Messages from the Pale Blue Dot

Bon Ton Roulet Day 7: Auburn to Cortland (Tour Over!)

After arriving in Auburn on Friday mid-day, I found a spot out of the rain in one of the park pavilions, fired up the laptop and loaded weather radar. The huge green and yellow blob that had covered most of upstate New York was moving off to the east  and by afternoon the lashing rain had given way to blue skies as the remaining riders wheeled into the campground. Our little impromptu tent city, which had sprung up in Cortland, Ithaca, Glenwood Springs, Hammondsport and Geneva over the last week came to life again along the shore of Owasco Lake. Friends gathered in small groups to share stories of their soggy struggles along the road that day, fueled by cold beer and bottles of the locally grown vintages. It was a lovely last evening of this year’s Tour.

Geoff, my friend the retired AXA-Equitable executive, asked me to take a picture of him in a tent to prove to his wife that he actually was camping! At sixty-something, he consistently kicked my butt up hills all week (although he still descends like an old lady!) Maybe it is something about being a bond trader that makes him good at the slow steady ascent and likes to avoid the risks associated with quick declines.

This morning the camp emptied early as everyone was anxious to get to Cortland where they had parked their cars during the week and to get on the freeways home. Everyone was in a festive mood and I pulled out balloons and created colorful ornamentation for several bikes.

Here is the day: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/10317656

After six days of hammering, I was weary. Honestly, I started the ride dreading the hills and happy to amble along without the need to pass people or push big watts. However, after the first hour that awful feeling passed and I was back to my usual madness, ascending at 24 km/hr and blowing past the fat-tired Freds with triple cranks and mirrors attached to their handlebars. But, this last downhill came just at the right time, descending into Cortland. Dan, one of the other riders agreed with me when we finally found the perfect word.. we were “weary.”

And, as quickly as we had all come together just seven days before, the five hundred riders began to scatter. The wine buyers collected the dozens of cases of wine in the trucks, the beer drinkers polished off the remaining beer in the huge coolers and everyone loaded bikes onto bike racks, eased aching butts into car seats and drove away.

I dropped off my bike for repacking and shipping back to New York and, hopefully, it will arrive by UPS on Tuesday. A member of the Auburn Rotary, drafted to transport riders to the Syracuse Airport, dropped me off at the Holiday Inn Express. Tomorrow a flight from here to LGA and finally back home.

Bon Ton Roulet 2009: Cycling the Finger Lakes - Road biking - Spot

Bon Ton Roulet 2009: Cycling the Finger Lakes - Road biking - Spot Shared via AddThis

BonTon Roulet Day 6: Geneva to Auburn in the Pouring Rain

After five days of sultry sun-filled days of riding, the weather gods sent a mixed blessing today: cooler temperatures but a drenching rain that lasted from the moment we got on our bikes in Geneva and stopped only five hours later in Auburn. The way that I figure, I was either going to be wet from sweat in the heat or wet from the cooler rain. As long as the roads are straight, I don’t mind riding in the rain… and … Today was a blast!

Here is the day on Garmin Connect: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/10225754

I left early (around 7:00 am) and spent almost five hours at about 80% of maximum, pushing big gears and moving at an average of 26.5 km/hr over 127 km and 1043 meters of climbing. Lots of rain, lots of spray off of big trucks and lots of rain up off the back wheel and all up my backside.

The route today took us over the Erie Canal several times. Here is a shot looking out past one of the locks.

But most of the ride was on wet roads, through wet fields and over wet hills. There is nothing I like better than an empty road, a slight hill and a newly paved stretch of black asphalt. Devine!

The ride is coming to an end tomorrow, with a fairly short 50 km ride from Auburn back to our starting point in Cortland. Should be an easy spin, and I’m going to treat it like the last stage of the Tour de France as the peleton rides slowly into Paris.

But now, as the rain has passed and the tents, bikes and riders are drying out, it is time to find more food. Nothing like burning an extra 3000-5000 calories per day to fuel a healthy appetite. Just as soon as I stuff my face full of food, I seem to be hungry again. Today, just after stepping off the bike, I inhaled two sausage sandwiches and two soft drinks. Now, two hours later I’m ready to prowl around looking for more calories.

BonTon Roulet Day 5: Rest Day Auburn Loop

So, if you take 500 cycling enthusiasts, put them on the road for four days straight and then give them a day off, what do they do? Go for a bike ride, of course!

The weather was just so perfect and the food too good to pass up, so after a night in a real bed I was feeling well fueled and rested enough to put in an effort, at least. While there were two rides, 100 miles (160 km) and 37 miles, I decided that I really didn’t need to put in more than 100 km on a “rest” day.

Three guys who I had met during the week, and their friend Caroline, invited me to ride with them the night before and at 6:00 we met and headed for breakfast.  By 7:00 we were on the road and I made it clear that I retained the right to bail out on the group if I was feeling a bit leaden in the legs as we headed into the hills above Canandaigua Lake. And, as I had expected, the long climbs were a drag not a joy, so after a particularly long hill I exercised my option and cut across the route to slice about 60 km off of the day’s ride.

Here is the link to the Garmin Connect page for today’s ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/10130946

This is Al Hastings, who has run the RonTon Roulet for thirteen years, after founding the ride when he was at the Auburn YMCA and later when he was based out of the YMCA in Cortland.

BonTon Roulet Day 4: Hammondsport to Geneva

Oh, what a spectacular day of riding! Although not at the caliber or level of difficulty of the Tour de France, there is something to be said for riding hard day-after-day and getting stronger rather than more tired. Today, Wednesday, I felt better than on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday of this week. Although it may have been due to a bit of personal strategy rather as much as getting used to the daily mileage.

Yesterday, Tuesday, I made the mistake of not looking at the ride profile and was not prepared (and far too overfed after a big breakfast) to leave the barn and head straight up that long, long hill. So, getting ready for today, I saw that (again!) we had a long climb at the start of the ride, so I skipped breakfast and got on the road really early to avoid the heat, crowds and to get in the ride before any unpleasant weather might roll in. Also, I had heard that there were some extra dorm rooms available on the Hobart and William Smith College, immediately adjacent to the campsite and perhaps I could snag one if I rode hard and finished early.

Camped in a field of clover with my bike, camp chair, sturdy green tent, air mattress and big Hawaiian print bag of stuff!

By skipping breakfast, I was out and on the road just before 0700. The weather was still cool (around 18 degrees) but threatening to both heat up and rain. The road turned upwards as soon as I left Hammondsport but the view up Lake Seneca was spectacular.

Lots of grape vines and the road rolled past winery after winery.

Here is the Garmin Connect for the ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/10034660

So, it was a day of ups and downs and I averaged about 26 km/hr, which is not bad considering the hills. Of course there were some flat stretches, but the Garmin 705 grade read-out almost always said either 1% or 2% up or down and rarely 0% (and of course there were those 6% and 7% stretches.)

I pulled into the camp ground just outside of Geneva, NY (on the shores of Lake Seneca) as one of the first riders. There were four or five others, who had ridden the shorter route. The clouds were threatening and they were about to put the tarps over all the riders’ bags laid out on the road.

As I had anticipated, there were a dozen or so spots still available in the dormitory apartments located in the picture above just past the Budget truck. So, I asked at the information desk what the cost would be, thinking that it might be nice after four nights sleeping on an air mattress in a tent in the field, to have a bed, roof and electricity for the two nights we are going to be here. I was shocked when they said that yes, there were rooms and it would be US$37.50 total for the two nights. Wow! She asked, “Are you thinking about it?” At that moment the rain started falling, first lightly and then harder and harder. Easy decision.

So, in the above picture you can see where the tents start and my apartment is the two-story just to the right of the Budget truck. There are five bedrooms, a central common area and bathrooms upstairs and downstairs. Also, there is a coin laundry in the next building and I have already washed and dried all of my cycling clothes so that I have clean gear for the next three days of riding. And, no dealing with a wet tent!

So, tomorrow is a rest day with two options for rides. One is a shorter ride and then there is the 100 miler, which has been described as moderate to hard. But, with clean clothes, a good night’s sleep indoors and dry and some food today, I just might try the longer option tomorrow. It all depends on the weather, which at this point looks almost perfect, with a chance of a shower at dawn and then temperatures from 17 climbing to 27 during a partly-cloudy day. However, I reserve the right to change my mind between now and tomorrow morning at dawn.

BonTon Roulet Day 3: Watkins Glen to Hammondsport

The weather changed, breaking the pattern of daily thunderstorms, replacing them with oppressive and unrelenting searing sunshine. Today was a long day in the saddle. Here is the route:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/9921078

 

The killer part was the climb right after leaving the campground (and within an hour of a big breakfast.) It was up, up and up, with several false tops to the climb. Just when we thought it was over, it kept going up.

The best part of the ride was on the descent coming into Pen Yan, at the hottest part of the day and about 3/4 into the ride. We had been going across kilometers and kilometers of corn fields in the heat. Coming down the hill was a sign: ICE CREAM AND MINI GOLF

Pulled off and got a big lemon sherbet and sat under the trees with the others who succumbed to the temptation of the sign. 

So, we finished up the ride by about 2:00 pm and life improved considerably after a shower in the shower truck.

Tomorrow we are off to Geneva for a two-night stay there. More soon.

BonTon Roulet Day 2: Ithaca to Watkins Glen

Thunderstorms rolled through Ithaca on Sunday night with strong winds and torrential rains, leaving some unhappy and soggy campers at Robert Treman State Park. Aside from a little water that leaked into my tent through a tent fly that I had failed to close and a wet bicycle seat (need to remember to put the plastic over the seat at night), I was fine in the morning.

During a trip like this, it is almost like changing time zones. The days shift was you move outside and fill your waking hours with exercise. Our mobile village of 500 riders wakes at 5:00 am and is pretty much quieted down and asleep by 10:00 pm. We live by the sun and are very much more attuned to the weather.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/9921078

This link was the Day 2 ride. Just a little more than four hours of riding with some frequent stops at rest stops and for one large mechanical failure. 104 kilometers and 933 meters of climbing. A fairly normal day of riding in the Finger Lakes.

Geoff (New York), Kent (DC suburbs) and I rode together. About 30 km into the ride, Kent’s rear derailleur cable broke, putting him into the highest of gears (not good for climbing hills.) Together, along the side of the road, we attached the broken cable to the cable housing on the down tube and using a tire lever we levered the cable over a bottle cage, shifting the rear derailleur into a middle gear. Kent had a fairly good gear and the use of the front derailleur and was able to finish the ride.

The weather cooperated again. No rain but lots of searing sunshine and temperatures in the high 20s. Each day now is all about getting in enough liquids, not just during the ride but afterwards and throughout the day. In this heat, while cycling, the body can lose far more fluids than you can drink while riding.

Early in the ride I was having some knee pains, something that I had not experienced in years. I figured that maybe in putting in the new seat, I might have raised my cycling position up by a millimeter or so since the new seat was not as compressed as the old one. I had really worn that old seat out over the years. So, I dropped my seat post down just a bit and the knee pain vanished. Now the only problem is keeping my cycling shorts dry and the region between the shorts and the seat clean and sufficiently aired out when I am off the bike to avoid any inflammation, otherwise known now as Brugliera Syndrome.

This is my campsite in Watkins Glen, a sleepy town at the southern end of Seneca Lake.

As the sun set, cyclists read, rested weary legs and sampled the bottles of wine gathered from the wineries along the route. The organizers are good about helping the riders support the local wineries. They send a SAG wagon around to all of the wineries with tastings on the route, collecting the purchases of the riders. At the end of the day the truck delivers the bottles to thirsty campers. Nice touch.

Today (Tuesday) we are off early for a 115-120 km ride. The weather looks to be clear and hot, with temperatures expected in the lower to mid 30s. It is a day to hydrate and maybe take it a bit easy after riding hard for two days.

Day 1 of the BonTon Roulet

The BonTon Roulet, now in its 13th year, is an annual event hosted by the Auburn and Cortland YMCAs. This weeklong event now draws about 500 riders from all over the US for seven days of cycling, camaraderie, good food and the occasional bottle of local wine.

Riders began arriving yesterday, 25 July at the fairgrounds in Cortland, NY south of Syracuse. The photo above is the CamptTel tents that were set up when we arrived. About a quarter of the riders use the Camptel services since it makes the work of camping so much easier, since they provide the tents, set them up for you and each day when you arrive from a day of cycling your tent is ready with an air mattress, a  camp chair and a fresh towel. And then, in the morning, all you have to do is load your gear into the truck for transport to the next camping site and they break down the tents and move them to the next campground. Very cool. The other half of the riders either provide their own tents or stay in local hotels or motels.

This morning breakfast began at 5:30 and just before 8:00 the riders gathered for the morning meeting. We started the mass start with a police escort out of town. Tandems, recumbent bikes, fat tires, hybrids and road racers.

Above is Geoff, from the NYCC (with hand over his heart for the Star Spangled Banner.) He is also riding with a Garmin 705 and I had just finished transferring the day’s ride to his unit using the wireless function of the GPS. Also, very cool.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/9871261 

Here is the link to the day’s ride.Basically 109 km in four and a half hours including two long rest stops and a stop in Ithaca to get a sandwich at Subway for when the ride ended.

This is a Google Earth view of the route and gives a good shot of why they are called the Finger Lakes

When we arrived in Treman State Park outside of Ithaca, the tents were set up.

Here is my tent, camp chair and bike.

The guys that I was riding with made good time and so, when we arrived, there were a lot of bags that had been unloaded from the trucks waiting to be picked up. This was good because those of us using the CampTel service did not have to set up our tent and could head straight to the Shower Truck.

No lines since most of the riders were still out on the road or setting up their tents.

So, great first day. No real problems except at the first rest stop where some idiot wasn’t letting people grab food off the table until they had first used the hand sanitizer. I was furious. Talk about rigid, over-reacting country hicks afraid of germs! Thankfully they were not requiring the use of the hand sanitizer at the next rest stop.

Somehow the organizers have things working almost flawlessly from the first day. You really only notice that there is an incredible amount of organization when something doesn’t go right, but today things ran smooth.

Tomorrow we are off for another 101 km, hopefully with a few less hills.

Last Vacation Ride in the Finger Lakes

So, I think that my favorite rides are as follows:

1. Cols
2. Loops of Lakes
3. Around New York City going from train station to train station
4. Riding to a winery

Today's ride was not only a loop of a lake (well almost), but also ended up at the Long Point Winery where the family was waiting with the car for a lift home.

Except for the first 10 km. this ride either went up or down (933 meters) for the remaining 67 km. Again, not a record breaking pace, but a wonderful hot (25-27 degrees) and hilly spin through the rural farmlands of the Finger Lakes.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Ghana for the climate change negotiations and then over to São Paulo to run in the Human Race 10Km run before flying to Chile and Argentina for work.

Up a Hill, Down a Bottle of Wine.. Cycling in the Finger Lakes

Fluffy white clouds, blue skies, cornfields full of two and a half meter stalks bound for the local ethanol plant, vineyards of grapes destined for the local wineries. I'm sharing the road with Mennonite farmers in horsedrawn buggies. No Tour de France speeds here.. just enjoying being in great shape, spending the hours riding the back roads and then heading back to our lake house to watch the Olympics and drink wine from those same vineyards.

Yesterday's ride was from home south, riding west, south, west, south, east, south down to Ithaca and then north, west, north, west and north on mostly farm roads to the Swedish Hill winery where Sam, Pam and Kai had just finished the taking the tour and buying bottles of their Doobie's Jack Ass Red (named for the local donkey) while I opted for a much nicer 2006 Meritage. No world records.. 110 km in four and a half hours. Sometimes you just have to ride for fun so that cycling doesn't feel like work.