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Memorable (Cyc
ling) Memorial D
ay Weekend 2011 back to portfolio | back to deepbrook home | email me at dieffenbach @ alum.mit.edu |
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 Kancamagus Scenic Byway click here for slide show Michelle (our intrepid event organizer), Graham, Nitz, Betsy, Bert, and I met at the municipal lot just east of the InnSeason hotel on Route 112 a mile or so east of Route 93 in Lincoln NH. At our various paces, we made our way counter-clockwise around a 5-notch, 90-mile, 6,000 feet of climbing loop that included the Kancamagus Scenic Byway, Bear Notch, Crawford Notch, Franconia Notch, and Beaver Pond/Lost River Notch. I averaged 15.1 mph, with a personal best top speed of 47.4 mph coming off the top of Beaver Pond/Lost River Notch (having just done 47.0 mph after cresting Crawford Notch, whose climb saw my minimum speed of 3.2 mph). This was my second Kanc circuit, the first coming last September. |
 Wells Avenue Crit The "Kanc90" warm-up complete, and no adult soccer on this particular Sunday, I headed over to Wells Avenue in Newton to give the Boston Road Club's training criterium a try. I lined up for the one-day license/Cat5/novice C race. No D race for juniors and women, so they joined to create a relatively large field. 
The first pass of the 15 lap, 12 mile course went off at a manageable pace. That didn't last long, though--laps 2 and 3 heated up considerably. I was able to stay with the pack for the first 5 or 6 laps, then dropped off the back along with a handful of other riders. The race director had suggested sitting up and waiting to rejoin the bunch as they caught up. I wanted to finish on the lead lap, though, and worked with several riders to keep the pace up. Ultimately, I made it until about 3 1/2 laps to go, and finished a lap down. Average speed 22 mph. I definitely want to try again ... with fresher legs. |
 Mount Wachusett click here for slide show Marc, Jim, Sean, and I gathered in Sterling MA for a planned 40 mile loop that would include a climb up Mount Wachusett. Twice. The route was essentially all up to the mid-point, then all down. Rowley Hill Road warmed us up (not that warming was needed on this humid day), then Mile Hill Road (9% for a mile) kicked our butts. And the top of Mile Hill was merely a reprieve, with the summit road to the top of Mount Wachusett still to come. The top failed to deliver on its promise of spectactular views, socked in by fog as it was. Following the descent, the four* of us set off for a second assault on the summit. The rest of the ride rewarded the climbing, with a top speed from the group of 42.8 mph. *Well, three, really, as I sat out the redux at the ranger station below the summit road. |