New Hampshire Seacoast Ride / Saturday, Oct.17

[jg767]

To anyone interested, Axlerod and myself will be meeting at the Salisbury Reservation a week from Saturday at 9AM for a 20 mile run up the coast to Portsmouth. Anyone else up for it?

[Axlerod]

I'm looking forward to NH seacoast ride while it's still warm.
It might make it to 50 deg F wohoo!
We could make it a three state tour. Start 10 AM Oct 17, Salisbury Mass. State Park, Head North on Rt. 1A to NH & Maine, less than 50 mi round trip. The tree colors are like a rainbow. Eat lunch in Portsmouth NH. There's allways tons of cyclists on 1A on Saturday. 2 weeks ago over 3,000 cyclist riding the Granite State Wheelmen Century.
Who can come? Gtr

[jg767]

Maybe no rain till PM, It's a chance to get a good ride in before the leaves are gone. Rt. 1A is one nice bike route. Don't miss this one!

[jg767]

80 miles round trip from the mouth of the Merrimac river to Nubble Point, York , Me. George rode his recumbent , drafting behind me most of the way. We averaged 19 or 20 mph even with a pretty strong headwind.

[RusticoRay]

Nice ride sorry I couldn't make it. I thought for sure you were going to bump back a week. George were you motor assisted? If not you put me to shame with that ride. I'm up for one or more tours before the snowmobile suit comes out.

[jg767]

the caption "Morini build" should say " George crossing Hampton bridge" Ray, he did pretty good without a motor, didn't he? He'll have one next time, though. We'll have to make sure of that!

[Axlerod]

Let's do it again. The ride was awesome. 3 states, we must have stopped @ 6 State Parks ( Nubble Light was the best), talked to bunches of people. Many were very curious about Johns bike. We had some nice conversations. I had hoped to get my MB finished for the trip, but @ 10 PM Fri , realized it wasn't going to happen. Not wanting to bail out I grabbed my recumbent, w/ the intention of drafting JG.
This worked real well especially heading out into the 20+ mph headwind.
Johns a big guy & it felt like I was drafting a UPS Truck. In spite of it being 47 Deg F & the wind, the Sun was shining & it was actually pretty nice. I warmed up real quick trying to suck JG's wheel. We must have been a comical sight for many of the folks walking would turn & point w/ big smiles on their faces. The fumes wern't so bad, but I did notice when I got home & washed the white towel I used had a large black imprint of my face.

Fortunately there were not many hills, but the ones we hit I would bog down, but for every uphill there is a downhill. I got up to 38 MPH a couple of times downhill & downwind heading South from Maine. The strain of trying to hold JG's wheel, the wind & hills got to me & I started to get leg cramps.
We stopped I drained a Qt of Gatorade & we headed out. Things went well until we hit the Hampton Bridge. There is construction going on so I decided to take the sidewalk. On the back side clipping along 20+ mph I hit a sand trap. The wind had blown sand over the walk & it was getting dark. My narrow tires knifed through it as I swerved left right left, finally crashing against the guard rail. No harm done we headed back for the last 3-4 miles.

I hope we can get a big group together before Winter takes over.

[craisin]

well guys thats put a smile on my face for the day.
Thats a good story of loyalty and not letting your friends down