Saturday, June 20, 2009

Hamburg to Canandaigua, New York

95 miles, 6:26 riding time, 5,000 feet of climb, 4,388 Calories
One FL*T

[My Garmin gps had issues in the rain, so the above figure for feet of climb is an estimate.]

"Rain, rain, go away
Come again some other day
We want to go outside and play
Come again some other day"

RAIN! It rained all day, a toad strangler of a rain, a deluge, a whale of a rain. I started the ride with Al, Chris, and Willie. Soon after the first SAG stop, I had a fl*t. As I was replacing the inner tube, Rick and Mack spotted me from one of the vehicles and stopped to loan me a floor pump, which was much appreciated. By the time I got back on the road, everyone else was long gone. I rode the last sixty-plus miles alone, in the rain. It would have been a gorgeous ride on a bright sunny day, good road surface, green hills, many dairies, and corn fields, but not so much fun with the rain pelting down. The hills were long and not too steep, but seemingly endless in the wet. As I neared the final turn for Canandaigua, I spotted Willie and Chris at the bottom of the hill; Willie was changing a tire. Chris said, he, too, had a fl*t - just before the second SAG stop. Al said, he had three fl*ts! Of the four of us that started together, all four of us had fl*ts in the rain! After Willie replaced the inner tube and inflated the tire, we rode in to the hotel together.

Canandaigua (kan-ahn-day-gwa) is Iroquois for "chosen spot" and was the site of the principal village of the Seneca tribe. Canandaigua is located in the Finger Lakes District, the largest wine producing part of New York.

5 comments:

  1. At least tomorrow's weather looks marginally better, and the route looks really pretty.

    Ride well

    g

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  2. What kind of riding buddies are those? They're supposed to stand around and critique your tire changing, maybe even offer to steady the bike while you pump up the tire-but that's kind of rare.

    Can you smell the ocean yet?

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  3. The canine and human members of the Beach Bike Trek team would like to wish you a very happy Father's Day, one day early (since they have switched their internet provider and will not have internet access at their home base until Monday or maybe even later).

    So, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

    To Jim - A Father's Day Poem from the Dogs

    There once was a man named Jim
    Whose biking had made him quite trim
    He rode through the states
    Along with his mates
    Even when the weather was grim

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  4. Pam, too funny! Jim, so sorry for all the rain. My buddies in PA say it's been 3 wet weeks. Glad you're safe at least. It misted here so hard this morning we groused about it on our dog walk, but Deco and I take it all back having read your soggy bloggy.

    Enjoy tomorrow more! B, C and D

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  5. Hi Dad!

    Happy Father's Day from down under (Here today, for you tomorrow). May the sun shine on you tomorrow! Way to make it through the rain today. We are so proud of you and love you very much!

    Have a wonderful Father's Day!
    Love,
    Bec and Crew

    ReplyDelete