8000 Ft Climbing
10 hours saddle time
In two weeks time is yet another edition of one of the toughest rides in the country - the "Highlander Death Before Dismount" Double Metric. 125 miles long in the beautiful Finger Lakes region, with over 10,000 feet of climbing in 16 major climbs, it will surely challenge any rider.
Preparation and judgment are keys to riding an extreme event like this. My own preparation has so far been limited to perhaps half the roads in DB4D, on the western side of the map. Following is a look at some of the roads I had managed to survey yesterday. Let this be a sequel to my exploration last year of the same area.
It was a difficult day on the bike - all alone, with temperatures in its 90's. But the sunlit landscapes I passed on the bike managed to neutralize the heat. Overall, it turned out to be an extremely pleasant experience for both sight and smell and sounds. One of the highlights of the day was that I managed to talk to a young Amish country guy, whom I asked for directions after I overshot one of the roads I was required to take by 5 miles. He had the most pleasant smile on his face as he stacked stock for his animals into a tractor. He also carried this peculiar accent, something almost out of this world. It was like he came straight out of these classic movies you see...
Enjoy these pics, all of them taken from the bike - an artform I call ciclofotografics! Do come ride in the Finger Lakes area! Its a bit different, I can tell you that much.
Route 96
High Street
Town of Victor, NY
Route 444 to village of Bloomsfield
Route 64 to Bristol Springs
Montanye Road
Descent on Deuel Road to western side of Lake Canandaigua, fourth largest of the Finger Lakes
Seneca Point Road to Bopple Hill
Bopple Hill Road - 1 mile at 11% average gradient (will be chip-sealed on Monday 30th August)
The familiar cemetery greets you at the peak
View to the eastern side of the Lake
Bills Road to Stid Hill , 1 mile at 13.4% grade
Summit of Stid Hill in Ontario NY at 2100 feet
West Gannett Hill Road - 1.35 miles at 11% grade
Clement Road
Gulick Road
Highlander Staff member Ken lays down the road signs for the event in 2 weeks. He has traveled many places in the world and was an interesting man to talk to! He offered me a bottle of gatorade or something like that from his car and wish me a good journey.
Eelpot Road
Strong Hill to Blodgett Road
Mattoon Road, after Route 53
An Amish lady is busy with her work at the farm
Descent into the rural town of Prattsburgh, NY
This ends the Highlander route. I catch a diversion - Italy Hill Road heading north.
I pass the towns of Italy and Rushville NY
Descent along Co. Rd 1 onto the eastern side of Lake Canandaigua
This is definitely a first, having explored both the eastern and western sides of the Lake
Leaving the town of Canandaigua
Homebound on the 332
Homebound on the local bike path in Rochester. It is dusk here. This ends 10 hours of cycling.
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