Highlander 2008 Ride Report

I rode the Highlander today, the hardest ride I do each year. One hundred miles around Canandaigua Lake (one of the NY Finger Lakes) with a total of 11,000 ft. of climbing and several hills > 20% grade. There is a good summary of the ride at the Highlander website.

I drove up to Corning on Friday night, leaving myself a 1-hour drive to the ride start on Saturday morning.

Up at 4:00am to get ready for the ride, eat some breakfast, and pack up. By 5:00am, I was in the car and started the drive north to Bristol Mountain for the ride start. Got there a little after 6:00am, checked-in, picked up my ride number (#32) and went back to get loaded up. The roads were wet from overnight rain and the skies were cloudy, but I managed to get through the whole ride without getting rained on. Temps were a comfortable 70F but high humidity.

Sorry no photos but I already killed one digital camera in the rain this summer, so I didn't want to chance it with another one. I intended to bring my GPS but it could not lock onto any satellites within 15 minutes due to the heavy cloud cover, so I left it in the car.

I headed out of the lot by 6:55. Within 5 miles, I was in the middle ring. Within 10 miles, I was in the small ring (granny gear). This is probably the only ride where I use every one of the available 27 gears, and the only ride where I need to use the little ring.

Got a rear flat tire at mile 17, which was a bit of a disappointment as I had just put on a new Michelin Krylion Carbon 80 miles ago for the specific reason to avoid a flat due to a worn tire. Alas, the upstate chipseal went through the rubber anyway. I now have had a flat on 3 of the 4 Highlanders I've ridden.

Up Miller Hill, a photographer was taking pictures at the usual spot so after they post them I will try to include a link if I can find one of me (here is the 2007 photo). After that, I made good time riding solo, up the first two "monster" hills Bopple and Gannett.

Rest stops were plentiful and well stocked, just like last year. I was partial to the fig newtons, bananas, home-baked cookies, and watermelon.

At the rest stop at mile 62, I hooked up with a rider named Rob from Buffalo, NY, and we tackled Sliter and Griesa hills together all the way back to Bristol Mountain.

I collected my "goodie" bag with a Highlander calendar, bottle of wine, etc. and ate the included dinner. I drove back to Corning, took a quick shower and continued with the marathon drive back home.

A decent ride, really hard, but satisfying to have finished.

Tempo Rides Before the Highlander

I would have liked to do the Saturday LBS ride but Tropical Storm Hanna put a damper on that. Steady rain Friday night and threatening skies throughout the day kept the other riders away. I checked the radar in the morning and saw some space between the bands of rain for a couple of hours for riding. I stopped by Brands at 7:00am but no other riders were there. I went solo on the Trek for about 35 miles up Round Swamp Rd. and West Hills. Got wet from the road spray but no rain.

Hanna blew out overnight and this morning it was clear and sunny, mostly dry roads, and low humidity. A bit windy but nothing too difficult. Did the usual Brands route and West Hills on the Specialized. Then, back home, cleaned up both bikes.

An easy weekend but I concentrated on easy tempo riding and trying to keep a steady pace on the uphills. Hopefully this will be the key to a successful run at the Highlander next weekend.

Stony Brook Ride Photo

Did a short ride this morning up Round Swamp Rd. and West Hills, then off to the beach this last day of summer vacation. Turned out to be a great day!

Arial sent me this photo taken at the completion of our 70 mile ride yesterday. Check it out!


Ariel, me, Eric, and (the other) Nick, outside of Campus Bikes in Stony Brook.

Labor Day Weekend Rides

Lots of bike-related goings on this weekend, both on and off the bike. Regarding pro bike racing, the Tour of Ireland, Deutchland Tour, Vuelta a Espana, and U.S. Pro Championships all taking place this weekend. Lots of coverage on TV and online.

On the bike, starting with Saturday, steady rain in the morning washed out the usual Saturday morning Brands group ride. Had a nice big breakfast with the family and relaxed with a cup of coffee. Around 9:30am or so the rain stopped and things started to dry up a bit. I took the opportunity to take the Trek out for a 40-miler on the Brands route to dial in the cleat position on my new MTB shoes. I will be using this setup this winter when the roads are wet or full of road grime and salt. Hopefully this will cut down on wear and tear on the Specialized. Also, this will most likely become my normal pre-work ride when it gets too dark for the little AAA powered light and I need to break out the halogen. I stopped to adjust the cleats after 2 or 3 miles, then rode the rest of the way with no issues. Maybe just need one more sesssion to get it 100 percent.

This morning I hooked up with Ariel agin to head out to Stony Brook for a 70 mile A ride, similar to last Sunday. We started with 5 riders and ended up with 4. A steady A-pace with a 20.1 average over the 70 miles. Really a very comfortable pace, everyone sharing in the work and a few light hearted attacks on the hills. Ariel continued to amaze on the climbs but we all rolled in together and spent a few minutes chatting afterward. Ariel took a group photo so I might see if I can get a copy of it to post.

Got a couple of e-mails from Mike W. but I had already committted to the Stony Brook ride today and tomorrow we have some family plans that require me to be home by 9:00am, so I'll probably end up doing a short solo ride.

Stony Brook - Harbor Hills Ride

Went with Ariel to ride out east. A great ride with a strong group. Hills, fast pacelines, great weather. Here is Kris' GPS track of the 75 mile ride:

Brands Ride - PLUS!

Once again, a fast, early morning loop to Jones Beach, then on to Brands for the 7:00am start of the weekly group ride. No Mike or Bob this week but most of the other familiar faces were there. The group stayed all together for the first 20 miles, all the way down the LIE South Service Rd. until Commack Rd. Five of us went north to Vanderbilt for a little different return route while the rest of the group continued back on the normal route.

We attacked the hills, regrouping as needed, hitting Wolf Hill Rd., through West Hills, and Avery. We had a fast paceline to head south again and finished together back at the Brands lot. With my extra morning miles, I finished up with 66.5 miles on the day.

Got an e-mail asking about the workstand I got, so here is a picture with the bike attached (check out my new saddle, too!):


The model is a Spin Doctor Race Workstand. Not the Park Tools model but the price was good and it feels sturdy enough. Time will tell.

Hoping to get another solid ride in tomorrow morning, possibly hooking up with Ariel from the Brands ride.

Solo Century - Highlander Prep

No organized century rides on the schedule this month, so I set out on a solo ride to prepare for next month's Highlander Cycle tour. Probably did only half as much climbing as the Highlander but I've found its just as important to prepare mentally to be riding for 6 hours as it is for the legs to be ready.

I did the "usual" Brands route with West Hills loop, then...did it again! Got the hundred miles with, probably 3,500 to 4,000 feet of elevation. Riding time: 5h 40m.

Home a little after noon and broke out the new work stand to clean up the bike. It worked great!



Its a euro-style stand where one wheel is removed and the fork is locked into a quick release and the bottom bracket is supported by a padded cradle. No camera handy today but I'll try to get a photo of it in action one of these days.

North Shore Hill Ride

Did a loop to Jones Beach then stopped off at the LBS for the Saturday group ride. A couple of miles in, Bill came up to me and suggested that a few of us could split off and do a hill ride on the North Shore. It sounded good to me since I need to ride some hills in preparation for next month's Highlander. We checked in with the ride leader, Jamie, and a couple of other riders and so it was set.

At the LIE, we continued North wile the rest of the group continued the usual route East. Lots of turns on this route but mostly we headed up toward Lloyd Harbor and did pieces of the Triangle Ride and the Gold Coast Century. I'm sure I can't remember all the turns but we hit the familiar hills in that area: Stillwell, Snake Hill Rd., Turkey Hill, Avery. We were a strong group of five and stayed together. We had one flat in the group around mile 40 but then continued our strong paceline back to Brands.

Just past Bethpage Park, Bill and I got caught at a traffic light and the three other guys faded into the distance as we were left behind. We hammered and tried to catch them but got stuck at yet another light, so that was it. Back at Brands, the timing was perfect as we arrived just at the same time as the other group that did the usual route. It seems they had a slight mishap with another cyclist but no injuries. Great ride and good to change things up a little.

On the technical front, the fizik Arione saddle still feels great! Also, I ordered a repair stand which I should get today. This should make maintenance a bit easier.

Links to some recent routes

Google maps plot of my ride in Acadia National Park.

Mike's plot of our Sunday hill ride.
My start and end were a little different but from Wantagh Parkway, it was about the same.

Weekend Rides With the Brands Group

Saturday morning a did a quick loop to Jones Beach and a couple of laps of the Tour de Parc circuit in Cedar Creek before heading over to Brands for the Saturday morning group ride. We had a dozen or so riders show up. Jamie distributed cue sheets this time with a new return route. After heading east on the LIE service road, as ususal, we would return via Vanderbilt Ave. and Half Hollow Hills Rd. instead of the LIE south service Rd. A good variation with lots of hills and less traffic.

I was part of a group of four that was off the front of the main group when we got to Vanderbilt. I got dropped after the first couple of hills but the guys waited for me and we kept together until Sweet Hollow Rd. They headed North for another 5 miles through West Hills but I took the more direct route back as I had a 10:00am conference call for work. Still got 53 miles.

After cleaning the bike, I headed to Brands for a few odds and ends: chain lube, degreaser, a new water bottle [thanks Tina]. I also decided to treat myself to a new saddle. After 24,000 miles the old one was looking a bit worse for wear and I had also been wanting to get a true racing saddle. After checking out the selection and talking with Jamie, I settled on a fizik Arione. Not the super lightweight version but definitely more performance oriented than the Specialized B/G that originally came with my bike.

Got an e-mail last night from Mike that a few of they guys were going to meet this morning for another hill ride. I joined Mike, Bob, and James and we headed out on a similar route to yesterday except that we returned on Wolf Hill Rd. instead of Vanderbilt. We also did the West Hills loop twice. A more reasonable pace than yesterday but still some challenging hills. We kept our little group tegether for the whole ride and I ended up with another 50 miles. It turned into a good recovery ride.

Early Birds Sunday Ride

Back on Long Island after a weeks vacation with the family in Maine, around Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island. I did get a second ride around Acadia's Park Loop Rd. on Friday. It was a wet ride through the morning mist and overnight rain, but I did seem to have the whole park virtually to myself.

Ten hours in the car yesterday to get back home, so I decided to REALLY stretch my legs with a fast EB ride. Out to Manorville for the 7:30am ride start. There was a huge group today, at least 35 riders, I would say. We headed out on the south route and had a very fast pace with a bit of tailwind. At Dune Rd., things started off tentative but soon we were pulling 25+ mph into the headwind. After my pull, someone unleashed a strong acceleration and I had no time to recover. I lost the wheel ahead and two or three of us were off the back. We struggled on ahead and I eventually bridged up to 3 or 4 other small groups. Three of us powered up over the bridge and met up with the lead group at the regrouping stop probably only about 1 minute behind.

We waited up for everyone else then set off again. Just before the deli stop the group split. About ten of us kept going, skipping the deli. A fast-paced 50-mile ride! Except for last Friday's race, I don't think I've dug this deep for months!

Vacation is over, so back to the work grind and the usual ride schedule tomorow!

Acadia National Park

On a family vacation in Bar Harbor, Maine. Got up early for a short ride in Acadia National Park on the beater bike. Did a ride to the Summit of Cadillac Mountain, then a loop of the park on Park Loop Road. Only about 31 miles but lots of climbing.


From the summit of Cadillac Mountain.

Recovery ride a day late

After riding Friday morning and racing Friday night, I figured a moderate paced Brands ride on Saturday morning would be just the ticket for a recovery. NOT!! Most of the usual group was there but once we hit the LIE service road things broke up on the hills. We kept a high pace on the 16 miles of rollers and finally called a truce back at the intersection with Round Swamp Rd., where we waited to get our group back together. We kept an easier pace back to the LBS. A great ride! As usual, it seems to take about 10 miles of riding before the legs get warmed up and start feeling good after a hard ride the day before (or 12 hours before, in this case).

Today, Sunday, I got up early to do a solo ride but as I was having my traditional oatmeal and coffee pre-ride breakfast, lightning, thunder and rain moved in. I took care of some items around the house for an hour or so until it cleared, then went out for 40 miles on the LIE again. Legs really sore today! An hour after I got back home, the thunderstorms started up again and have been going most of the day. So, good timing to get the ride in.

Heading out of state next week for a vacation with the family. Bringing the bike but most likely will just do one or two short, easy rides.

Kreb Friday Night Race Report

I drove out to Riverhead for this evenings Kreb Friday Night Race. I rode the "B" race, which is Cat 4 & 5 riders. After signing in and a few warmup laps, we all took a break to watch the kids races. When they finished, the A, B, and C groups lined up for the staggered start. The B race was 15 laps, which gave us a total of about 28 miles of racing.

I led the group around for most of the first lap. It was mostly status quo until the first prime at six laps to go. I got 3rd or 4th in the sprint for the prime, but the 2nd place rider kept going and I motored up to get on his wheel. Most of the others sprinting for the prime sat up. The two of us had a big gap for one lap. A chase group of three riders bridged up to us and we were a break of five. We hammered away for a lap or two. When I looked back, the rest of our group was nowhere in sight. We all put in some good, strong pulls to make sure the break would succeed.

On the final lap, I ended up in a less-than-ideal situation, taking the final pull to the bottom of the last climb before the finish. As I drifted to the back of the group, Dan opened the sprint with a strong acceleration. I could not respond immediately. Before I could get a couple of breaths, Victor was on his wheel and they two of them gapped the rest of us. They finished one and two, Victor with the win. A fellow East End teammate, Chris nabbed third, ahead of me by a couple of bike lengths. I gave it all I had and crossed the line for fourth.

A satisfying race in that I put in a big effort to make sure the break stayed away, and it did. It may have cost me a top three at the end but if the whole group of twelve made it to the finish together, I think there were a few more strong sprinters who could have finished ahead of me.

On a side note, I met my companion from last week's Brands ride. He raced the A group and got 5th. A great result for him. Will probably do Brands tomorrow morning. Caio!

Short Sunday AM ride, the TdF Enters the Alps

Shortened my early morning ride to 40 miles so I could get back and watch the pros hit the high alps for the first time in this year's Tdf (stage 15). Still, a good fast solo ride this morning along the Brands route. It was really warm out, 76F at 6:00am as I headed up Round Swamp Rd. I was home by 8:00am, fed the dog, brewed a pot of coffee and refeuled with some bacon and eggs.

Watching the tour on Versus now, peloton over the HC climb. Four man break out in front (USA rider Danny Pate in there for team Garmin-Chipotle!!!) but it looks like the real fireworks will be on the final Cat 1 climb.

Brands Ride Takes it Up a Notch!

I thought today might be an easy day, but the Brands ride turned out be a bit of a hammerfest today. I started off with a solo ride to the beach then arrived at the Brands lot to do the usual Saturday group ride. After about a dozen riders assembled, we rolled out at an easy pace as everyone warmed up. Things broke up a little on the long rise up Round Swamp Rd.

On to the LIE service road and it was still together until Dix Hills. Four of us broke away on a short steep climb, then one strong rider pulled us along most of the way to the turnaround point. With four strong riders, we didn't wait for the group and got a good paceline going back into the wind. At the next steep climb, I got away with one other rider and the two of us hammered our way back to Brands for the last 15 or 18 miles. Around the Bethpage golf course, we caught up with some of the original remnants of the starting group so them must have turned back early.

The two of us arrived back at Brands, big smiles and handshakes on a good fast ride. Also impressive was that my ride companion did the Riverhead races lastr night. Can't believe he had that much left in his legs. In summary a hard, fast ride witha grand total of 51 miles. Lots of fun!

Gold Coast Ride Report

Just back from the Gold Coast ride. I ended up with 115 miles as I rode to the start and headed home before the official ride end when the route came back down near Round Swamp Rd. At least I saved a couple of gallons of gas! One of the harder centuries on LI, due to the hills.

After riding to the start at BAE Systems in Greenlawn, I met up with the EB group and we headed out. Perfect riding weather and a challenging route. We kept it all together until the 2nd rest stop where most riders split off to follow the 70 mile route. Seven of us continued on with the 100 mile route. Kept fueled with Gatorade, PB&J sandwiches, bananas, and GORP (good old raisins and peanuts).

I was pleasantly surprised to meet up a few times with Mike W and Bob from the Brands group who were riding together on the 70 mile route. Good to see them doing well on the ride.

After the 3rd rest stop, and climbing steep Avery Rd., I split off alone on Rt. 25 to head home. I already had my hundred miles and cruised the last 15 home down Round Swamp Rd. Now showered, bagel, coffee, and fruit to refuel and watching some Tour de France highlights on TV. Feeling a bit battered, and so is my bike. Some really rough pavement on this ride. I feel like I really absorbed a beating from the road. Not to mention, someone knocked over my bike at the last rest stop, but no damage.

Percy had his camera along, as usual, so I'll link to his photos if he posts them.

"Coast" Recon

Scouted out the route from home to the start of the Gold Coast century. I'm planning on riding to the official start, then doing about 80 miles of official route with the EB group, then continuing home on my own when the route swings back down to Round Swamp Rd. Did a loop of the LIE service road on the way home for a total ride of 53 miles today.

Should take me about an hour to ride there in the morning.

July 4th Wekend Ride Recap

Friday, July 4th
Headed out early on a cool (55F), misty morning for my traditional climb up Harris Hill. I've blogged about this ride before, its mostly flat until Harris Hill itself, which is a steep wall of a climb. Then a fast descent back down to the Chemung River valley, a circuit around the local airport, then back to Corning. This time, I doubled-up and did another ascent of Harris Hill and airport circuit. This turned the usual 35 mile ride into a 47 mile ride. Its been quite a few weeks since I've needed the gloves and arm warmers for a ride but the morning here upstate are 20F cooler than they have been on the Island.

Saturday, July 5th
Another brisk morning! Felt a bit tired so I opted for a ride that would be mostly flat, with the option of hills if I felt up to it later. I headed west out of Corning on Rt. 415 (Bike 17) to Savona. Still didn't feel great but I knew I had time for 50 miles today, the weather was good and warming-up, so I wanted to make the most of the ride opportunity. I made the right turn onto Rt. 226 and headed into the hills. The climbs are not steep until Weston, and I didn't go that far. Green farm country and small towns. A nice quiet ride on good roads and good pace. As soon as my odemeter click to 25 miles I turned back and retraced my route back to Corning. 51 miles on the day.

Sunday, July 6th
Legs were feeling great this morning, weather was clear and warm, so I decided to go for a long ride. I decided that I could make a challenging century by combining the full Savona-Weston hill route with a loop around Keuka Lake, which I had done once before without Savona/Weston piece. It turned out to be a 108 mile ride, lots of rolling hills, a couple of steep tough climbs, some fast tempo sections, and a hard return home with the last 25 miles into a headwind. Here is a map of the route:



I took the camera along so here is a little photo summary...


About 10 miles in, on Rt. 415, the sunrise is lighting up this wet cornfield.


My shadow as I cruise toward the turnoff at Savona.


On a small uphill section through the farm country on Rt. 226, headed to the town of Tyrone and then Weston.


Still on Rt. 226, about 20 miles into the ride, some horses grazing in the morning sun.


Mile 25, yet another nice farm scene! There were just too many picture opportunities so, around this time, I decided I needed to curtail the photo stops or the ride would take all day.


The post office in Tyrone. Now some big hills as I head back toward Keuka Lake.


After a long, tough climb into Weston, I'm about to lose a large portion of that elevation gain on this 40 mph decent toward Hammondsport and Keuka Lake.


Descending to Keuka Lake, passed this pond on the hills overlooking the Lake. The hills in the distance are on the other side of the lake, which is not yet in view.


This is upstate wine and grape country, as illustrated on the side of this barn. You can see a small bit of Keuka Lake, which is still below me, to the right of the barn.


I got down to the bottom end of Keuka Lake near Hammonsport at mile 35. Then is was a fast, flat 20 mile run up the west side of the lake to Penn Yan. See yesterday's blog entry for a photo from the boat harbor there.


Heading out of Penn Yan, I stopped at a scenic overlook for this photo looking down the western fork of the lake.


Heading back down the east side of the lake, the road is a continuous series of rollers and narrow, twisting roads, unlike the flat and straight west side. I was constantly getting out of the saddle to keep my momentum going. Finally, at mile 80, I got to the town of Hammondsport and stopped in the town square for a Clif bar.


Left Hammondsport on the way to Bath and passed the Curtiss airplane museum.

Corning Area Ride Report and Photos are Coming!

If you have been checking my velog, you know I was away riding in the Corning, NY area for the July 4th weekend. Got home late today and getting ready for work tomorrow. Ride details and photos to follow in a day or two.

Okay, here is one photo to start...


At the top of Keuka Lake, Penn Yan, NY.