Today I rode 29 miles backwards!
Posted On Friday, June 20, 2008 at at 4:00 PM by MTB ManToday I rode 29 miles backwards. I mean I rode one of my usual routes in the opposite direction from the way I usually ride it. Ha, ha!
The reason I haven't ridden it in this direction before is the "DREAD" Orchard Hill!
I have ridden Orchard Hill DOWN at the END of the ride but not UP at the BEGINNING of the ride.
Last year, when I first started riding with my Ross MTB, I rode up Orchard Hill a little way but stopped, not because I blew up but because of fear of FUTURE PAIN! I thought, well I'll ride a little more up Orchard Hill each time and it will be a good fitness test as well as a way of getting fitter. Except, I never did ride up it again. Until my friend Charles encouraged me to ride it one time this year. I did it. It was hard and I saw my highest heart rate ever on that climb 171bpm about 97% of my supposed maximum. Now mind you I'm not afraid of pain and I'm not a quitter and I don't make excuses for my age just for the sake of it but I am trying to be responsible. The thought that I AM 60 and I could pop a vessel or something is something I should take seriously .... or not. Well anyhow, I am riding up it now and yeah, it's hard but it's not that bad. I kind of enjoy it. And my HR only gets up to about 162bpm now. My daughter Steph asked for some pics and here they are. I don't like to stop to take pictures but I do like to have them. I need a convenient way to take them without stopping the ride. In the winter I put the camera in my jacket's side pocket but now I have it in my fanny pack and it's not that convenient to take it out while riding. Jeff Kerkove does a good job taking pics while riding.
Anyhow, for what it's worth, here they are:
Corner of Van Dyke and Meads, a couple of miles in
Meads Lane, straight 2 miles, farm country
This is one of the hazards of this route. Fortunately this was the tail end of the train
This is the beginning of Orchard Hill Road. Doesn't look too bad does it? Well, hey I'm not going to stop in the middle to take a picture!
Nice view at the top on Bullock Road if you don't mind high tension lines
The Helderberg Escarpment
The long and winding road!
Almost home. You can see the tall buildings of Albany just to the right of that barn. From Krumkill Road.
YES! Pictures!
I recognize exactly where you are in almost every picture. We used to run Meads lane for track practice in high school. (Before I joined the track part of t&f and I was just jumping, sometimes I would join Nicole on her long distance workouts which almost always took place out there.) Love it.
Yeah, that's a great stretch. Picturesque and peaceful. I'm glad you identify! :-)