There are days when cycling is no fun. Today was one of those days.
When I stepped out of the house at 7:30 AM the weather was muggy and the temperature rising. By the time we started The Big Event ride at 9, I swear temps were north of 90 F.
John, Scott, Fred, Susan and I knew it was going to be a hot day, so we kept the pace relatively calm. Without working too hard we hit the first rest stop at 24 miles with an 18+ average. Still, we could tell it was going to be a tough day.
The route rolls over countless hills, and our group (which had grown by a few) broke apart each time we’d roll up a small climb. We’d periodically regroup, but it became almost impossible to keep everyone together. And by the last rest stop everyone was in survival mode. We saw several temperature readings of 103-106 F, and riding became a struggle to roll along fast enough to get the ride over with, but slow enough not to overheat.
The last few miles along Summit, Bass Chapel and Pisgah Church Rds. were a drag, with Scott, Jack and I limping into the parking lot where we found a cooler of cold drinks.