Heard a big bunch of blackbirds carrying on near the Salem County landfill on McKillup Road. They were trash-talking, I guess.

At home later, I got a call from riding buddy Geo, who said he saw me riding as he drove by. Cool. As it turns out, the last time I rode this route, it was with Geo!

Map, route profile and pics here:

Gibbstown-Springtown rando ride - A bike ride in Gloucester County, NJ (ridewithgps.com)