The Therapeutic Effects of Lonely, Desolate Roads

Sometimes, it feels really good to tread old paths. I love going off on adventures, exploring new areas and seeing new sights, but after a wreck of a weekend, I just needed to get back that old feeling of pure joy that I had last year. Judging by how I'm feeling today, I was successful!

First of all, this weekend did NOT go as planned. I had intended to do some light cycling on Saturday and then head up to the Pedal & Paddle Fest in Prompton State Park on Sunday. Instead, I went to Moon Lake Park with some friends from Valley Cycles to ride the trails there on Saturday.

As I've mentioned, I usually head up to Wilkes-Barre to ride with a group from Valley Cycles. This past Thursday was to be an extra special affair, as June 6 is also my birthday. (34 trips around the sun!) But, due to rain, a lot of folks either opted to ride trainers in the shop or just skip the night, altogether. I chose to skip.

After 2 days of raining, the trail was incredibly slippery. My rear tire could gain no purchase on the many rock gardens and tree roots along the trail. I'd get the front wheel up and over an obstacle only to get the rear wheel hung up as it would spin out and dump all the energy I put into each pedal. I just wasn't having a very good time.

I realize now that the Excalibur is too big for me. I had an extremely difficult time controlling it and ended up in quite a mess. I fell a few times, and I even ended going over the handlebars once as I tried coming down a rock formation and ended up going vertical. As I felt the back of the bike coming up off the ground, all I could was tuck and roll. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt.

Wet shoes + platform pedals = OUCH

The worst part of the ride came towards the end; I was really beginning to lose my confidence. Instead of going all out and having a good time, I was trying to play it safe and avoid any obstacle that looked like it might be too dangerous. I lost count of how many times I slid sideways and was tossed off the bike, or lost my balanced and fell over. Then came the injury as seen in the picture to the right -- a result of my right foot slipping off the pedal. It's not as bad as it looks, but it hurt for a while.

After all that, I just needed to get back out there and get myself on familiar ground. On Sunday, instead of driving up to Prompton State Park for more trail riding, I chose an old, favorite route that I haven't been on since late last year. Going out Stockton Mountain Road to Route 93, then on down through Weatherly and up past the Lehigh Valley Gorge. I didn't have time to head down into the gorge, so I continued past the Weatherly Cemetery and up past Eckley Miner's Village and then home along Route 940. 2 hours and 29.3 miles later, I was feeling back on top.

Riding this route reminded me of the days when I had no plan and no agenda. I wasn't trying to make it to work on time and I wasn't trying to keep up with anyone else -- it was just me, with hours and hours to be alone with my thoughts. I could take time to feel the cool breeze on my skin while coasting along desolate roads lined with forests of evergreen that reach into the sky. Trees so tall, they easily block out the harsh rays of the sun and put you in the center of your own world. It was, and still is, the best therapy I've ever found.

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Using the Full Lane: A response to Darryl at LovingTheBike.com

Yesterday, I read a great post by Darryl on LovingTheBike.com titled, "Cyclist May Use Full Lane... But Should We?"
Darryl raises some very good points that I agree with. He seems mostly concerned that riding down the center of the lane could lead to more accidents, either by distracted, negligent drivers who don't see the cyclist, or aggravated drivers who want to take their frustrations out on a cyclist.

This is a subject I think about quite often, and I've been meaning to write something similar because I feel very much the same way as Darryl. There are certain roads I ride on where traffic is traveling at speeds much greater than the posted limit, and I'd rather not be in the middle of the lane when a distracted driver comes along at 60+ mph. Take the Weatherly Plains Road, for example -- a two-lane stretch that runs for about 4 miles between Beaver Meadows and Weatherly.

The Weatherly Plains Road, image from Google Maps

The Weatherly Plains Road is a popular road with cyclists. As such, drivers along this stretch are used to seeing cyclists on it. However, the traffic tends to go above the speed limit, so most cyclists stick to the shoulder. If I'm reading him correctly, that's exactly what Darryl is saying, that this is one road where we probably shouldn't take the lane, even if the law says we can. However, I think we probably should, and I have a few good reasons why.

The way a driver passes a cyclist begins with where the cyclist is riding. We tend to only see things that are directly in front of us, so by riding in the lane, I stand a better chance of being seen and easily avoided. If I stick to the side of the road, however, I increase the chances that a driver will hit me without even knowing I was there. Furthermore, even if they do see me, by hugging the shoulder to stay out of traffic, I'm sending a message to drivers that says, "The lane is all yours, take it," so they do. And, of course, they pass as closely as possible without slowing down because I told them they could. It all starts with me.

Assume for a moment that I'm in the lane and a car is approaching from behind. The driver should easily see me which should cause them to change lanes to give me 4 feet of space, as required by Pennsylvania law. (I understand this deviates greatly from state to state.) In another scenario, if a car is approaching from ahead in the other lane, the car behind me should slow enough to allow the oncoming car to pass us both before attempting to change lanes and overtake me. Perhaps this is annoying to a driver... I can sympathize, I drive a car, too. But I'd much rather they be temporarily annoyed than for me to be permanently dead.

Keep in mind, I'm not talking about hogging the lane and adopting an attitude that everyone should should go around me, I'm talking about riding defensively and having the confidence to adopt a more assertive stance that reduces my risk of being hurt or killed. If I take the lane, I am showing the driver that I am a part of regular traffic and that they are to treat me as such by slowing down and giving me space. In return, I will do my best to make their passage as convenient as possible. I understand that I am a slow moving vehicle, and I apologize for the inconvenience, but there must be a mutual amount of respect for us each to share the road properly.

Think of it like this: would it be any different if I were in a truck pulling a wide-load? Or a road maintenance vehicle, or farm equipment, or a horse-drawn cart (as seen in many parts of rural Pennsylvania)? It wouldn't; it's not different at all. Those vehicles are often moving slower than traffic, yet aren't expected to pull over for every impatient driver who comes along. And neither should cyclists. In fact, I believe it would be a detriment to cyclists everywhere if we did.

Darryl, I completely understand where you're coming from, there are a lot of distracted drivers out there, but I respectfully disagree. I think we should use the full lane, and I think we should do it as often as possible, if only to increase the awareness that we are out there, too.

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Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Rides Updated Again

The routes for the Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Rides organized by Ed Pane and Serento Gardens have been updated, once again.

I reported that the 50k and 100k routes were altered a few weeks ago due to chip seal being laid down on several areas along those routes. The re-altered routes now avoid those areas completely, in addition to being extended.

From the Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Ride page:

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania decided that September 2012 would be a wonderful time to tar and chip the route used for the 100K, 50K, and 20K routes!! Well, obviously we're not sending you out on miles of tire shredding, bone jarring cycling, so we have rerouted the event. In the process, the 50 and 100K turned out to be two of the most beautiful and scenic rides we've ever taken. Check out the new maps on the links below.

Both rides briefly route through Hazleton City along well paved residential roads, then onto rolling terrain with a few good hills.

The 50K turned into a 60K but we promise you won't mind it a bit. The 100K turns into a 102K with breathtaking scenery along PA Bicycle V and L routes. Most of it is rolling terrain, but it has four brief, challenging climbs. 

The 20K has turned into a 22K (13.7 miles) bike ride into McAdoo, PA and then through Hazleton neighborhoods near the main event site. The streets are wide, well paved, and the traffic will be light. It's a nice way to meet some of the people your participation helps throughout the year.

So, where the old 50k originally went through Tresckow and McAdoo, the new route now cuts out those towns to go through Hazleton and up past Freeland towards White Haven before heading down through Weatherly and Beaver Meadows. (Hmm. This route looks kind of familiar... Well, except for the part where we'll be turning left on State Route 2051/Buck Mountain Road instead of right, as I typically like to do.)

I'm actually excited to ride this new route. It'll be a fresh perspective on riding through Hazleton, which I normally try to avoid, and a chance to go in a direction I haven't tried before. It's amazing how easily you can get set in your ways, riding the same routes over and over.

Here are links to interactive maps of the new routes, from the Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Ride page:
Click here to view the 22K

Click here to view the 60K

Click here to view the RIDE version of the 60K

Click here to view the 100K

Click here for the RIDE version of the 100K map

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Fall is Definitely in the Air

Today's ride could have been better. I made it to the Lehigh Valley Gorge (15 miles) in about an hour and was feeling pretty good. But the ride back took almost twice as long, and I was definitely not feeling good by the end of it.

The reason the return trip takes longer is because the trip into the gorge is mostly downhill, so it's easier to go faster. I don't follow the same route back, I always go in a big circle, but I still have to go up just as much as I come down.

I'm curious as to what the trip would be like if I rode in the opposite direction -- going through Beaver Meadows first, then Weatherly and on into the Gorge, then riding up past Eckley. It's definitely worth a shot to find out.

I also wasn't crazy about the weather, today. It was 66 degrees, which isn't that bad until you're soaking with sweat and riding through heavily shaded, tree-covered back roads with a headwind. I wore layers and tried to stay in the sun, but it still got chilly. And before you roll your eyes, remember: I was doing this back when the mercury was hitting the mid-90s and didn't mind it one bit. Most folks were hiding in the shelter of their A/C units -- I don't even own an air conditioner. I would love to have that weather back.

I was also rather annoyed with my rear derailleur. I'm going to have to adjust it a bit before I go out again because it kept slipping gears and shifting when it should have been steady. Hopefully it just requires some cleaning and tweaking to get it to settle down.

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Almost a 50k

Full Route: 29.8 miles

Today was an epic riding day. I plotted a course, gathered my things and hit the open road. It was glorious!

First of all, this ride was freaking fantastic. Lots of uphill challenges, plenty of downhill thrills, a distinct lack of traffic and wide open roadways. Have you ever wondered what it felt like to fly? I may have never gotten off the ground, but it was exhilarating.

I started off going out 940, towards Freeland. I then turned off 940 and rode through Jeddo, eventually going past Eckley Miner's Village. Past Jeddo (and especially past Eckley) the shoulder widens, leaving plenty of paved roadway to ride on. Not that it matters, as traffic is virtually nonexistent. It's mostly uphill, but that just means plenty of downhill to come.

Entrance to Eckley Miners Village

When I finally began to head downhill, I relished it. Arms tucked in, feet firmly planted, I hung over the handle bars and let the wind rip through my hair (well, what's left of it.) I could hear the front tire screaming as the speedometer climbed past 30 mph. However, the blissful moment was over all too soon. Back to reality, back to tough uphill roads.

I made a right at the bottom of the hill on Buck Mountain Road, heading towards Weatherly. Again, not very steep, but a long climb to the top. Eventually, however, I saw a welcome sight, a sign indicating a 7% grade for the next 3/4 of a mile. Time again for pure, downhill adrenaline. This time, with a slight twist.

You have no idea how happy I was to see this sign.

There's a marker obscuring the squiggly line on the map at the top of this post, but it represents the tight, hairpin curves of the Weatherly Hillclimb. People come from all over to race up this hill in souped-up vehicles twice a year, and the tire tracks all over the surface of the road tell the tale of the hundreds of cars that attempt it. But it's just so much fun to ride down it! The 20 MPH speed limit signs, then 10 and 5 MPH signs were pretty funny at the time. I won't say how fast I actually went, but I was respectful of those curves.

Finally, Weatherly. I made a slight deviation in my plotted course to stop and visit my brother, but he wasn't home. So, onward. I had planned a stop at the Dollar General that lies across the bridge to refuel. I bought a Nature Valley Granola Bar (Google Affiliate Ad) and went looking for some chocolate milk -- carbs and protein, basically -- but the only available drink was some brand that had 450 calories in it. In hindsight, I probably should have grabbed that one -- I burned over 1,000 calories on this trip -- but I spotted a bottle of "Protein to Go."

SCORE! Oh, wait, no. This stuff tastes like vomit.

At first, I thought I'd scored gold, until I actually tasted it. Horrible! It tasted like spoiled milk and sick. The date indicated that it was good until 2014, but it still tasted like the worst dreck I'd ever had. Was it bad, or is it supposed to taste like that? I thought twice about finishing it, then bottoms-upped it before thinking again. Time to move on.

The Weatherly Plains Road was the only part of this trip I was worried about. However, looking back, I found that it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. All those runs up the hills here in town seem to have prepared me well. I was even surprised to see that I'm not dead-last on Strava.com. I'm only second to dead last...

Onwards through Beaver Meadows, up the Stockton Mountain Road, along Diamond Avenue to 309 and, finally, home. If I get to my driveway and remember feeling like I'd never see it again, that's how I judge a journey like this. True, I was never very far from people I knew who could help me in a pinch, but there were times that it did feel very lonely.

I'm well aware of those who would not be challenged by this ride -- I even encountered a fellow cyclist on the Weatherly Plains Road who blew right by me -- but I still feel very proud. Think of nothing but victory; recall nothing but triumph.

29.8 miles in 2 hours and 49 minutes. Almost a 50k.

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