My 76th birthday rides
Gerry Dungan wrote an article in the Trend weekly newspaper recently and his closing remarks were that I would ride to St. Petersburg Florida for my 76 birthday. I caution Gerry that getting permission from the family isn't easy. Now I find that duties are such that the trip isn't possible. however, the duties aren't every day. So I came up with a plan for each day that is free for me, I will ride a 100 miles or more. Today I learned that a dinner outing is planned for June 14th, so I can't ride on my birthday. June 7th is another family affair, so looks like 8 days max to ride 1000 miles. Roughly the distance to St. Petersburg. I will ride vicariously to Florida by riding from home to a destination and back home. Last Saturday I rode to Salem NJ for 101 miles. mid week I rode to our church to made a delivery and on to Ambler, PA, and today I rode to Allentown for 100 miles. Let the chase begin.
Saturday May 31, 2008, 100 miles, 10.3 average, 7317 feet of climbing. I left home at 5:30 am on a route to Allentown PA. My plans is to "box the compass" a boy scout term. All ride start from home in Cheltenham, PA. Allentown is north, about 11 o'clock . The next ride will be to Bethlehem PA about 12 o'clock. Then rides in News Jersey around the clock face. Today's ride started with a forecast of rain in the afternoon. A bicycle rider caught me in Oreland and mention that the rain jacket in my shirt pocket would keep the rain away. I told him that by time I got to Allentown and back, I expected to get wet. The rain didn't catch me until I got to Allentown and the rain jacket never came out. I stopped at a dunkin Donut for lunch until that shower blew over. About 5 miles later, in Emmaus, another cloudburst, I stopped under the cover of a gas station until the rain slacken. I then rode off in the drizzle. The drizzle lasted for about 20 miles. On my go route, Kriebel road is closed where it cross the turnpike. The detour put me on Rt. 63. Normally, I would get off Rt. 63 as soon as possible but I stayed on Rt. 63 until Geryville Pike. Geryville Pike becomes King Highway and the two got me to Vera Cruz, just outside of Allentown. I found the traffic very light on my last two centuries. I think the price of gas is keeping some cars off the road. Traffic was a little heaver on the return, but ok for me.
Tuesday June 3, 2008. 152.8 miles, 11.3 average 5675 feet of climbing, New Jersey isn't flat! I left home at 5:30 am for Spring Lake NJ, The gps route combine a Cheltenham to Moorestown and a Moorestown to Spring Lake. the two are about 66 miles. Once I was in Spring Lake and it was only about noon, the wind was at my back and I average 12.9 going to Spring Lakes. I decided to make the ride 150 miles, I rode the ocean drives north to Bradley Beach. four towns past Spring Lakes. Belmar was the busiest of all, so many people. To my surprise Belmar has a Dunkin Donut. I had lunch there, had to wait in a long line. I Use the bike path from Allaire State park to Spring Lake and on the return I Stayed on the beach road to Manasquan. I had to ask for direction when I found my self in Brielle. I should've turn on to Main Street to reach the trail. I had a head wind most of the way home and the finial average shows it. Below are map on the route to Florida, I am up to 389 mile and the map below shows me in North Carolina.
Thursday June 5, 2008. 115.6 miles 9.8 average, 7567 feet of climbing. most climbing to date, highest elevation 900 feet. I cut the grass at home yesterday. On my 74th birthday ride on this same route to Florida, I mention to a few people that one reason I turn around at Norfolk VA, was that I had concerns about the grass not getting cut. Anthony Broomall, a BCP member with an remarkable memory, reminds me of that fact often. It could be the heat this time Anthony. This ride was planned for Egg Harbor, NJ and Bethlehem ride was to be Saturday. The weather forecast for Saturday is 95 degree. The gps was loaded with the Egg Harbor route, but I've done the Bethlehem route more than a dozen times, The Musikfest club ride Starting from Hatfield PA at first a 65 mile ride. Tom Witt rode SEPTA regional rail to the start and mention that he pass a deli in the block before the school I use as a start; The Rosenberg ride was born. I also used this route for the America Diabetic Assn. a few years ago with more than 100 riders. I first planned this route as a ride the the Shad Festival in the same park as the Musikfest is now held. Then I cross South Mountain into Bethlehem from the west. I soon found that crossing South Mountain from the East was a more gradually climb entering and leaving Bethlehem. Profile of rides below shows the return of Bethlehem ride to not be as high, since I return on different roads. While the Allentown ride I turn around and used the same roads. The New Jersey ride profiles does show the rise and fall, thou not as high.
Saturday June 7, 2008 117.7 miles, 10.3 moving average, 5843 feet of climbing. The different is that the rise is more gradually in New Jersey, most of the time. The route I feed to the gps wanted to use a road that was too busy. I knew the road I wanted to get to, Cooper Rd. I move the gps pointer to Cooper Road and selected go to. It took me through the development that I had used before to the other side. 90 degrees other return, I took four breaks on the return, none going until Egg Harbor. My rear wheel is wobbling, I have to replace the bearing Monday I am mile wise in Myrtle Beach SC now.
Monday, June 9, 2008. I woke up early with concerns about the rear wheel wobble and is it really the bearing. I was talking to Anthony Broomall and he mention that a seal bearing wouldn't develop wobble, they get noisy or freeze. I thought about that and took the wheel apart. First I removed the cassette, then the dust covers, then I drove the axle and one bearing out. As I turned the wheel over, I would hear a sliding object. once the axle and bearing was out one side, the freewheel indexer fell in my hand and it retainer nut came out the other side. I had rebuilt a freewheel indexer on this same Cannondale before but a different wheel and knew what has happen. This wheel was bought new about a year ago, the retaining nut has a 12 mm hex socket and the long end of the hex wrench has to be use to remove or replace the nut. This one had work loose and the pressure of the skewer is the only thing that held the assembly together for about 50 miles. I had notice a small wobble about 150 miles ago when I repair a flat in Spring Lake. Thinking that it was a worn bearing, and the wear would be gradually, I didn't get concern about the wobble. Had I actually been on the road, mile wise I am in Myrtle Beach on a Sunday. While I thought I was prepared for any emergency that my bicycle could encounter, I didn't have a rubber mallet or the 10 inch long hex wrench that I used at home for the repair. I do carry a Hypercracker, not available to buy anymore. Place it in the cassette and it will remove the cassette by stepping on the pedal. On the road, I would have to find a Local Bicycle Shop and buy another wheel or wait to have that one repaired. Even on this vicariously trip, I could've had a 20 mile walk on the 100+ mile rides I am doing now, to reach a LBS ---- or use the cell phone.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008. Duties this morning, free to ride at noon, 55.6 miles 10.5 average, 5.3 hours of riding. Anthony asked if I had tested the repair. I said no, but thought about doing a test ride, then reason that it was no need. So I plottes a ride to Yardley PA. I was looking for a flatter route than Brownville road for the return. I went to Yardley via Brownville Road and return through Bensalem and Conwell Height. It was 2 miles longer and the hills felt better but worst traffic. For my ride to Florida, I am vicariously in Charleston SC.
Friday, June 13, 2008. Last ride before my birthday, left home at 6 am, 114.2 miles, 10 mph average. 11.5 hours of riding, 7459 feet of climbing. This ride is into north Jersey, Hunterton county. Had I not use the River Roads, the climb would be higher, such as going and returning through Sergeantville, as I have done before on this ride. Traffic was not heavy, so i decided to let the gps use Hunting Valley Pike. It occurred to me on the way back that the rise and falls are more since the road is closer to the river and the valleys are deeper. I will use the old route to New Hope in the Future.
I fail to ride the 1000 miles for this birthday. I vicariously reached Savannah with 793 miles, to reach the Florida line at the closest point, changing the route a little, as there is a cup shaped dip in the state line, is 925 miles. The altitude gain for the entire route Cheltenham to St. Petersburg is 5231 feet of climbing. The totals climbs for the 8 rides that I rode is 46057 feet. The gain for the ride I did is from the gps tracks. The gains for the route to Florida is from a route plotted in Delorme Topo map. To check and compare, I plotted the Bethlehem ride on Delorme Topo map and it was a 100 feet more that the gps tracks profile. Six of the eight rides are more than 100 miles in length. Duties are such that I will get very little riding in for several weeks. So the chart below for June will not expand to 700 miles, however, next year look for the blue line to exceed 1000 miles.
Bike log for May and June.
May 2008 76 birthday rides.
GPS tracks from Eight ride I've rode since Saturday May 24, 2008 on my cottoncariously, a play on the word "Vicariously'. since I cannot actually ride to Florida, I am overlaying the miles that I am riding on the route map below.
Bethlehem Profile
Allentown profile
Salem profile
Spring Lake profile
Egg harbor Profile
Yardley profile. From 20 to 30 miles is along the river. At 40 mile I am back along the Delaware river.
Clinton Profile. The two low, from 20 to about 38 and 62 to 80 are River roads in the New Hope area.