Monthly Archives: January 2013

Your Weekly Pet Picture

I think it’s funny that, on a blog that is 90% about bikes, my most viewed posts are pet pictures. So here’s Pandora and Winston Churchill. They’re buds.

I was going to save this for Christmas, since it reminds me of a Madonna and Child painting, but I couldn’t wait that long.

New route coming tomorrow. The only reason I didn’t post it tonight was that there’s something bad happening with images at WordPress. Or it could just be my stupid satellite internet. WildBlue, GFY.

By the way, if you like looking at pictures of bikes, roads, or pets (and really, who doesn’t?), my Flickr stream is here.

John

medicalwriter.net

Free to a Good Home: Enve 6.7 clinchers

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Just kidding!

I have a set of Enve 6.7 clinchers that I am not using, so it’s time for them to go. These were a mistake. I love my Enve 3.4s, but the 6.7 is too much wheel for my skinny ass to handle. I rode them twice, the third time I was coming down a mountain pass and came very close to getting blown off the road at 50 mph by an errant 30 mph crosswind. Yes, they are far more resistant to crosswinds than traditional-section wheels, but really they should go to someone who is riding flat and fast, rather than laboring up hills and flying down them like we do around here.

Built on light (but not ridiculously light) Soul-Kozak hubs, narrow-spaced front and magnetic rear. Campagnolo freehub. The rear hub is loud. But you shouldn’t be coasting anyway, right? The front hub is extra narrow for improved aerodynamics, but have no fear, according to Fairwheel: “The average front wheel will be a tiny bit stiffer, but the Soul Kozak/Enve front wheel will be significantly more aero with pretty much the same stiffness.”

They appear, for all intents and purposes, brand new, having been ridden <100 miles total by a lightweight rider who rarely brakes, even when it is highly advisable.

They’re going for $2800 to $3400 on the Enve website. Let’s say $2400, or you can make me a reasonable offer. I’ll take $100 off for anyone who wants to come out here and pick them up.

Contact me if you are interested, my information is on the About page.

John

medicalwriter.net

Fast and Easy: Beacon to Poughkeepsie via Bike Path

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Finally, the long-promised new route…

Before we begin, though, I just want to note that my previous post was meant to be funny. Dry humor, you know? If you’re in a 5-hour drivers’ ed course you have to take your amusement where you can.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled post:

My friends and I have been riding the east side of the Hudson—mainly Putnam and Dutchess—as well as 9W up to Bear Mountain on the west side for some time, but we hadn’t gone farther north on the west side of the Hudson. In part, this was because of its relative inaccessibility, and in part because of a failure of our collective imagination. After all, there was a lot to explore on the east side, and all of it easily accessible by train, whereas the only way to get over to the other side was via the Bear Mountain Bridge, the Newburg-Beacon bridge, or the Poughkeepsie bridge. We didn’t think going over to the other side was worth the effort.

Of course, now I know that’s wrong. Ulster offers considerably more rugged terrain and is far less civilized than its counterparts on the east side of the river. All of which makes for great riding, if you’re not afraid of being far from civilization, a relative lack of services, and no cell phone contact in places. All in all, it makes for a more genuine adventure than riding in Putnam and Dutchess. Don’t get me wrong, though—the east side of the river makes for some fine riding in beautiful country…it’s just different and in some ways easier.

The route begins in Beacon, New York. It’s easy to get there from Grand Central Station—see the About page for train schedules and general guidance. You’ll go over the Beacon-Newburg Bridge to get to Newburg on the west side of the river. (This image is actually from an earlier ride where we attempted to go from NYC to Poughkeepsie. We abandoned in Newburg because, due to construction, all the traffic from the highway was rerouted onto our route…worst ride ever!).

From Newburg, you’ll continue west to the little town of Walden. There is some traffic along the way, and a few crossings of busy roads, but overall it’s a safe and fast trip to the good stuff. In Walden, you can stop for drinks or food; I believe this roadside stand is open year-round.

Finding the start of the bike path itself in Walden can be tricky. I redrew the route to make it easier. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see this funhouse chute. If nothing else, it will give you a chance to practice your bike handling skills. It’s like getting on the south path of the GWB, times nine.

I recommend jumping the rail and riding the dirt path on the right.

The first part of the bike path is paved and dead flat. Depending on your attitude and abilities, you can view this as either an opportunity to get it over with quickly, or a nice respite before the work begins (not that there’s much work to do on this route!)

At about mile 18-19, you’ll arrive in Wallkill, home of the famous correctional facility. Some maps will show the bike path going right through the prison grounds, but sadly that is not allowed. You will need to detour around the prison. There are a few hills, but nice views.

Here is where we encountered a helpful prison guard, who directed us around the prison. I’ll admit we looked suspicious riding around with our bags full of who knows what. Personally, I had a cake and a file in my saddlebag. Please don’t tell the man.

You’ll want to go up that hill on the right.

Make sure you turn on Dennison Road.

From there, it’s only about a quarter mile to the bike path, which–as you can see–is more of a cow trail in this area. I didn’t mention this earlier, but wider tires are a good idea, although, as usual, I rode the route on 25 mm tubulars.

The bike path hides some baby head sized rocks, so perhaps it isn’t advisable to go this way in late fall, when the rocks and potholes are covered with fallen leaves.

You’ll pass through New Paltz at mile 31, which has a number of excellent restaurants, and ultimately you’ll emerge in the town of Rosendale at mile 38, which also has several good places to eat.

We stopped for lunch at Market Market Café (hours here), which has an outdoor seating area and was actually quite good. Note that the outdoor seating faces Route 213, so there is some traffic noise.

We had originally planned an out-and-back route, but we found the bike path far from challenging. We decided to return to Poughkeepsie the hard way. Luckily, Guy carries paper maps (and a fountain pen, of all things!) and he created a cue sheet to get back to the train station.

Here we are on the backroads to Poughkeepsie.

Where I took a picture of an extraordinarily handsome goat.

The route gets more challenging here, because you’re on real roads in the hills. The climb out of Rosendale is steep and long enough for the road to warrant a separate climbing lane for cars, and there are a few steep but short climbs along the way. Overall, you’ll do half of your total climbing (which is minimal—only 3300 feet in 55 miles) in the last 15 miles.

You’ll end in Poughkeepsie, where you’ll cross the world’s longest pedestrian bridge. This is a photo from the bridge, looking south.

If you have dallied too long at–for example–the combined cheese/used clothes store in Rosendale, and have arrived after dark, the pedestrian bridge will be closed. No problem…just head south a quarter mile and cross the bridge pictured above. It’s actually easier to get to the train station from that bridge.

Is it worth the trip? Yes, depending on your needs and who you are riding with. Personally, even if I still lived in New York City I wouldn’t bother doing this again. It’s not challenging or remote enough for my tastes.

However, this route is a nice introduction to Ulster. It is fast, easy, and suitable for beginners in moderately good shape–or those who just want to go on a fun day ride. It includes a long segment on a very flat bike path (which I try to stay away from unless I’m riding just for transportation) but there are plenty of services along the way and several places to stop for food. Contrast that with riding in the mountains, where there are few services and you are, in fact, lucky to see more than 20 cars on an 8-hour ride.

Finally, here’s the route. Click on the link for GPS.

I should have a good report and route for you on Wednesday or Thursday this week…I took Wednesday off to do a 200-kilometer double-crossing of the Hudson with a couple friends (ah, the lifestyles of the self-employed!) Stay tuned for that route and a lot more. If I survive the anticipated freezing rain, that is.

Enjoy!

John

medicalwriter.net

Key Learnings: Drivers’ Education

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First: If you stopped by to read about bicycles or routes, just skip this post. Second: A new route is coming tonight, promise.

Anyway….

Those of you who know me know that I don’t drive. My license expired about 12 years ago while I was living in New York City. I just forgot to renew it, and it was too much trouble to get another and I rode my bike everywhere anyway (with the exception of client meetings, when I’d take a cab). Now that we live out in the woods, my girlfriend felt that it was time for me to get my license. I resisted initially; in fact, I managed 4 months without one—during the winter, no less! However, she’s going to be traveling to Los Angeles more and more, forcing me to get a license just in case, for example, I need to take the dogs to the vet while she’s away. I got my learner’s permit on the last day I was in NYC, but New York state requires an additional 5-hour licensing course.

So it was that at 6 am this morning, I got up to go to town and take the course. My girlfriend dropped me off and I entered a room half filled with pimply adolescents and half former alcoholics who had lost their licenses and were forced to take the course. There was no test at the end, but we were required to take at least one page of notes for each unit and turn them in to Mr N, our teacher, to prove we were listening. We were allowed to retain our notes, so that we could bring home key learnings to our friends and family.

Below, you will find scans of my notes and a few key learnings I transcribed, arranged by unit. I thought I would share, because some of these insights are critical to driving success. As a scientist, I am somewhat of a literalist, so I wrote down what Mr N said almost word-for-word.

Unit 1: Getting Started Behind the Wheel

Key Learnings

An accident cannot happen unless two objects attempt to occupy the same space at the same time
Wipers on = lights on (can be remembered with the acronym W.O.L.O.)
Make sure your eyes are active and curious at all times
Road markings and signs – not there for decoration!
Slow down on hills, especially if you are in a heavy car
Reject unimportant information

Unit 2: Handling Intersections

Key Learnings

Don’t be a cowboy. If you have a cowboy mentality, become a NASCAR driver (you can tailgate, weave in and out, and go buck wild). If you are not a NASCAR driver, don’t go buck wild
Three quarters of all collisions take place at intersections. Most are not fatal, but some are.
In uncontrolled intersections, women might be pushing carriages
Don’t get lulled into a sense of safety: watch out for dogs, children, sleepy people
Motorcyclists can lack experience and skill
Use a waving motion to signal you will yield at intersection—left-right or up-and-down, it doesn’t matter

Unit 3: The Physics of Driving and the Importance of Seat Belts

Key Learnings

You must learn physics to prevent accidents
Newton invented inertia, which governs how rockets get into space
If ketchup in bottle is stuck, people usually hit it to release ketchup onto burger. Imagine the bottle of ketchup is the car, and the ketchup is the people in the car. People can turn into ketchup if they are not buckled in. Especially dogs, cameras, and children
Don’t let dogs hang their heads out the window. If you stop fast, the dog will smash into door post and die. It’s not worth it! Looks cool, but crazy!
If you throw a brick at a blackboard, will damage. If you glue a mattress to the blackboard and throw brick – no damage!
It’s not better to be thrown clear of car in an accident. If you have been thrown clear of a car, don’t tell other people that you survived, it sends the wrong message
No seat in britches if thrown clear – just a bloody streak on ground
You can get run over by your own car if thrown clear
Fires/explosions are rare, so you can wear your seatbelt without fear of being trapped in a burning/exploding car
If the car is on fire, you are unlikely to be conscious, therefore it is nothing to worry about
Back seat passenger = human projectile

Unit 4: Expressway Driving

Key Learnings

The highways of tomorrow will use technology to enhance the driving experience
Sense hazards with your eyes, then take foot of gas, then place foot on brake to slow car
No matter how athletic you are, it takes 300 feet to stop from highway speeds
Driving in the fast lane can make you feel alive
Don’t slam on brakes or give middle finger to tailgaters
If person behind you has “ants in pants” don’t feel peer pressure. Can be hairy.

Unit 5: Impaired Driving

Key Learnings

Yelling and carrying on can lead to accidents
Alcohol may cause you to see numerous center lines on highway. Cars might also appear to be on both sides of the roadway at the same time
Many people on alcohol become silly or even rude
5 servings = body parts seem not to work together
A cold shower is refreshing, but it will not make you sober

Remarkably, I passed despite the notes. Back to bicycles shortly!

John

medicalwriter.net

A D2R2 a Day…

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The best—and the worst—part of living out here is the climbs. A 15-mile quick midday ride involves almost 2000 feet of climbing; going to lunch in town involves 30 miles and around 3200 feet of climbing. Yes, there are substantially flatter ways of going about both routes, but what would be the fun in that?

After putting in almost 200 miles in the previous week, including a 70-mile climb fest over the Shawangunks with Doug (see below), I had to buckle down and get some work done. One of the nice things about self-employment is that I can work when I want, one of the bad things is that I end up working some really odd hours to make the time for longer-distance rides; for example, last week I worked three 16-hour days and an 8-hour day, interspersed with 3 days off for long rides.

This week consisted of five 1-2 hour rides, and less than 100 miles total. It’s January, okay? I did get a few pictures…

This is the Whitfield Cemetery, established in 1812 and in considerable disrepair. I stopped here on my way back from lunch because I’m still trying to learn to use my camera, and I thought it would be a good subject.

Despite the fact that it warmed up considerably last week, many of the back roads remained snow-covered and treacherous.

Sunset over the Catskills, only a few miles from home.

And finally, a few more pictures from this week. They’re all taken in the area north of Route 209 and south of Upper Cherrytown Road.

I’d like to blame my lack of photographic talent on my equipment (it’s just a point-and-shoot, after all), but, in truth, I just don’t know what I’m doing!

Later this week, I’ll write up an easy route out of Beacon, New York, that heads up to New Paltz via the bike path, into Rosendale, and then back on slightly more challenging (although still easy) terrain. It’s a good introduction to the area, and an easy ride even for inexperienced cyclists. Then—since it’s 10 degrees out here–I’ll get down to posting a bunch of more serious routes, I’ve got few dozen more good routes that deserve their own posts.

John

medicalwriter.net

Odi et Amo: The Eight Biggest Climbs in Ulster County

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When I was in college, I thought it would be a good idea to learn Latin. Not only would I appear erudite to the ladies, but I also thought it would come in handy in Latin America.* So I am fluent in Latin, which has had considerably less utility than I first thought.

One of the things we were required to do was memorize poems, and my favorite, by Catullus, went a little something like this:

“Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris?
Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.”

Translated:^†

“I hate and I love. Why do I do it, perchance you might ask?
I don’t know, but I feel it happening to me and I am tortured.”

Catullus’ poem sums up my feeling about the following….

This is a list of climbs to complete in 2013, preferably as part of longer-distance rides, plus routes for each. Completed, in part, with help from John Schwartz, Doug Hoffman, and Bike Hudson Valley, the best–and clearly the most comprehensive–site for rides in the Hudson Valley. Not many pictures, though!

Some are repeats from 2012 and (out of Poughkeepsie) 2011 and 2010. GPS for all of the routes–and many more–can be found on my Ride With GPS page.

California Quarry Road, north of Woodstock. This route includes Ohayo Mountain Road, which I hear is a decent climb itself. I’ve heard that this climb is extremely difficult, although by the numbers it doesn’t appear too bad.

Meads Mountain Road, again, north of Woodstock. Climbing up to the Buddhist Temple at the top. Apparently there’s a jeep track that allows you to continue up. I think this route includes both the paved road and the jeep track. Tops out at 2929 feet, maximum grade 19.5%.

Big Indian/Slide Mountain. Already done once (out of Poughkeepsie, no less), but definitely worth doing again. Ride With GPS says the max grade is 14.7%. This is also, incidentally, the highest pass in the Catskills. There may be one-way roads leading higher, but I haven’t found them yet. When I ride this again, I’m going to set up a little shrine where I vomited from overexertion on my previous ride, which on this map is just to the west of the word “Slide.”

Vista Maria in the Shawangunks. I wrote about this one recently , and I want to repeat it in better weather. By the numbers, as difficult as Platte Clove. This route also includes a climb over the Shawangunks on Mountain Rest Road (not difficult).

Peekamoose. A repeat. I’ll probably do this one many times, it’s a good 50-mile training route with a diner at around mile 40. A longer climb, but only transient 14% to 15% grades. Note that I have also created a GPS course for this route out of Poughkeepsie.

Platte Clove. Another repeat. See the report here. I will probably repeat this one multiple times, it’s a good route with a nice 22% section, plus it has the benefit of a long high-speed downhill section on the back end. Note that I have also created a GPS course for this route out of Poughkeepsie.

Sugar Loaf. This is one of the longest and toughest climbs in the Catskills (or so I’ve read). I’ll probably modify this route to spend less time on Route 55, which actually isn’t bad in terms of traffic, but I prefer the back roads if at all possible.

Glade Hill. Looks like 18.4% maximum grade, 9.4% average grade, but it is really short. For that reason, I threw some extra fun into this one…since I’m out that way, might as well do some exploring.

Am I missing anything? Let me know, and tell me about it in the comments instead of via e-mail. That way everyone can benefit. Think of your recommendations like a Japanese game show–you know, the ones in which the audience chooses whether the contestant gets a punch in the 精巣 or simply has to endure eating an 蚯蚓.

Now, I just have to figure out how I’m going to get 1:1 gearing on my road bike. I pride myself in struggling up the steepest hills in 34/25, but–if nothing else–my experience with the Lynsky has shown that 1:1 makes climbing 22% grades more fun, not to mention faster since I can maintain a good spin. Better to have no pride and get to the top first!

Finally, an idea for Rapha video: Imagine me struggling up these climbs, helmetless,^‡while a deep voice intones Catulus’ poem over and over. I even have a scruffy semi-beard to complete the effect.

Mēcum venī!

John

medicalwriter.net

*Just kidding, of course I know the primary language in Latin America is German!
^†Catullus’ poem was not, in fact, about climbing hills on a bicycle. He wrote this poem to express his feelings about his mistress Lesbia, before he figured out why she didn’t like him. Seems obvious in retrospect, doesn’t it?
^‡Yes, mom, I always wear a helmet.

Your Weekly Pet Pictures

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My girls. Left to right: Pandora the Ridgeless Ridgeback, Max the Majestic Cane Corso, and a friend’s pit mix.

Yeah. It’s my blog and I’ll do what I want with it. Interior decorating tips coming next.

John

medicalwriter.net

Mountain Climbing is Best Accomplished in Winter: The Shawangunk Ridge via Mountain Rest Road and Vista Maria

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Warning: This ride involves ice, freezing mist, massive climbs, and fervent prayers to St Milhaus the Retainer.

On Saturday, my friend Doug was kind enough to come from Woodstock to start an intermediate-distance ride from my place in Olivebridge, New York. The weatherman reported that it was supposed to be 50 degrees and sunny.

He lied.

My girlfriend was in Los Angeles for meetings with agents, which meant the dogs were going to be home alone all day. So I got up at ass o’clock (that’s 6:00 am) to walk the dogs and make them do their business before I left. Unfortunately, my Rhodesian Ridgeback, Pandora, decided that she would pick that time to be a princess and wouldn’t go in the snow, so I had no choice but to leave her, hoping she could hold it.

So it was at ass o’clock thirty (that’s 7:30 am) that we set out from my place in a cold, misty rain at a temperature slightly below freezing. Yes, that’s me on my winter cross bike, submitted as proof that I’m not just driving around taking pictures.

In case it’s not completely obvious, this photo was taken by Doug.

We initially proceeded west onto a gravel road. Bad idea. The road was covered in ice, and not 50 yards in, Doug took a fall. Of course this happened right after I said “be very careful!” Luckily, he was uninjured, or least uninjured enough to go back to my place, where we loaded a new route into our Garmins that did not involve gravel. Doug is clearly made of tougher stuff than me, because if I had fallen (and I came damn close) I would have stayed at home to nurse a broken chicken bone.

Setting out again in the opposite direction, we headed south to route 209 on roads that were lightly coated with snow and ice that was, at least, starting to melt.

There was a thick fog and a freezing mist that lent the ride a mysterious air, almost as if we were floating through the clouds.

We passed through this graveyard on Airport Road on our way to 209. Some of the graves here date back to the early 19th century. The second photo was taken by Doug.

After crossing route 209, we headed into our first big climb of the day, over the Shawangunk ridge via Mountain Rest Road. This climb has been immortalized in numerous reports, so I won’t belabor it here.

The funny thing, though, is that when I lived in New York and rode out here, I thought this was a tough climb. This was my first time going this way since moving to the Catskills, and I didn’t think it was that hard.

When you see the second bridge—shown here—you’re almost done.

The best part about this climb was the weather. It must have still been below freezing at altitude, because the cold mist clung to my sunglasses, where it froze, lending the climb a hallucinatory quality.

We continued through rolling country along the eastern edge of the Shawangunks to get to the next big climb over the ridge, Vista Maria into the town of Cragsmoor. Although you’re climbing through a lovely forest, there isn’t much vista to be had on the way up. Here’s a picture during a brief clearing.

Once you get to the top, you have the option of taking a right onto Sam’s Point Road. We didn’t bother, because we were essentially inside a cloud the whole way up, and figured that there wouldn’t be much to see.

By the time we started to descend, the sun had started to come out, burning away some of the fog.

The descent was fun, although we had to be extremely cautious because of the loose sand on the road. In the summer, this is probably a 50 mph descent. I hit 30 a few times on the way down, but I wasn’t willing to go much faster than that given the road conditions. Here’s where you get some great views, at least in the winter.

We descended into Ellenville, where we stopped for a late lunch. Then we took the quick route back via 209 to Kerhonksen, followed by a great climb back to my place. Because of the crash, we had gotten off to a very late start, and—frankly—I underestimated how long it would take us to climb Vista Maria. So we ended up riding the last bit in the dark.

This is when I started to pray to St Milhaus the Retainer, a minor deity that Doug invented just for me on our return trip. St Milhaus, you see, is responsible for keeping dogs from pooping on the floor when left home alone for too long. The girls are perfectly house trained, but—because we work from home—they don’t have practice going 8 or 10 hours without a trip outside.

I’m happy to report that St Milhaus answered my prayers.

Doug stopped in for a hot tea, and I had my usual ice-cold Coke. Yes, I’m an addict. I gave Doug a naproxen since he was sore from his fall earlier in the day. In the middle of the night, I awoke terrified that I had accidentally given him a long-expired sleeping pill–the bottles look almost identical. How do you explain to someone you’ve just met that you’ve accidentally given them the wrong drug?

After fumbling for my glasses, I dashed downstairs. Thankfully, the bottle was still on the table. Doug, if you’re reading this…it was naproxen!

I decided to compare Vista Maria to the other big climbs I’ve done in the area. Here are some metrics for comparison:

The average grade of Vista Maria is 7.0% over 3.3 miles. The maximum grade is 18.7%, and it’s a Cat 2 climb that peaks at 2062 feet
The average grade of Platte Clove is 7.4% over 2.9 miles, with a maximum grade of 18.6%, and it’s a Cat 2 climb that peaks at 2058 feet
The average grade of Peekamoose is only 3.9% over 4.1 miles, the maximum grade is 12.0%, and it’s a Cat 3 climb

So, at least by the numbers, Vista Maria is of similar difficulty to Platte Clove, and equally as entertaining.

Is this ride worth the trip? Definitely, although I couldn’t see anything for most of the ride due to the dense fog. It is certainly challenging, and I think it will be gorgeous during the summer in nicer weather. I look forward to repeating it.

Here’s the route we took, mapped from my house. At the end of the day, we rode 70.2 miles. I’m not sure where we went 5 miles off track.

I’ve also mapped the route from Poughkeepsie, for those of you who would like to try it from the train station. It is a quite reasonable 90-mile day ride.

As a note, this route includes a short segment to the north of Route 209. Why? Because 209 is no fun at all. Although there’s a wide shoulder, there is a lot of traffic. However, it is fast and flat, so if you’re tired from Vista Maria, you can skip this section and continue 10 or 11 miles on Route 209 to Old King’s Highway, just after Accord. There, you will take a right to continue the route. I’m also told by my friend John–who has lived out here much longer than me–that Berme Road, which lies just to the south of 209, is a good option here as well.

John

medicalwriter.net

Using Ride With GPS Routes, Continued….

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I went for a long and brutal ride with my friend Doug this weekend (more about that later, but it involved crashing on ice, freezing mist, massive climbs, and fervent prayers to St Milhaus the Retainer), and we both had Garmin 800s. Despite the fact that we both had the same course loaded, my Garmin was giving the correct directions, while his kept telling us to make U-turns and was generally just a pain in the ass.

I realized this morning that I had made some changes to my Garmin setup long ago that facilitate its use as a tool for guiding bicycle routes. These changes are important:

When you first turn on your GPS, click on menu. Then click on the wrench icon on the lower right. Then click on system, and then routing
Make sure the first line says “Calculate Routes for Bicycle”
The second line (guidance method) should say “off road”
The third line (lock on road) should say “no”
Click through the fourth line (avoidance setup), avoid U turns, toll roads, highways, carpool lanes. Do not avoid unpaved roads.
Click the back arrow, and the fifth line (recalculate) should be set to “off.”

If you don’t do this, your GPS will recalculate your route every time you stray off course. Also see my previous post on using Ride With GPS routes for full directions on loading courses into your Garmin.

John

medicalwriter.net