Training Log Archive: PG

I'm still wanting to get some sort of gravel/adventure bike that would fit in nicely between my road and mountain bikes when I want to go exploring on dirt/woods roads, so today was time for some research on how low the lowest gear needs to be. Counted the cogs on the lower gears on the mountain bike and decided the 4th lowest (ie. still three lower gears) was about what one bike has that I'm thinking about, and maybe 15% lower than what's on my road bike. So the plan was to see if I could get up the hills with that.

Up to Shelburne, first hill was Cooper Lane, maybe 700' climb, dirt, nothing more than 10%, got up that without any distress (which does not mean without any work). So far so good. And then a few miles around and about to get me to Patten Hill Road, maybe 900' climb, maybe up to 14-15%? Wasn't sure I could manage that without dropping into a lower gear, realizing that doing that would essentially constitute failure.

Patten Hill surprised me. The first section (first 200-300' climb) was steep but it was paved. Wasn't expecting that, actually was expecting a rutted dirt road all the way. So made it up that with a little to spare. Then, when it turned to dirt, it was actually pretty decent dirt. There was what seemed like a long section not so steep and about when I started thinking it would be that way to the end, I came around a corner and saw the road was tilting up again. That went on for more than I wished, but again, made it up with something to spare. Pretty sure I could have done the whole thing in one gear higher, not sure about 2 higher. For the record, I was using 22 on the front, 23 on the back, so a smidge lower than 1-1. And if the 26, 30, and 34 on the back were feeling left out, so be it...

So a successful test. And then, since I was in research mode and not that far away, drove up to Pennell Hill Road to see how bad it was and whether I could do that. But it had been graded within the last couple of days. Maybe a dozen cars had been over it, but I wasn't sure how well it really was packed, and there would be no hope if I got out of the track. Left it for another day.

C • Gearing 7

C • D2R2 2

Saw this guy yesterday, didn't look happy, but I was not about to wade in and try to help it. I think it's caught up in a cage meant to keep beavers from plugging up a pipe??

C • This guy 2

Very leisurely ride with Walter, back roads in Conway, maybe half dirt, half paved.

Nice ride mostly in CT, little bit in MA, in the vicinity of where I-84 is. Lots and lots of hills. I went here last year, did the 40+ mile version, so thought I should see the whole route this time.

Had a nice time. A good bit slower than last year, but that's nothing new.

And had an interesting chat afterward with a guy parked next to me, maybe 35-40. He'd cut the ride short, just didn't have it today. And as we talked a bit, turned out he had born with very flat feet, no arches at all, and he'd undergone quite an operation about 18 months ago that created a arch for one of his feet. The other foot will be done sometime in the next year.

The details of the operation, well, it's amazing what they do in medicine these days.

C • Long time in the saddle 2

Curious as to whether I could go up Sugarloaf slowly enough to make it relatively easy. Pretty much failed, meaning I could have (and meant to) go a good bit slower, like maybe 12 minutes going up instead of the 10:34 it took. And the pulse was supposed to stay under 150. Rest of the very short ride was leisurely.

Did succeed on one thing, got home about 30 seconds before it started to pour.

No bears.

Miller's Falls, Wendell, Shutesbury, Leverett. Took the dirt road on the east side of Lake Wyola to see if I could manage the climb. Still had something in reserve, but the traction was good. Not sure how I would have managed if it had been sandy or more gravel.

Regardless, a good route choice because about halfway up a bear popped out of the woods not far in front of me. This one looked fully grown. Reached for my camera (ie. phone), but it wasn't lingering, disappeared down an old woods road. By the time I got there I could barely see it, and it was moving pretty quickly. Certainly no photos to be had.

Rest of the route was fine. Easy pace much of the time, a little more effort on the two hills (hard to avoid), and then working harder the last few miles. And it was a beautiful morning.

Easy ride on the flats south of town. Legs a little achy so saw no reason to stress them.