Penance Ride ~ On Saturday!!

This one is a challenge.  It’s not necessarily about how fast we do it.  It’s about doing it at all.

This is one of my favorite rides.  It has character.  It’s not difficult to navigate.  It’s good to go visit the “mountain to the south” in the Winter.  We should let each other know that we still care.

To begin with, most of us have not been riding as much as we would ordinarily.  We let the lack of daylight, the cold, the rain, and holiday distractions stop us.  It hardly matters who we are.  It seems that no one escapes the “Bermuda Triangle.”  We are not talking about disappearing ships here, but rather the triangle formed by Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas/New Year.  It’s a terrifically hard time to stay focused and motivated.  And often cyclists fall into it and disappear.

We eat too much.  We skip workouts.  Next thing we know, we’re overweight and feeling tired all the time.

Still, we aren’t “Pros.”  We are avid enthusiasts.  We ride for many reasons.  Some of us take it seriously enough to call it “training.”  But we ride and we work out.  So we will accept the challenge of a long Winter Ride.  It’s a sort of declaration.  We ride and say, to ourselves and the world,  “I am here!  I am still here.  I will always be here!”

The Penance 100+ starts at 08:00.  We will have a guarantee of usable daylight until at least 17:00.  Sunset will be at 17:42, and civil twilight will end at 18:09.  But remember, if it’s cloudy, we could lose our light earlier.  (I’d bring some kind of light, just in case…)  So plan on a day ending at 17:00.  That means we will have, at least, nine hours in which to get this done. 

The full length of the long loop is 108 miles. So an overall average of 12 mph gets it done in nine hours.  If we assume an hour and a half of stopping time, then a rolling average of 14.4 mph is necessary for the 5:00 PM finish.

Set your conditions:  Decide what you will ride in, in advance.  Set clothing and equipment aside.  Get up on the day, and make the final decision then.  Vow to yourself that you will go, if the weather is inside your pre-set conditions.  Then come out and do it!

Best Advice for the day:  While we care about you, the nature of this ride is pretty individual. 

If you want company, be prepared to compromise on riding style a bit.

Stay inside yourself.  This is not a day to establish a “PR.”  Take it easier and enjoy the ride.  By the time you reach Greenville (approx 33 miles in) you will know whether the full 108 miles is in the cards for you.  If not, there is no disgrace in making the turn and doing a bit over a “metric century.”

Have a bail out plan.  Let someone know where you will be going, and about when to expect you back.  Pre-arrange for an emergency pickup.

Ride to have fun.

Current Weather Outlook:  Temp around 47 degrees F at ride time, with a high near 63.  Cloudy, with a 50% rainchance.

Want a cue sheet in advance?  I will be doing a cue sheet email on Wednesday.  If you want to receive the cuesheet by email, contact me at the.road.dragon@gmail.com and let me know.  I’ll put you on the list.