Successes and Failures on the Susquehanna 300K

I left my house at 5AM yesterday with no idea what might come of the day. More than half of this route, I knew only from views on google. Lines on a screen don't tell you much more than when and where to turn. That is one of the best things about a challenge like this one: the unknown adventure. I met Isaias at Perring pkwy and Satyr Hill rd. and 10 minutes later we were grinding up Manor rd- a long climb that proved to be just one of many.

The weather was good for riding. Cool for this time of year and cloudy. We cleared the PA border and as we neared the first rest, we caught a wave from Carl driving past. He'd decided to drive up to meet us and ride 100 miles of our route. It was great to have more company.

North into PA we rolled through Stewartstown. At Red Lion we moved easterly to the waters edge and the beautiful, if hazy, views of the river. A long hard climb on Long Level rd. led us up to Wrightsville. This stretch was not excessively steep- just long. However, I felt a lingering fatigue in my legs after getting up to the flat sections after the climb. Not a good sign especially when I am only at mile 60. But hey, the day is still young. We crossed over the Susquehanna to Columbia on the wide shouldered Veterans Memorial Bridge.

The exploration of new physical spaces while on my bicycle is wonderfully satisfying. Underneath the Wrightsville bridge, the Susquehanna river, strewn with huge glacial rocks, is surging with springtime rains and partially covered by blobs of cloudy haze. Columbia, PA is a handsome old town that showed off block after block of 19th century rowhouses. We cross through to the north and head up Kinderhook rd., another beast of a hill, steep and long.

I pretty successfully scaled this one, but I could tell that it was tearing up my increasingly precious leg strength. By the time we reached the rolling farm country north of Lancaster I began slowing down. The snacks I ate in Mt. Joy didn't help me. In fact, it seemed like I was just storing food and water in my stomach and it wasn't going any further down- just sitting and bloating. The terrain got flatter, but I didn't speed up. At this point, Carl and I discussed the option of shortcutting my day by getting a ride back to Baltimore in his truck. That seemed like a smart idea but I'd have to decide after lunch.

The clouds were beginning to break and the air was heating up as we pulled in to Strasburg and the halfway point. We had a nice break and a nice lunch. Strasburg is a train enthusiasts dream. There were antique trains and small scale trains rolling on different tracks as well as a train museum. After lunch we cruised through the rest of the town and then started heading south. Nicely, this rolling terrain was mostly downhill and gave us wonderful views of Amish Farms, buggies on the move, fields of draft horses, mules and chickens. Carl brought my attention to the bike/scooters the kids must ride- large wheeled like a bike, but with no pedal or chain and a small platform between the wheels to prop your cruising foot. Nice design, but I couldn't do this ride on one. My lunch had been minimal and tasty and I could feel that I had gotten fluids into me. But inexorably I began to slow down again. This was very frustrating. Carl stayed back with me and we watched as the sky darkened and thunder rattled overhead. We regrouped with Isaias at a convenience store. Another group of cyclists there warned us of severe weather and tornado warning for the area. After a brief break we rolled on hoping not to be sucked up into the sky.

At the right turn onto River rd. the plops of rain began to fall. Then tiny mushy hail, then deluge. A driver stopped and rolled down his window to tell us about the tornado warning. We thanked him and rolled on through the cooling, but slightly worrisome storm. I felt the grime and slime of the last 100 miles getting scrubbed off me. Once every bit of me was soaked, I began feeling cooler and happier and almost... stronger. The road was a mass of spray and water was streaming off the brim of my cap. I could see Isaias's red Dinotte light up ahead and could just make out Carl in my rear view mirror behind me. The long descent down Holtwood to the Susquehanna was thrilling. The river was gray and the surface of the water was fuzzy with rainsplatter. I was rejuvenated and entertained thoughts of reversing my decision to shortcut with Carl. I would wait to see how my legs did on the big climbs out of the valley and up to Delta, PA

Isaias and I climbed at first together, then he slowly pulled ahead. The rain was letting up and the stream beside the road was surging with runoff. After a couple miles of climbing Carl and I reached Whiteford rd. I needed to make a final decision. The storm hadn't made my legs any stronger, but it made me want to continue riding. I did the math- 55 miles more, with 4 hours of sunlight left. How bad could the remainder be? I didn't know. I decided to continue on the original route. Isaias and I said goodbye to Carl and off he went to finish up his Susquehanna Paradise short version.

I got a little coffee at the next rest stop and Isaias switched his Garmin gps to begin a new file for the end of the ride. The Garmin didn't like that idea and locked up. After several minutes of trying to reset it, we rode off without a functioning Garmin. There had been several points during the day that I was thankful to have Isaias's gps working for us, but now we had to go back to the soggy cuesheets. We stuck together over the next miles, me slowing down on hills, but trying to conserve energy and ride efficiently.

South of Churchville we hit a very nice long stretch on Carsins Run rd. A moment after turning onto Nova Scotia rd we hit dirt road, very rutted, but luckily downhill. It was actually pretty scenic with a small river beside us, but the bounciness was making my fragile stomach feel uneasy. We popped out near a Dunkin Donuts. We were both hungry, but I convinced Isaias to wait for for Mc Donalds in Bel Air. The very next turn brought us to another long bouncy dirt rd. and this one was hillier. My legs just couldn't take the abuse and for the first time I got off the bike and walked up a steep section. At the top we turned onto pavement for no more than a quarter mile and then back to dirt. Unfortunately for me, this stretch was even hillier and bumpier. It knocked the last bit of resolve out of me. I walked up another hill and by the time we came out on Emmorten rd in Bel Air I was toast.

At the McDonalds I could barely eat a bite. Both of us got the shivers in the air conditioning, except that my shivering kept up even after going back outside. I looked at my watch- 8:15PM. Not gonna happen. I told Isaias I wouldn't go any further. He looked disappointed. I felt guilty. I used his phone to call my sis to come pick me up. She'd just sat down for dinner, but she'd come. I felt more guilty. Isaias re-routed for a quicker path home, we bid each other well and off he went into the sunset (literally). Very slowly, my shivering let up and I managed to eat, but it took almost an hour. My ride picked me up and I was rescued from a McDonalds by an automobile. I felt even more guilty.

It didn't turn out well, but this day was a long one. The majority of the ride was lovely and the camaraderie was great. In the light of a new day I can second guess my two big decisions- (1)continuing to ride after Carl's kind offer of taking me home and (2)deciding to call it quits in Bel Air, only 28 miles from a finish.  I still believe these were the right decisions. During the last 4 hours of riding I covered beautiful stretches I had never been on, I confirmed that some of these stretches were not right for this route and I pushed myself to just keep trying while I still wanted to. Then, in Bel Air I might have considered re-routing back to Baltimore with my lights ablaze all the way down Harford rd, but I would be attempting this in total darkness on a fairly trafficky road while feeling very physically unstable. That would've been too dangerous.

The route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/463363
Miles ridden: 160, not-ridden: 30. My camera died, probably in the rain, so no pics.
Lesson learned: I need more practice.

Huge thanks to Carl and Isaias for the company and kindness.

Bicycles on the new "boob" tube

I'd much rather be riding than losing the day stringing together youtube videos.
However, I'm only human...

A super catchy french music film from the 60's. Check out those Peugeot jerseys. ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fir6neas6I8

One of my favorite movies just happens to co-star a bicycle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rzg3esJaaU

I sure love my SPD pedals:
http://vimeo.com/1965120?pg=embed&sec=1965120

A guilty pleasure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wnOUH2jk8&feature=player_embedded

An hour and 32 minutes of beauty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4IDCkcnnHg

My Response to the Chief

Chief Johnson,

Firstly, let me thank you for taking time to respond to my letter. You
have solidified my respect for you and your position. Also, I'm very
glad that as a fellow cyclist you've got my sympathies at heart.

I cannot disagree with any of the details you've thoughtfully
described in your response. I am glad that BC Police are withholding
blame until this crash is fully investigated. I apologize for basing
my criticisms on preliminary media information.

I can't help but wonder how this tragic crash plays out in the context
of the recent campaign to help prevent future bike/ped deaths by
educating those most vulnerable- the bicyclists and pedestrians. I do
acknowledge that they may indeed be at fault sometimes, but to focus
on increasing the lawfulness of those most at risk seems like we're
ignoring the far more critical problem- the drivers' responsibility.

I don't know about you, but when the BC Police ask me to ride my
bicycle more lawfully it really doesn't make me feel more protected
from injury and death.

When you or I or any other well-intentioned driver injures a cyclist
we carry responsibility regardless of fault. "I didn't see them" or "I
couldn't stop in time" is not a valid excuse. When I ride on multi-use
paths I carry the responsibility of not injuring pedestrians whether
they are walking lawfully or not. Why? Because I am the more dangerous
vehicle. And, what if they are walking erratically or are partly
obscured by the terrain? I must slow down,  give the widest berth
possible and become extra vigilant. It is my responsibility to do so
merely because the pedestrian is more vulnerable. Obvious to me, is
that those operating 4,000 pound vehicles moving at 2-3 times bicycle
speeds have the same responsibilities to bicyclists and pedestrians.
Indeed, they have a greater responsibility because the risk of deadly
injury is so much greater. It's a common rule of respect- protect the
vulnerable. Why are we not harshly reminding drivers of this at every
possible occasion? There is no surprise here- bicyclists and
pedestrians are on our roads and they are us.

When you and I and the BC Police have done everything in our power to
remind drivers of this, then and only then can we remind
pedestrians how to walk safely.

Safe riding.         -Bob Wagner

- Show quoted text -

A response from Chief James Johnson

Bob Wagner

bobwag (at) gmail.com

 

Dear Mr. Wagner:

 

I have reviewed your comments and concerns regarding the recent WJZ report on pedestrian and bicycle accidents being on the rise in Baltimore County.  Specifically, I am responding to your concerns that the police reported that the truck driver may not be at fault and that the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet, was riding in the middle of the car lane, and that the truck driver had a blind spot when he came over a hill.  I am unaware of any police report on this crash stating that the bicyclist was at fault because of the aforementioned reasons.  Given that the WJZ report is dated May 6^th, two days after the crash occurred, any information learned or obtained at that point in the investigation would be preliminary observations with no conclusion as to fault.  Please understand, how preliminary information is reported by the media or how it is construed by the public is beyond the control of the Police Department.

The police report of public record for this crash indicates, by numeric code, that the bicyclist was not wearing any safety equipment.  There is no statement of fault attached to this observation.  The report indicates that the bicyclist was traveling north in lane #2 (the center lane) of three northbound lanes (2 northbound lanes and 1 transitional lane for exiting and entering Interstate 695).  There is no statement of fault attributed to this finding.  The report includes a statement from a witness that heard the truck driver state that the bicyclist must have come up on his blind side.  Again, the cyclist was not indicated as being at fault because of this finding.  In fact, the police investigative report concludes the truck driver, not the bicyclist, to be at fault for the crash.    

As a fellow avid cyclist, having participated in five Cycle Across Maryland (CAM) Tours and numerous Century Rides, I share your concerns about cycling safety and the need for motorists to respect the rights of cyclists.  I ensure you of my continuing commitment to traffic safety in Baltimore County for cyclists, as well as pedestrians and motorists.  In support of this commitment, Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith and I recently announced an initiative to reduce traffic crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists in Baltimore County.  This initiative will include three important components: Education, Enforcement and Engineering.  The Police Department plans to contribute significantly to the Education and Enforcement components.  I regard with interest the current effort of the Maryland State Police to develop curriculum for police officers on Maryland traffic laws relating to cyclists.  I would be receptive of exposing our officers to this training.

Thank you for voicing your concerns.

Sincerely,

James W. Johnson

Chief of Police   

Chief James W. Johnson
Office of the Chief
Baltimore County Police Department
700 East Joppa Road
Towson, Maryland  21286-5501
410-887-2200, Fax: 410-887-4958
E-mail:  jwjohnson (at) baltimorecountymd.gov

A Little Advocacy

Dear Baltimore County Police and County Executive,


I recently read the following article:
"Pedestrian accidents, especially fatal ones, are way up in Baltimore County" http://wjz.com/local/pedestrian.accidents.2.1679674.html
If correctly reported, this article highlights how poorly the Baltimore County Police understand MD law as it relates to bicyclists and pedestrians.
We should all know that everyone over the age of 16 is not required to wear a helmet when either bicycling or walking on MD roads. (thank goodness) Also, the state law allowing bicyclists and all other vehicles access to the full lane has been clearly stated for decades.
8 dead so far this year and the voice from BC Police is to blame the vulnerable for these incidents? What a sad way to treat our Marylanders. There must be a more sensitive and constructive way of approaching this, don't you think? The only thing that scares me more than being hit from behind by a well-meaning, but inattentive driver, is imagining Chief James Johnson explaining fault to my wife.
-Bob Wagner, a Marylander, a Baltimore citizen and a long-time bicycle commuter.

"Are you trying to torture us? "

 

Last week I posted the above picture of me taken during a solo bike ride from Key West, FL to Marathon, FL. Fellow randonneur, Maile Neel promptly responded to the post with the quote above. It was a reasonable thing to ask. The mid-atlantic had just received its second >2ft. snowfall in the last ten days. I knew it. I was "stranded" in the Keys because of the first snow and barely made it back before the second. Terrible, just terrible. ;-)


Glad to be back. (sort of) Key West was great for eating, lounging, snorkling and eating key lime pie- all activities I'm fond of, however, there aren't many options for long distance riding. There is a bit of a circle around the southeastern portion of the key(maybe 5 miles), but Route 1 North is really the only option for non-circular distance. Today's goal was to get over Seven Mile Bridge into Marathon .

Eaton Bikes was the only place in town that had decent road bikes for rent. They were kind and efficient setting me up with a Kona Jake- an aluminum frame cyclocross bike. It has 10-sp cog and a triple in front. I don't know what other riders do with all those gears. I would've been fine with a single speed. I left before sunrise from our rental along the historic seaport. Not the safest thing to do since I didn't have lights. I did wear my reflective jacket which, I'm guessing, helped keep some cars from hitting me. There is only one road off the island- Rt. 1 and I missed it. I began seeing the waterfront along the southside of the island and realized I had already gone past the only turn I needed to make. U-Turn.

Once on the Rt.1 bridge I was heading ENE to Boca Chica and directly into 25-40 mph headwinds. I knew it was going to be a wind fight for the next 40 miles and I needed to be back in Key West by 12:30 for brunch. (tough life, eh?) Off to the east the waters began to lighten with emerging sun. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy to get a proper sunrise. As soon as the sun was above the horizon though, the temperature began rising. By mid-morning it was up to high 70's and I was gulping down water like it was August in Baltimore.

Route 1 was scenic for me, but loaded with traffic traveling anywhere from 30-60mph. The route is part of the Eastcoast Greenway with plans to have a ped/bike path along the entire stretch. They're a long way off from that though. I took the trail once and it lasted not much longer than 1/2 mile before I was unceremoniously dumped back onto the main road. So, I rode the remaining miles on the shoulder which was mostly clear and smooth and only occasionally narrow, glassy and/or rutted. I lost count of how many bridges I went over. The route is just a series of frog hops over channels. Each bridge gives you a reason to get out of the saddle and rewards you with great views of the complex waterways as well as easy views of sponges and sea critters through the clear, shallow water. Good stuff.

I felt a bit uncomfortable getting on the Kona for this ride. Riding a bicycle for more than a few hours creates a relationship between rider and bicycle. A strong relationship is built on familiarity and a variety of trusts. Kona and I had none of that and I was hoping we would at least be civil and respecting of one another. We were not a perfect match. The frame was a bit small for me. I felt cramped in the top tube and was constantly repositioning my hands to take the weight off the bars as I couldn't find a comfortable balance point. As a part of the initial fitting, I'd raised the seatpost twice, but should've put it up another couple cm. So, I felt like I wasn't able to put in a proper power stroke. I was determined to be pleasant with the Kona and I was. Oh yeah, another thing- there was a slight leak in the rear tube which became rather sloggy by the end of my ride. Okay that was all. Kona was a pleasant rental, but we were not destined for one another.

I was nearing the southern base of the Seven Mile Bridge around 9:30 and realized that even with a quicker return ride I was not going to make it all the way up to Marathon and then back to Key West by 12:30. Although the bridge is a bit less distance than its namesake, it would be completely un-sheltered from wind and I'd be slow getting over it. I decided to accept my backup goal which was to ride out on the abandoned Flagler bridge from Little Duck Key. The bridge, an abandoned section of the old Overseas Highway, runs parallel to the new Seven Mile Bridge. It is missing several pieces in the middle because of storms and a movie stunt explosion, but long sections of it are still accessible from Marathon to the north and Little Duck Key to the south. I rode out for nearly a mile on it, passing fisherman and sight seers to the concrete barrier at the end of the section. It's kinda creepy looking over to the other inaccessible portion of the bridge. Then it was time to head back.

Traffic was getting heavier, but the tailwind made it a much faster trip. I chatted briefly with some Aussie road bikers in Little Pine key and finally made it back to Key West before my rear tire got too soft. I stopped to return the bike at Eaton bikes. They were shocked and amazed that I had ridden that distance and I soaked up the attention.

Two days later I rented a cruiser bike. Key West has perhaps, more humans on bicycles than anywhere I've visited except Amsterdam and 90% of the bikes are cheap cruisers. In Baltimore, I live in a world where owners tout their own individual choices in bicycles and bicycle parts. What you ride becomes an expression of your personality. Custom steel, Carbon, Ti? High performance, long distance, commuter. We define ourselves and are defined by our bikes. No so in Key West. A bike is just a "red bike" or a bike with big handlebars or "the one with the milk crate". Strange and wonderful. After riding a red cruiser with a yellow milk crate for a full day, it made me appreciate the Kona. In spite of our differences, I went back to Eaton bikes to rent the Kona again. The shop was closed. Like an excitable kid, I cupped my hands at the front window looking to see if I could see it hanging up inside. I wondered whether it might be taking someone else up to Marathon Key.

 

More pics from my trip: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27976837@N00/sets/72157623279683853/

Ruining my Rando Rep. or "Round the Big Bean"

Lake Montebello

Today I did a very strange thing: I rode around Lake Montebello more than 20 times.

I was hoping to meet a friend to ride our fixed gear bikes, but he couldn't make it. So, on a whim I set out to see how many laps I could do without getting bored and annoyed. I was surprised.

The first thing I realized is that it's difficult to keep track of how many laps you've ridden when you don't have a cyclo computer. So I devised an artificial memory system using a binder clip. I'd flip up one "arm" of the clip for the first lap and the second arm for the second lap. Then the first arm down for 3 and the second for 4 laps. Then I'd move my Dinotte light cable from the right side of my stem to the left to designate 5 and begin again with the binder clip. Perfect.

I was the only rider there at around 3PM. My half hour watch alarm went off as I was nearing my 8th lap. I was enjoying seeing the recurrent faces in the oncoming ped lane. There was a woman dressed entirely in black Lycra including a sinister black balaclava. She was running at what seemed like an impossibly fast pace and she kept it up the whole time I was out there. Running is hard and she was amazing to watch. A kind-faced Asian man smiled and nodded hello to me each and every time I passed. Geese were making silly noises announcing their arrivals and departures and the striated ice on the lake made a blurry reflection of the sky. Then a few other bikie types showed up and I got distracted.

I started measuring my speed against theirs. I'd glance across the park and note their position every time I passed a particular light post. I was closing in. I began trying to predict how many more laps it would take me to over take them. This is probably common mind games for the usual suspects riding Montebello, but I was a newb and excited. I imagined myself as fast as a Janet Goldstein and as focused as a "teacher" Bob. When I'd get to the only headwindy part of the loop I'd rise up and accelerate into it. I finally pushed a few more yards and I was in their draft. Strange. They weren't trying to pull ahead of me at all. They looked like they were just enjoying their ride.

I chatted for a bit. Nice guys. Then I pulled ahead hoping to warm up my toes a bit. I was just finishing up a lap when it hit me that I'd completely forgotten about my binder clip memory tool. Hmm... How many laps then? I was guessing at a number. The asian man was gone and I hadn't noticed when. The runner was chatting with a friend and cooling down. The kids poured out of Montebello elementary. It must have been around 20 laps. I reasoned that I ought to ride one more lap to be sure. I rode two instead and then headed back to Hampden stopping at the donut shop on the way home. A good ride.