I do most of my training alone.

Not so much by choice as by necessity. The fact is that up where I'm from in Northern Wayne County and the surrounding areas, many people believe that the only reason anyone would or even should ride a bike is because they've been convicted of DWI and hence, can no longer legally operate a motor vehicle. As such, most any group ride I get the opportunity to participate in generally requires that I travel 40 to 90 miles each way, and is for the most part limited to weekends. There are a dozen or so weeks in spring and summer where I make it a point to hit one of several weeknight training or series races, usually in the Rochester area, but these are tough as I don't get home until 9:30 or 10:00pm due to the distance these are from home. Still, I thoroughly enjoy riding in different or new places, and so I can't say that I mind going elsewhere to meet up with riding partners.

The group ride this past Sunday started and finished on Mutton Hollow Road, a.k.a. 'The Hollow', just South of Prattsburg, NY. We headed South with a relatively large group including Geneva Bicycle Center Champions Mark and Suzanne Hartman, pictured below, as well as GBC's Matt Hanggi and his girl Doyle; Hollow natives Casey and Val, along with nearby local Jeremy; Semi-Pro Hil Jaymire; and myself.

Our train headed down into the Canisteo River Valley, about 12 miles North of the PA border. This is a narrow valley running from Canisteo to Corning, called 'Pennsyltucky' by Casey & Co. At one point, Jay, Mark, and I took off from the front of the group. We were in our own groove and by the time we realized that the others must have turned off at the intersection we had passed a few miles back, we had to turn around and do a concentrated 24mph team time trial for a good half hour to catch up to them. All tallied the day's ride covered 70 miles and about 3500 vertical feet of climbing. A mid-ride pitstop landed us at a gas/convenience store where we resupplied ourselves with calories and drink. As if on cue came an Appalachian Plateau version of an LA lowrider; ironically clad with a Kentucky licence plate and from the direction of the nearby PA border. He did say it was Pennsyltucky!

The driver and his partner had decended from the high hills to purchase a 30 pack of beer and more gas for their dirt bikes. This bad-assed little truck had electric powered air compressors providing instantly controlled lift & deflation via front and rear air bags. It had a high-rise stick shifter made from logging chain having had the links welded together to form a rigid shaft, and had an old ball hitch welded to the end to fit up into the palm of the hand. These boys were predictably drunk, and although the owner of the vehicle was initially reluctant to pose with his pimped-out ride, a little well directed admiration cajoled him to do so. Unexpectedly and to our delight, we were also treated to a fine burning rubber smoke show out on the highway as they departed. Lucky for these boys this was Pennsyltucky. Up in Wayne County they'd be riding bikes.

Spring opener

I've always called my first big road ride of the season that. Of course, I started calling it 'spring opener' years back, when it truly was my first big road ride of the year. Nowadays that distinction is a little blurred, as I just keep riding through the winter. I used to pretty much restrict my riding to the trainer in the winter months. Three years back, I raced my first and an entire cyclocross season. It got me gradually acclimated to riding in the cold, so when winter came I just kept going. Obviously my milage isn't what it is in warmer seasons, but I do manage to get in lots of long rides; and the Pugsley has added many of those opportunities. Still, I always think of the first big road ride, inspired by relatively milder temperatures and a calendar date at least somewhat near to the vernal equinox, as the inaugural opening to the spring road riding season.So this past Sunday was that. The spring opener. I embarked upon this excursion with two riding friends known for their masochistic riding adventures; semi-pro racer, Jay Hilimire and Finger Lakes Highlander, Casey Conte. Knowing that our journey would surely traverse a number of dirt roads that are so characteristic of the rural Finger Lakes Highlands, not to mention the road intersections having been rendered tractionless to a breaking or corning set of wheels by winter sanding, my chosen steed for the day was my trusted Giant cyclocross bike. Our ride took us into the incredible hills surrounding beautiful Keuka Lake. Some of these grades exceed 20%. The day's tally? 80 miles and 7000 feet of vertical ascent. The views? Magnificent! Legs smoked? YOU BET! Hey. March 11th is early for this combination of distance and climbing.
The picture at the top of the post is looking southward, over the West branch of Keuka Lake and the Bluff Point peninsula that separates its East and West branches at the Northern end. That hill you're looking down is typical, though certainly not the steepest, of what you'll ride around here. The second picture, directly above, is taken not too far from the Bully Hill Vinyards and winery, and which sits atop a fast decent into the picturesque Village of Hammondsport. That's Casey, Jay, and I, left to right, with the view North towards Bluff Point and the split of the East and West branches. At the end of the day was the payoff, below. Guiness and warm food at Lloyds Limited Pub in Penn Yan. At about 3/4 of the way into the ride our knowing that this was waiting fortified our stamina to drive for the finish and guided us back with a homing instinct like bees headed for the hive. Cheers boys. Thanks for the adventure and here's looking to the season ahead!
There's doubtlessly more snow and miserable weather in store for us before we can expect any number of dependably warm days. In fact, it's snowing out as I write; 1" to 4" possible tonight. This past Sunday was just a teaser, and was a little deceiving at that. I think the days of biting cold and dreary skies are numbered for this season though... now that the spring opener, has passed.