Mountain roads.
March 13th Boone NC.
Temps are in the mid 60s and wind is variable.
Sun is shining time to go for a bike ride.
Kevin Smit loaded his road bike into the back of the van and drove down the steep winding road, from the house he was staying in, to the bottom of the hill to begin his short ride on the roads around Boone NC.
The route he chose was one he and Theresa had accomplished twice before on their mountain bikes. Those bikes have the gears for long steep climbs. Today Kevin was attempting the ride on his road bike. The gear selection is great for long pulls on flat roads but not so dynamic for mountain roads. Kevin did not need leg warmers or arm warmers as the temperature at the start of the ride was well into the 60s.
Kevin headed out with a quick turn onto highway 105 towards ASU and Boone. This is a busy road but with the downhill slop Kevin was able to mix into the traffic flow easily. A right turn off of 105 put Kevin on service roads that wound around and behind the major shopping areas were all of Boone shops at the Lowes and Walmart. Kevin had little traffic to contend with on this service road that slowly climbed and then fell dumping him onto Highway 301 heading towards Blowing Rock. The first short climb of the day, as cars and dump trucks whizzed past. Lots of loose gravel, dirt, and the remains from salt trucks packed the side of the road were Kevin was forced to ride. After a short distance of about a mile Kevin left the busy highway by turning right onto a paved mountain road that will take him up and over the ski areas and connect onto the blue ridge parkway at the same spot were Highway 301 would have taken him if he continued on that busy highway.
This chosen route is far more scenic, challenging, and less traveled by cars and trucks. Kevin was already winded by the short climb on 301 and knew that the challenge ahead covered several miles of slow steady climbing. The road started off by swooping down into a small valley alongside a mountain stream. Crossing over a single lane bridge eliminated any momentum generated by the downhill run. On the other side of the bridge loomed the long climb with curves that hid the top of the climb from the riders view.
Nothing to do now but sit back on the seat, drop the heals, grab the bars, and slowly grind on up using upper body as well as legs to make headway. No point in standing since the crest of the hill was such a long way away. All the rider could hear was the wheezing generated by lungs straining to draw any extra oxygen through nose and mouth followed by a loud rush of carbon dioxide being exchanged for another attempt at oxygen consumption. 2/3rds of the way to the top of this climb the road made a sharp left turn.
Here the rider stopped at the only level spot of the climb. This stop was needed to bring the heart rate and breathing pattern out of a rhythm that could have been mistaken for spasms. A long draw of water from the water bottle followed by several more as the rider contemplated the idea of turning down hill and reversing his path to call it a day.
Once the heart rate had fallen below Maximum and into the target zone the rider returned the water bottle to its location in the cage. Then with a quick glance to ensure no traffic the rider pushed off and began the ritual of peddling with one leg while fumbling with the other to locate and then clip into the peddle. This was particularly challenging considering the extra wobbling generated by the slow speed as the rider headed on further up hill. This last 1/3 of the climb slowly decreased its angle of attack allowing the rider to shift into higher gears. Once at the top the rider again stopped for a short water break and to look down onto the Skiers as they dismounted from the ski lifts and began their downhill runs. Here was a great opportunity for a picture. Kevin pulled out his cell phone and placed it into camera mode and clicked off two pictures of the ski runs.
March 13th Boone NC.
Temps are in the mid 60s and wind is variable.
Sun is shining time to go for a bike ride.
Kevin Smit loaded his road bike into the back of the van and drove down the steep winding road, from the house he was staying in, to the bottom of the hill to begin his short ride on the roads around Boone NC.
The route he chose was one he and Theresa had accomplished twice before on their mountain bikes. Those bikes have the gears for long steep climbs. Today Kevin was attempting the ride on his road bike. The gear selection is great for long pulls on flat roads but not so dynamic for mountain roads. Kevin did not need leg warmers or arm warmers as the temperature at the start of the ride was well into the 60s.
Kevin headed out with a quick turn onto highway 105 towards ASU and Boone. This is a busy road but with the downhill slop Kevin was able to mix into the traffic flow easily. A right turn off of 105 put Kevin on service roads that wound around and behind the major shopping areas were all of Boone shops at the Lowes and Walmart. Kevin had little traffic to contend with on this service road that slowly climbed and then fell dumping him onto Highway 301 heading towards Blowing Rock. The first short climb of the day, as cars and dump trucks whizzed past. Lots of loose gravel, dirt, and the remains from salt trucks packed the side of the road were Kevin was forced to ride. After a short distance of about a mile Kevin left the busy highway by turning right onto a paved mountain road that will take him up and over the ski areas and connect onto the blue ridge parkway at the same spot were Highway 301 would have taken him if he continued on that busy highway.
This chosen route is far more scenic, challenging, and less traveled by cars and trucks. Kevin was already winded by the short climb on 301 and knew that the challenge ahead covered several miles of slow steady climbing. The road started off by swooping down into a small valley alongside a mountain stream. Crossing over a single lane bridge eliminated any momentum generated by the downhill run. On the other side of the bridge loomed the long climb with curves that hid the top of the climb from the riders view.
Nothing to do now but sit back on the seat, drop the heals, grab the bars, and slowly grind on up using upper body as well as legs to make headway. No point in standing since the crest of the hill was such a long way away. All the rider could hear was the wheezing generated by lungs straining to draw any extra oxygen through nose and mouth followed by a loud rush of carbon dioxide being exchanged for another attempt at oxygen consumption. 2/3rds of the way to the top of this climb the road made a sharp left turn.
Here the rider stopped at the only level spot of the climb. This stop was needed to bring the heart rate and breathing pattern out of a rhythm that could have been mistaken for spasms. A long draw of water from the water bottle followed by several more as the rider contemplated the idea of turning down hill and reversing his path to call it a day.
Once the heart rate had fallen below Maximum and into the target zone the rider returned the water bottle to its location in the cage. Then with a quick glance to ensure no traffic the rider pushed off and began the ritual of peddling with one leg while fumbling with the other to locate and then clip into the peddle. This was particularly challenging considering the extra wobbling generated by the slow speed as the rider headed on further up hill. This last 1/3 of the climb slowly decreased its angle of attack allowing the rider to shift into higher gears. Once at the top the rider again stopped for a short water break and to look down onto the Skiers as they dismounted from the ski lifts and began their downhill runs. Here was a great opportunity for a picture. Kevin pulled out his cell phone and placed it into camera mode and clicked off two pictures of the ski runs.
Back on the bike Kevin found himself within a couple of revolutions of the pedals headed down hill on a road called Flattop (Not very Flat- but it was near the top).This road traveled down the hilltop above the Tweetsie Rail Road theme park, ultimately connecting up finally with the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The rider hit speeds of 38 miles an hour while navigating gingerly through curves that had sand and old salt debris from previous snow removals. Left turn onto the Blue Ridge Parkway had the rider again facing a long steady climb towards the Moses Cone Park and homestead. The traffic was light with a maximum speed on the parkway of 45 miles per hour meant that most cars were happy to wait if needed before passing. Once at the Moses Cone homestead/museum the road again provided a swift ride down towards the intersection with highway 221 headed for Blowing Rock.
Kevin took this turn and then an immediate right turn onto another mountain road that would provide for less traffic and great scenery. Scenery translates always into HILLS. Left turn again with the onset of another climb. This one is not as long but is just as steep.
Over the top of the climb put the rider onto curving narrow level ground that wound along the edge of the mountain tops. Many of the curves were tight enough to warrant signs warning cars to slow to 15 mph. One curve had a convex mirror on a pole to allow drivers to see around the bend to oncoming traffic.
Several cabins lined the edge of the road with just enough shoulder for the cars to park on as their driveway, the rest of the house stuck out over the edge of the mountain supported by stilts that reached down for a sampling of slopped earth. This section of the ride was worth all the climbs to get there and the one last major climb that still lay ahead. Kevin saw only two vehicles on this stretch of the ride as he swung around the curves and tucked in tight on the downhill runs. Kevin relaxed as best he could in an effort to recover as much as possible before the last and most difficult climb of the ride. Down the last dip with enough momentum to get to the sharp right hand turn that signaled the last climb of the day. In preparation Kevin had already shifted to 3 rd gear hoping he would not have to shift to any lower gears.
The bike Kevin was riding has had over 2,800 miles of riding and has never been challenged to get into granny gear. Kevin’s goal was to keep that record clean. 2nd gear and no lower was the objective. Still in 3rd gear the bike and its rider made that sharp right hand turn just as all the momentum from the previous dip and rise had dissolved. A wall of blacktop met the bike and rider head on.
Up out of the saddle the rider leaned forward over the handle bars. Legs slowly turning the bike being thrown from side to side the handle bars being pulled on so hard the front wheel was losing traction with the pavement. Push down with the left leg, pull up on the cleats with the right leg. Momentum getting dangerously low.
Shift! 2nd gear did nothing to change the situation…….. SHIFT! First gear now allowed for a slightly higher cadence resulting in a slight surge forward. Rider slumps back into the saddle, heals down, arms pulling on the handle bars, a slow methodic rotation of the crank shaft as the chain rolled over the cogs of the largest chain ring on the rear cluster of the bike.
Each chain link could be counted as they slowly rounded their way up and over that first gear. The record has been broken. The bike now has had all gears utilized in its short life of just under 3,000 miles. Time for a new bike. ;-) Or maybe a stronger rider. On and on the climb continued.
About half way through the climb the grade reduced in degrees allowing the rider to find 2nd gear and then third, only to be challenged again to work back to first gear. On and on the climb continued with spurts were the rider would climb out of the saddle in an effort to coax the bike into a short lived surge. 4 mph was the maximum speed on this climb.
The rider spent 1/4th of the days time on the ride on this last climb. Just as suddenly as this climb impacted the skills of this rider and his bike the climb transitioned into a long sweeping downhill that lasted for miles at speeds of 38 to 40 mph. WAHOO. The wind generated by the downhill speeds produced tears in the rider’s eyes rider, and the wind generated a deafening nose in the rider’s ears. Cars following along behind had no need to pass as they and the rider were in perfect harmony through the mountain curves and long downhill run. Back to Highway 105 and after a left turn followed by a short run downhill the rider finds himself gliding to a stop alongside his parked vehicle. A great challenge, a record setting (granny gear) day, a warm sunny 17 miles at a blistering 11 mph average. This average had sections of the ride were the bike and rider hit speeds of 33 to 38 miles an hour over several mile + long downhill stretches
No comments:
Post a Comment