Hancock's Bridge 100km randonneur ride 12.05.2021

I wanted to ride a RUSA Permanent metric century each month for 12 consecutive months (a P-12) without repeating any routes. But I ran out of desirable choices after 11, so I decided to repeat this one, created this year by Rick, who agreed to ride along with me (again, as he did in June). His idea to ride the loop clockwise this time appealed to me, as it kinda made it a new route.

The weather forecast was pretty good for a December day, temps 39-53F with winds not exceeding 8mph (but they still fought me across the open fields late in the ride). The route around Cumberland and Salem Counties goes from the edge of Millville thru Fairton, the county-seat city of Bridgeton, historic Greenwich, Canton, Harmersville, historic Hancock's Bridge, Quinton, Rosenhayn and little Carmel, with lots of low-traffic country roads thru farm country and wooded areas.
We took one short diversion onto New Bridge Road to check out the closed old bridge over swift-moving Alloway Creek (incoming tide), which was a good place for my nature break. And the following stop at Bud's Market in Quinton was a welcome place, as always, to sit on a bench out front in the sunshine and munch a treat. There I learned that Rick once tore down the top of the engine to replace a head gasket in a second-hand 1980s Dodge Daytona he owned. Major props for that.

We rode and talked (never a problem when riding with Rick), and for once I even beat him to the punchline of one of his pop-up jokes. It was a "wrenching" experience. 

I was dragging a bit with an achy knee on the last long stretches (of 7, 5, 7 and 4 miles).
At the end, I was congratulated for completing my P-12. Thanks for the support and company, Rando Rixter.

Course map, elevation profile and pics here:

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/79572965

Bow Tie Metric 100km randonneur ride 11.17.2021

 For my monthly metric century, I rode the Bow Tie Metric out of New Egypt NJ, about an hour's drive from home. I was solo, so with no time constraints and colder early temps, I took my time getting to the start, only to discover I'd left my phone at home! *urk* Well, no pictures today. 

I started riding, making a right turn out of the Wawa convenience store; after some miles of the Garmin's Off Course warning (nothing new), I saw a sign saying I was entering a military reservation. That's not right, I realized. So I turned around and after 8+ miles I was back at the start, making another right turn out of the Wawa, but a different exit, that put me on the correct road. My bad for not checking the road name on the big intersection signage previously. Bonus miles, right off the git-go. *urk again*

It turned out that four (4) of the controls wanted a picture to prove I had gone the correct route, no short-cutting. But I didn't have my phone / camera. When I had first discovered my phone missing, I thought to bring paper and pencil that I had in my vehicle, so at the controls I sketched out what I was supposed to photograph, using the saddle (working around its cutout) to support my paper 'canvas.' I don't know that my artist's renderings would hold up in court, but they were the best I could do in the circumstances. Along with the electronic file from the Garmin, there should really be no doubt I rode the whole route.

And the route was a nice one, with lots of roads thru woods and farm country. Worth riding again, for sure. However, with the bonus miles at the start, the ride was more distance than I am used to, and my legs felt it. But I experienced none of my dreaded cramping, thanks to dosing myself with the 2 Saltstick capsules every 20 miles or so.

I had a Garmin hiccup again, rearing its ugly head after I had stopped at a deli control for about 15 minutes (and enjoyed sitting in the sunshine eating and drinking). But with the cue sheets hanging off my handlebar, I was able to work things out. Again, the belt-and-suspenders approach paid off.

Fought headwinds toward the end of the ride, just as the forecast showed. Worst when riding by open fields, of course, but not too terribly bad. I saw a few autumn scenes that made me miss my camera. There were a number of times I thought, what a beautiful fall day to be out riding my bicycle.

On the Spesh Roubaix, as usual.

Route map with elevation profile and artist's renderings here:

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/78708289

Half Dirty Metric 100km randonneur ride 10.19.2021

Rode the Half Dirty Metric route out of Flemington NJ today for my monthly rando metric century. I was lucky enough to have Rick and Walt riding along. Those gentlemen are strong riders and good bike mates. I'd forgotten to load the route into my Garmin GPS (Doh!), but remembered the paper cue sheets, so today I had just a belt, no suspenders. Fortunately, Rick had the route loaded onto his phone; that made all the difference.

I rode my 1974 Raleigh Super Course Mk II with the 32mm tires, because there are plenty of unpaved roads (hence the route's name) where the larger rubber is desirable. There are also lots of hills up there in Central Jersey; having ridden this route in 2018 as part of a brevet group, I was concerned about one tough climb up to the QuickChek control in Chester, but gritted it out in first gear, which is not that low on this bike. No walking was required, I am pleased to report. The old-school, balky friction shifters (both under- and over-shifting!) were an ongoing adventure, tho, and added an element of uncertainty on the climbs. Wouldn't do it again.

In a Hunterdon County park at Landsdown Trail we came upon a fence-closed gravel road ("Weather damage. No trespassing. Violators will be prosecuted."). Rick worked his phone and found an alternate way, bless him.

A long stretch of this route (about 15 miles, from High Bridge thru Califon and Long Valley to Mount Olive Twp) is on the Columbia Trail, an old railroad right-of-way that now has the Columbia Gas pipeline buried beneath it. In good shape, it made for easy riding, along with walkers, runners, other cyclists and piles of evidence of horse traffic.
Some other gravel stretches of this route were washboard. My bike was bouncing, and my head was hurting. No fun to ride. Later I found my bike's headset had worked loose.

We traveled along the Raritan River a lot (the Columbia Trail parallels it, as did the rail line, apparently), and passed a long driveway of a place labeled Raritan Headwaters. 

Saw some wildlife, including a fawn, a snake and a praying mantis on the road; all survived. Walt (former state game warden and park ranger) pointed out Osage oranges, which were lying by the side of the road in a number of places.

We met a guy at the QuickChek control in Chester, Corey Degree, who chatted with us and handed out his Orbit Energy & Power business card to all three of us, in case we are interested in going with solar for our homes.

For some unknown reason, I had to stop for many nature breaks. We made one unscheduled nature/food stop in Long Valley (Rick gave me half a toasted cinnamon-raisin bagel with cream cheese), and with all the slower, gravel road riding, we thought we might miss the time cutoff, but we finished with almost 40 minutes to spare.

Besides the half bagel, I ate a That's It mini fruit bar and a Clif bar along the way. As usual, I also downed 8 Saltstick capsules to stave off cramping. I had a Clif caffeine gel with me, but like last time, I felt strong enough that I didn't feel the need to partake.

Weather was pretty near ideal, with clear blue skies and temps from the high 40s into the 60s by the end. There was some 10mph+ wind out of the west/northwest, but we didn't feel it much, often being among the trees.

All in all, another good day on the bike with good buddies for company.

Route map with elevation profile plus pics here:  https://ridewithgps.com/trips/77323738

Sourlands 100km randonneur ride 9.10.2021

The Around the Sourlands RUSA permanent was my choice for this month's randonneuring metric century (100km), using a Hopewell NJ start (instead of Piscataway, as originally drawn up by the route's creator). Starting in Hopewell, besides being a much shorter drive from home, meant the route's real climbs, along the Sourland Mountains ridge, took place early in our ride when we were fresh, which I preferred.

I rode with bike-club buddy Rick (who is the main person responsible for my giving rando a go). Again, he was good about my stopping to take pictures; some riders might not be as patient.

We saw some people setting up, marking roads etc, for tomorrow's Sourlands Spectacular, a big annual fund-raiser ride out of Montgomery Township that spends more time on the ridges. I am thinking about going back to ride that route on my own some time. Nice country. I gotta say, calling this a Sourlands route is misleading. It starts out in that vicinity, but soon becomes mostly urban/suburban. 

A lot of water runs thru some of the areas we traversed, including the Raritan and Millstone Rivers, Bound Brook and other feeders. We were surprised to see the aftermath of flooding caused by the rains from Hurricane Ida last week; there were numerous road detours (none that affected us). There was debris as high as our heads in the trees along one road, and one ('closed') bridge we crossed had a lot of stuff washed up, filling the walkway. In one area there were a lot of water-damaged household items sitting out along the roadside, awaiting trash pickup.

Weather was outstanding, sunny and 60-72F; a few times we felt the headwinds, NW at 8-12mph, but usually we were shielded by the trees. 

Pics, route map and elevation profile here: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/74987817

Breakneck 100km randonneur ride 8.10.2021

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

Knapp's Cranbury 100km randonneur ride 7.20.2021

Had a pretty nice Summer day for this month's solo metric century - sunny, temps 70s to mid-80s, very low winds.

Just one Garmin hiccup, and, surprisingly, one cue-sheet error. Not bad. Between the two, I got the route sorted out. The belt-and-suspenders approach paid off again.

This was the first time I went by the Monmouth Battlefield, so I picked up a park brochure (while taking a nature break). Upon reading it at home later, I learned that the June 1778 battle was an important political win for the home team, with lots of Continental star power: Washington, Lafayette, "Mad" Anthony Wayne, and General Charles Lee (uncle of Robert E.). It is also where the myth of  "Molly Pitcher" originated.

I ran out of water, so I went into a Donkey coffee shop and grabbed a bottle out of the cold case. But some super senior ahead of me was holding things up big-time trying to prove to the bewildered counter-person that she was entitled to something extra according to whatever she had in her gold shopping bag. I got so frustrated waiting, I put the bottle back and left, finishing the ride with empty water bottles. I hope I never get old. Hey, wait a minute...

At one point, a driver in a car headed the other direction on an otherwise quiet country road yelled out something to me, not sure what, but it ended in the syllable "-ole." I wasn't affecting his drive in any way; guess he just needed to express himself.

Route map and pics here:  https://ridewithgps.com/trips/71626509

Hancock's Bridge 100km randonneur ride 6.08.2021

"And what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days..."
-James Russell Lowell

On this nice, hot day in June, I rode the new Hancock's Bridge 100km Permanent route with its creator, Rixter. Rick is a stronger rider than me (I've called myself "Mr Slowski") but he is good enough to wait for me up ahead, sometimes out of view. At one point I saw two riders coming toward me, with one wearing a jersey that reminded me of Rick's. Wait a minute - that IS Rick, and with him is fellow club-member Gary, out for a solo ride. Pure happenstance, meeting up on the road. Funny.

Starting near the Union Lake dam in Millville NJ, the route heads past the southern edge of Parvin State Park and up to Anderson's Store in Centerton, over to Bud's Market in Quinton (good breakfast sandwiches), down to historic Greenwich (site of a pre-Revolution tea party), up to Bridgeton, down to Fairton, then back to the western edge of Millville. It is an enjoyable course, a lot of long runs on quiet country roads with some elevation due to a few rollers (by South Jersey standards). Route, elevation profile and pics here: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/68856358

We rode past some foot-high corn; it would be nice to ride the route again when the corn is tall. I saw my first mountain laurel in bloom (Millville-Fairton Road), and heard a couple different cocks crowing. A number of dogs barked hello, but seemed to be kept on their property by invisible fence - except for 3 little dogs that together came charging right out onto the road. I predict short lifespans for them.

As usual, I had a Garmin GPS hiccup, where it told me I was off-course and needed to make a U-Turn. Fortunately the ride-creator was with me to keep me on the correct path.

I am now halfway to a RUSA P-12.