I would ride today.

The target for the day was the Sky Top Apple Orchard in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Not having ridden to the top before, I explored the route with Google’s “bike route” feature the day before. It had me reaching the destination in four hours and thirty minutes. I knew it wouldn’t take me that long, but I had to incorporate two objectives and needed to find a way accomplish both. I wasn’t certain how the timing would work out.

I needed to get to some roads with elevation to carry out the workouts prescribed by my coach which included turning the pedals for over five hours. At the same time, I needed to make it up to the orchard in time to celebrate Thing Three’s seventh birthday. I figured I could get up to the watershed and do my workouts and then finish up picking some apples.

Looking out over the hills toward the Blue Ridge

The first obstacle of the day came in the form of a late start. At best I would get in would be five hours instead of the five and half Jim commanded. No problem, I could give the thirty minutes. My main concern was getting to the watershed in time to get my intervals in before climbing Pinnacle Road to the party.

There was no rain falling as I spun out of my driveway. The morning was cool and while the tarmac was damp, there was no standing water to make things miserable. Above me there were still clouds, but also a small patch of blue being exposed by the sun that was now coming farther over the horizon.

As I passed Sunshine Cycle Shop, I noticed riders gathering. Not sure they saw me as they were engrossed in conversation. I almost called out to them, but I knew I was already behind and couldn’t afford to stop. Kind of sad since the October issue of Bicycling Magazine just named the shop ride one of the top 50 shop rides in the country. It would not be my ride today.

Continuing on I followed part of the route the Hour of Power riders would take. A lone rider approached me going the opposite direction. It was Art! Art is the rider I wrote about two weeks ago that was caught up in a bad accident and went over the handlebars to land on this head and injure his shoulder. This would be his first HOP back. Once again I felt the call to the shop, but I rode on.

Before long I was leaving the streets of Greenville behind as the Giant led me into the rolling countryside of Northern Greenville County. It was Highway 253 that would take me to Tigerville Road and then on to Old Highway 25 and the watershed. My first landmark would be North Greenville University.

Though it was 8:30 in the morning as I approached the campus, I sporadically saw riders heading toward Greenville. Had they already ridden up to Saluda before the sun rose? They passed and I was left to consider their origin and destination. Once I reached the campus I saw even more riders arriving at a parking lot used by many riders as they begin the famous Bakery Ride. Wow, I thought I had started early!

From that point up to the where I had to decide between a left to Hendersonville and a right to Saluda, I would periodically pass riders going down. For the most part I was alone. Those times were glorious. Shortly before NGU the rain began to fall more heavily. Rather than bring misery, it brought a calming rhythm to the world around me.

As I rode alone up the winding roads all I could hear was the sound of rain drops bouncing off the broad leaves of the trees. At times I would be near enough to a creek to hear the rushing of the water. Always there was the chirping and croaking of any number of different insects and frogs.

Before I knew it, I had reached the watershed and began to attempt some of the intervals Jim had outlined. I must be honest (though he will probably read this) my heart was not in it. My heart was not in the structure of training.

My heart was in pedaling my way along taking in the wild turkey and turtles that either scurried in front of me or continued on their steady way. Suffering over the handlebars I most likely would have missed that beautiful 4 inch horned caterpillar or the shivering little chipmunk who for some reason was sitting inches from the asphalt as I rode by.

North Carolina state line

I started getting near the Apple Orchard as I began to roll into the metropolis of Tuxedo, North Carolina. I knew by this time that because of the weather the party would be moved back to our house from the orchard. If I was going to make it back on time, I would have to turn around once the computer clock read 2:45.

Pinnacle Road – an insanely steep road that takes you to the orchard – greeted me when the clock read a little past 2:20. Hey, I could make it all the way to the orchard AND still make it back in time for the party! I attacked the road with gusto. It attacked me right back!

You climb nearly 850 feet in three miles to an elevation of around 2700 feet. However, the hardest part of it is that several times the grade kicks up to at least 20% or more. Not often do I think I am going to have to stop and walk, but this time I almost did!

Still, I made it to the top before 2:40 rolled across the face of my Garmin. After taking a moment to alert the beautiful redhead to my location, I turned around and started the hair-raising descent back down Pinnacle Road — with wet rims and brakes! I confess, I basically rode the brakes the whole way down sliding my body onto the rear of the seat.

Click map to see Cyclemeter map

Then it was time for some fun! While the ride up to the orchard was about slowly enjoying the nature around me, coming back was all about making sure I made it to my son’s birthday bash on time. What a blast coming down the watershed at 40 mph! My average home increased by 4 mphs over the ride up.

It was one of those grinning days. Those days where I climb off the bike with that grin that doesn’t show up so much on my face as it does on the inside. Training is good and when you are about to embark on an endeavor like I am in 6 days, you need to train. However, sometimes you just need to grin.

Here is one of the legs of my journey on the Ride for Mike that I get asked about the most. “When will you be in Greenville?” The answer is on day four. It is the final push for the long days and the end (I hope) will find me in my own bed that Wednesday evening.

Dawsonville, GA to Greenville, SC

This is also another ambitious leg – Dawsonville, GA to Greenville, SC. The Google maps estimate is 124 miles this day. I’m hoping on two things… 1) that I will be farther along than I have planned by this point — which will help shorten the distance on this day, and 2) that the fact that I will be riding into Greenville will give me extra motivation — the old “horse smelling the barn” syndrome.

It is now 18 days before I start this journey. Actually, the journey started  little less than a year ago when I hatched this idea while riding my bike from Greenville to Austin with the Challenge to Conquer Cancer ride. September 19 will just be the beginning of the end of a longer journey — but it will also be the toughest part. Still, I am getting that excited feeling in the pit of my stomach!

Friends have been asking about riding along with me once I get near Greenville. I certainly would appreciate some help on this leg, but I will also be looking for some help on the leg out of Greenville. I should be publishing that part of the route in the next several days. I’m thinking that I will leave out of Greenville that Thursday morning from the campus of Bob Jones University. It will probably be a later start (around 9 AM) so we can avoid the early morning traffic.

If you do want to join me on the Day Four leg (GA to SC) you might want to have someone drive you backward on the route until you come across us. You can then join in and help pull my tired body up the Calhoun Memorial Highway. I plan to end the route that day at Bob Jones University, so you can call your ride to pick you up there — or just ride on home if there is still enough light!

Yes, I realize that 123 can have some traffic and speeds. However, the more I have looked at the route, the more convinced that staying on these divided highways is the best option. Though the speeds will be higher the traffic will flow more smoothly if the chase car and I don’t clog the only lane of traffic. Also, these types of roads are typically engineered with fewer step inclines. They help level out some of the terrain. Frankly, I just feel safer about it than riding on a hilly rural road with blind curves.

Thank you to all of you who have supported me up to this point. If you have not supported the 2010 Ride for Mike yet, please consider giving to the cause. I announced yesterday that we will be placing a second order for the Ride for Mike bibs and jerseys. It is a fun way to support the ride AND have something useful to remember it by later. Check it all out at RideForMike.com.

Such was the case yesterday when I went out for an early lunch ride. A thunderstorm was forecast for the early afternoon and into the evening. If there was going to be a ride, it would have to happen then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC6rbSLWHoU

Sorry that it is so shaky. I was using my iPhone and the sidewalk had slight ripples in it. Even with the iMovie image stabilization feature, I still ended up with the jerky movements.

Still, it is a enough to give you an idea why so many of us love Greenville so much. This is just a portion of the lovely areas that are available for you to ride — and walk. Now that the rain came and washed away some of the pollen, it is even better!

Foremost, of course, it George Hincapie. After a solid finish of 6th in Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, he is now eying April 11th’s, Paris-Roubaix. There will be some American flags being waved by supporters from his home town.

Photo from HincapieSports.com blog

You can follow George with the guys along with Rich Hincapie at the HincapieSports.com blog. Steve Baker is passing along some photos from the trip Rich is taking with friends. Looks like they are having a blast!

In addition to his father, Rich has a few traveling companions from Greenville in tow.  Knowing this crowd, they are horsing around, riding, drinking and laughing their way through Belgium.  We can’t wait to hear some of the stories about their adventures.  This trip marks the first time several of them have ridden the cobbles.  Let’s hope the newbies keep it upright in the saddle.  At least they are smiling in the pictures we see. — Steve Baker

You can read more and see more pictures at Hincapie.com/blog.

I’m also enjoying following another blog of some friends just out to have a good time riding their bikes in Belgium. Several of them are my teammates. They even had to opportunity to wear their POA colors in action with Rodney taking a 16th place overall and 4th in the Masters division. Way to go, Rodney!

The first climb, the Kluisberg, was paved and not too bad at under 800m, but number two was the Knotenburg which in english means “my first gel wants to get a second taste, and big guys don’t always go up hill slow,  as Windjammer no 1 decided to check out. ”   5k later the first cobbled climb, the Kwaremont at 1600m, was the wake up.   I learned how to ride a bike again!  Lean forward to pull on the bars, back wheel comes up,  not good!  I might add that we did have the best conditions possible fo the epic ride with 20 mph wind, pouring rain almost all day and cobbled sections flowing with water and mud! Read more here.

My only regret is that there isn’t more to read! It is going to be hard to keep these guys quiet when they get home. Then again, I’ll be all ears!

Taking in the Belgium experience

When he left HTC-Columbia, I wasn’t real thrilled. I liked Bob Stapleton and the chemistry in the team seemed genuine. Of course, it doesn’t hurt when a team dominates like they did in stage wins.

Bob is still the same and while several riders left the team, it appears the same camaraderie exists among the remaining and newer riders. However, with George moving over to BMC I find myself drawn to learn a bit more about the wild card team that is showing itself worthy in the Tour Down Under. I might find myself checking the general classifications for two teams this year!

Anyway, I happened across this article on CyclingNews.com and thought I would archive it here at LowCadence.com.  If you are a George or BMC fan, I think you will enjoy this up close look at the 2009 National Champion’s steed. The BMC STX01 RaceMaster is a nice machine!

Photo from Cyclingnews.com click image for gallery.

After Greipel’s first win, I saw him put his arm around George’s shoulder. That Hincapie Sportswear USA National Championship kit looked pretty good standing out from the crowd around. I couldn’t help to think of the crew over off Pete Hollis Blvd when I saw it. There was a piece of Greenville right there on the roads of Australia. More than that, there was one of Greenville’s best ambassadors doing what he does best… riding a bike and encouraging a younger rider.

Unfortunately, for the big guy, he had a little tumble in the beginning of Stage 3 and had to get patched up a bit. Then he had trouble with his front wheel. However, he came back to finish with the main group – just 1 second behind the winner. That puts him in 19th place in the general classification only 20 seconds back. More important is the fact that BMC has moved into 3rd on the team classification. This bodes well for fans who want to see George and his team in the major races of the year.

I’m putting the fund raising portion behind me.  I certainly welcome any gifts people wish to give (donate here signifying “Jonathan Pait” as your designated rider), but I set this day as my deadline.  I won’t be bugging you about it anymore.  However, that doesn’t mean you won’t be hearing about the ride!

The attention of this blog will start turning toward this epic ride.  I’m sure it will be the focus of this entire month.  Over the next few weeks, I will be recalling some of the experiences of last year’s ride and talking about my plans and hopes for the 2009 event.

This year we have five teams.  I’m on the Green Team.  It includes Jerry Page, Bo Zimmerman, Megan Snyder, and myself.  We’re going to have a fun time, but I sure will miss Team One from last year.  Joey Sullivan and I are the only returning members of that cast.  Joey will be joining the Yellow Team this time around.

This year my main hopes are for safety and that our team will get along well together – both as individuals and riders.  After that, I’m aiming to enjoy the time in Austin as the Beautiful Redhead will be joining me there this year.  Finally, I hope I’ll once again get to ride with Lance like I was able to do during last year’s LiveSTRONG Challenge 90 mile ride.

It was fun to get out and see the action first hand, but you can be in an information hole when you are sitting up on top of Paris Mountain waiting for the peloton to come.  How do you keep up the action going on downtown?  Enter the age of Twitter!

Check out the action with these Twitter reporters (you’ll find that the more time that passes since this was published, the farther back you will have to go): BikeHugger, NeilRoad, PodiumInsight, WilliamDorn, DHMruz, USACPRO, and don’t forget BroomWagon.  These were just a few of the fans along the route (and in the media cars and media room) keeping us fans on the course informed.  You can also check out the hash tags – USPROS, USPRO, and USPROCYCLING.

Speaking with William Dorn last night, I mentioned it might be cool next year to organize things a bit more.  We could post “reporters” and different strategic places around the course.  We could all post to a common Twitter account – or probably best at hash tag – the information from that spot.  Add that to the chase car stuff from the lucky guys able to follow the race from there, and you could have a great way for fans to follow the event.

Other thoughts…

I’m excited to know that the USA Cycling Professional Championships will be coming back in 2010. I think Greenville is on the cusp of really finding a niche for cycling on the east coast.  It isn’t going to be without pain though.  It is definitely a cultural shift for many people.  That isn’t to say that cycling isn’t open to everyone.  I’m certainly as straight-laced and conservative as they come.  That isn’t the type of cultural shift I’m talking about.

What I am talking about is the willingness to accommodate bicycles in our community.  It is obvious that the city leaders recognize this.  Steps are being taken to win Greenville “bike friendly city” status.  This is a great step.  However, it is the willingness of the larger county region to accept – or at least tolerate – cyclist of all types that is needed.

Greenville is a natural place to ride a bike.  Now when people say Greenville in relationship to cycling, they don’t tag on the South Carolina.  A simple Greenville suffices.  That isn’t going to change.  Cycling will continue to grow here.  With that growth will come some tension.  Hopefully, the good of cycling will ultimately win the day.

Please, wear your helmet! While on Paris Mountain, I spent some time talking with a group of spectators.  Soon after a couple of those in the group headed down the Furman side of Altamont Road.  As they neared the end one of them got entangled with another rider.  He went down and hit his head.  He didn’t have a helmet.  He did receive head trauma and had to be immobilized.

It shows the importance of wearing your helmet – even when you think you are just a spectator.  When we start those two wheels rolling, we are no longer spectators – we are participants.  We need to be prepared – our lives may depend on it.

Reliving the day!

• Hincapie wins championship at home – CyclingNews.com (Be sure to check out the photos.  Greenville can’t buy this kind of publicity!)
• Hincapie wins U.S. pro road race – VeloNews.com (Some really great coverage of the role Craig Lewis played in George’s win.)
• George Hincapie wins USA Cycling title on his home turf – GreenvilleOnline.com
• Storybook Endings – Bicycling.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAILeW4NctE

Hope you enjoy the video.  Next time I’ll try to make sure that I push it back on my helmet a little more.  For the most part, it works well enough.

It was an unusual night because of all the wind.  I will have to say that I felt much better.  I still didn’t finish strong, but there did seem to be some improvement in my fitness.

I’ll be catching the Tour action in the morning, riding some in the afternoon, and then having a great Fourth of July celebration with my family in the evening.  Yes, I will be back on my bike.  I made it back on yesterday for a 2 hour, 35 mile long ride.  I’m looking forward to getting out again.

Yesterday’s ride was one of those rides where I started out at my driveway not sure what I was going to do.  I wasn’t sure how my neck and back would hold up, so I was going to feel my way along.  I just knew the old body needed to get on the bike.

Almost immediately, the legs sent the message that they were happy.  My neck gave me no pain at all.  My right shoulder and back were not quite as happy.  However, it was nothing really painful – more like just uncomfortable.

As I rolled I loosened up more and more.  Before long I found myself heading through Cleveland Park and over to Augusta Road.  It came into my mind to ride over to Donaldson Center and put out an effort on the Time Trial course.  It would be interesting to see the time I managed.

Forty minutes after leaving the house, I rolled up to the start/finish line.  I took off hoping I might end up with a surprising time.  Something in the back of my mind was telling me I was starting out too fast.  However, that first downhill gets you going thinking you can get some good speed that will help your average later.

I was really feeling pretty good until I turned there where the country route leaves Perimeter Road.  That put me into a headwind.  Things suddenly got hard.  I kept trying to hold my speed as best I could.  However, by the time I started to climb up to the golf course where the turn around is, I was putting along.

Turning around I felt better.  This was the direction we normally head when we are doing the Tuesday Night World Championships.  There was something comforting about knowing exactly what was ahead — right down to the road surface.

I know I gave about as much as I had.  As I finished the course I had that not so happy feeling in my stomach that you get when you put out a hard effort.  My Garmin told me that my CinQo had recorded an average wattage of 294.  My time? 26.05.

There is time to gain.  First, I was not 100%.  As I finished my neck felt pretty good, but my right shoulder and my mid-back was moving out of the uncomfortable zone into the annoying ache zone.  I also had not planned on doing this, so I had not fueled up with a TT in mind.  My parfait and muffin wasn’t exactly giving me the boost I would hope.

I think I can get it up to a 300 watt average.  That should put me somewhere between 23 and 24 mph for the course.  That should get me under 26 minutes.  I would love to go out on August 6 and lay down a near 25 minute TT effort.  That wouldn’t be so bad on a road bike.

Trust you will have a wonderful day.  Don’t forget to really celebrate our country — not just the long weekend.  If you are an American, you have much to be thankful for.  I know that American Exceptionalism is frowned upon by the sophisticated of our day.  However, I never claimed to be a very cosmopolitan kind of guy.  I think we live in the greatest country on earth – even if we don’t have the Tour De France.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNrDhFztDp4

“We are very excited to bring back the US Professional Championships back to Greenville in 2009″ – Chris Aronhalt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_jrfvrpFCU

“This is our fourth year and it is really neat to live in a community where a handshake really means a lot” – Michael Riordan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIawLPkoiw4

“This is really what we consider our signature event for the City of Greenville.” – James Bourney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWv1TDSxWU4

“This is really the first time we have ever supported an event like this in the Carolinas.” – George Acker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5TU-uXxS8k

“37 states have been represented this year [for the Stars and Stripes Challenge]… it is truly a national event.” – Kevin Dunn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFRhpweVDLE

“Everyone keeps saying this is the fourth year. Has it been four years since I won this race? I had better get on it!” – George Hincapie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8CVTG5EXDI

“It is a bicycle where you use your arms… Unfortunately I started with cyclist arms, so it is a little bit of a learning curve for me.” – Ryan Barnett

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqn2YZ3S0j8

“A 60 minute show broadcast the following weekend on Universal Sports.” – Chris Aronhalt

See the links below for more coverage of the event.

Hincapie signs on for U.S. Championships here
GreenvilleOnline.com

Greenville’s U.S. Pro championship weekend schedule announced
Velonews.com