We did 37 miles and change with the bike club this morning. A perfect day — sunny and warm, but low humidity. Riding through the shady sections was nice and cool.
It was a pretty hilly ride, especially towards the beginning. I was keeping up well, pushing bigger gears than usual, even up sections that usually kick my ass. A brief section of Talmadge Rd. at mile 8.5 hammered me though — uphill and then a turn and more uphill even steeper. If you look at the elevation, it’s that last little uptick before the long descending section begins a little before mile 10.
The long climb up from Rt. 202 in Far Hills to Liberty Corner, along Rt. 512, really gets to some riders, but for some reason I never have any trouble with it. There’s a certain gradient, and I’m not sure where exactly it is (as if I could do anything with that information anyway) below which I can go fast, and above which I’m dead in the water. This one is below.
A fine day indeed.