01. On a typical ride to Nyack the following image is mostly meaningless (unless of course you enjoy breaking your collar bone)
However its kinda scary when you pass it at 8:30am knowing it's one of three signs of this nature you'll pass over the next 482 miles. I'm out of Jersey, back into New York and headed to PA - I'm stopped at a border town for the night and will hit the second of these signs tomorrow AM.
02. Warnings about the sounds of waterfalls: You know you're in for some trouble when you hear the faint rustling of a waterfall in the distance. By trouble I mean the kind that have you off your bike stripping layers of clothes for the first time since 6am.
When you see signs for "Lake Welch" ahead you know it was created by a dam. And a stream usually flows from the base of that dam - down to the Hudson River - which happens to be much lower in elevation. Thus, waterfalls. I've ridden this hill exactly two times before this day - the first time I hit 44mph and it remains the max speed on my computer. The second time I swore I'd never climb it again, until today... Only because it was the lesser of two evils, Bear Mountain being the first. Fortunately for me lunch awaited at the top, near a lake, in the warm sun, with pumpkin cookies... hmm there is not a lake half way up Bear Mtn.
10:30am lunch. 45 miles away from Brooklyn.
03. Rollers vs. Rail trails. Both are your friends, but only for a moment...
I have a feeling it's not the last time I'll see this scene. 50x13 down, 34x29 up - what a great use of 20 gears, seriously. Enjoy it for a moment and long the crest of the next hill.
And rail trails, ideal for trains... and bikes? Yes, but it's definitely the last time I'll see this scene. <2% grade, a nice 20mph pace, leaves crumbling below the tires and the company of other cyclist - for a mere 10 miles that is. Goodbye rail trails.
04. More on signs. Lesson learned, New York warns you about 4 miles too late.
Seriously would have been nice to know that 4 miles of climbing was ahead - or not - if I'd known I'd surely be 10 miles back in some shittier hotel.
Actually thanks New York! The downhill to Port Jervis was fantastic and a great day ender.
05. Finally if you see this image in the radar map, you will get to your destination before it rains. Even if it's 98 miles away and the rain starts at 3:30pm.
Found an awesome hotel, dinner and had some much needed rest.
Off to PA!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (yeah thanks for deleting my original post, which was much better)
Location:Port Jervis
yeah pumpkin cookies
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