Civia blog

Solitaire

Wednesday, November 21, 2007 Written by: Kris

It was definitely time for a long, solo ride.  A temporary sabbatical from the demands of work, family, and society in general.  No distractions; just the cadence of measured breathing synchronized to pedal strokes, the steady purr from a self-powered drivetrain, and the sight of morning haze rising over a long uphill climb.  That's the concept, at least. 

How fortunate that I found myself back in Asheville, NC visiting family over the T-day break.  Dad's bike needed a few adjustments to fit & work properly, but it would get me out & back just fine.  The test ride was less than inspiring... as I found myself struggling on uphill grades that I once climbed with ease.  The weather check for the following morning’s ride was a bit puzzling - 7:10 AM sunrise with partly cloudy skies @ 42 deg. F.  A 2+ hour ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway was totally feasible... but what to wear? 19Nov_BRP_ride

I rolled out Monday morning at 7:30 AM after a double-serving of oatmeal, OJ & coffee.  The gear list was skinny, but somehow I found the back pockets of my jersey completely stuffed.  Sans raingear.  The warm-up ride on Town Mountain Road went well enough, but I felt hot & was concerned for the ~90 minutes of steady uphill climbing that lay ahead.  The weather can change dramatically from valley to peak in Western NC, so there's no telling what lies around the next bend in the road. 

As I turned North onto the BRP, the climbing felt better than expected.  I was disappointed to be relying on the low gears in a 3x9 drivetrain, but pedal cadence seemed OK... and the road seemed to be rolling by at a decent pace.  At Bull Gap, the Parkway barriers were locked across the road - locally interpreted as "no motor vehicles" and "bikes - ride at your own risk."  Today, I would have the road all to myself. 

One hour later, light rain began to fall - but I was plenty warm from steady uphill work.  Whoa - bear sighting (2 young black cubs but no mom in sight... yet).  Then, without any fanfare or celebration, I arrived at the Craggy Gardens visitor center which was closed for the winter.  Apparently a full season worth of daily commuting had built up my fitness to its previous peak levels - without any regular opportunities for vertical ascent. 

Craggy_VCThe downhill run back to Asheville was at full throttle, and it felt damn good.  No need for over-the-shoulder tourist traffic checks... which was quite handy on a 20+ minute stretch of 52x12 hammering.  With the addition of a vest & glove liners, the damp wind & road spray were effectively neutralized.  The round-trip was just under 2.5 hours, including stops. 

 One of the best rides of the year, and definitely the most therapeutic.

Like this article? Share it with others.



 

Comments

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.

RSS

Previous Posts

Topics

Facebook Twitter Flickr YouTube

Copyright 2012 Civia Cycles