The Ride to Montauk

I haven't done a long ride in about 3 years.The last Montauk century I did started in Babylon. I rode my Goldrush with my bodysock on and did it in 4hr 30 min. I've been riding it for years at that pace. Doing the 140 from my door with no real miles except for pulling my son around in the pedicab or on the tandem really changed the ride for me.

I started from south end av about 5:30am.
1 frozen Camelback hangin from my seat,
1 water bottle
5 pre - opened candy bars


I thought about riding up to the start at Penn Sta. and leaving with a group but  thought it would be much easier to just go over the Brooklyn Bridge so I went up Atlantic ave to Woodhaven blvd .I choose to ride without the sock since I'd be stop and going and riding on really crappy roads! I got to Kennedy Airport in an hour,not a bad pace for city streets! I continued on Conduit av which become rt 27. I took rt27 all the way, strait to Babylon the 45 mi point@8am. Just before the fork at Old Sunrise Hi way /RR av I ran into a group of 4 riders that came from Manhattan!!! I rode with them a little ways and then stopped to put up my sock!! I was able to catch up......

There was a Gotham guy up front a 22mph pace , then he decided to have some fun with me and upped it to 25mph I had a great time dueling with them and they really got a kick out of my bent! They pulled over at the train sta and I keep going and was on the official course!

At the station I saw lots of trucks loaded with bikes and people waiting for bikes but no one on the road which caused me to make a wrong turn. I ended up at the Babylon Marina and had to find my way back to the main road.

I took rt 27a for a while through  Mastic/Shirley another 35mi until I met up with riders again and was able to get back on the course. Somewhere in this stretch I developed some leg soreness that got worse as I went. To be specific the worst pain was on the left side of my right calf muscle and real soreness in both quads! I  also developing a rash where the sun don't shine,,,look-out!!! It got so bad I went from a 21 mph pace to 12mph with a nice tailwind!!!!

Was the leg pain  gonna do me in???

 It was kinda weird if I pushed hard the quad pain went away ,so I was able to get it back a little to 18-20mph. To deal with the calf pain I had to ride with the peddle more towards the heel , that seem to work ,so I slid my butt forward on the seat and was able to ride again, I little awkward but better than all the pain!
 I noticed my Friend Alfredo about half a mile ahead.He really easy to spot for some reason, maybe his backward hat under the helmet. We visited for about 10 min and off I went.

ONWARD!

I stopped to pee at some repair stand don't know where but my first real stop was East Quogue about 90 miles out! I just had to stop, regroup and try to rest my legs that began acting up and that RASH was gonna do me in !

I think it was about 11am. My water lasted and the candy bars kept me going all the this far. I stopped at a deli. I ate macaroni salad and chocolate milk, yahoo!!!! I hung for 30 min , regrouped and off I went!!!  

Riding slow , Pain management

Getting started with aching muscles was not easy I took the ride nice and slow,like I had a choice?

I got to the next official rest area I think it was in Watermill not really sure. Just before I ran into the only other BENT rider . He was on a Catrike ,we introduced ourselves, Adam a 5BBC and MARS member he mentioned MARS. I told him that I was once the President of MARS. 
We both wondered why we were the only bents?


I just don't know,its puzzling isn't it. As we spoke I noticed his speech was slurred but didn't ask about it.He finally told me he was a victim of ATAXIA  - I mentioned that I was a fan of Kyle Brant - the rider that just finished RAAM! We both were really excited! We rode to the rest stop he stopped and I went on. After meeting Adam nothing, rash ,muscle cramps or what ever would keep me from riding strong!  

Great to meet you Adam if you'd like to ride with other bents in the city you have my EM!

The Last Leg...hahaha!

As I left Water Mill I was able to keep kind of a good pace , finding lots of groups to ride with. This is just a beautiful stretch on back roads  all along the ocean with very few cars!! Through the Hamptons to my favorite stretch of road from Amagansett to Montauk along rt 27. After decades of doing this ride you know your finally done when you hit the last 10 miles. Its a great view ,you can see the whole 10 miles ahead ,all the way to Hither Hills Campground. I was feeling pretty good when I got here and flew by everyone keeping about 25 mph through the whole stretch....its just grand!  Once past the fork in the road I decided to take the scenic route to the right with the great rolling Hills of Hither! 

I kinda ended my ride at Hither Hills Campground 2:30pm on June 19th 2010.

This was a good idea! I went over to the ocean bought an Ice Cream ,took a shower and just relaxed ! A great spot to stop ! 

135 miles
9 hours
With Two 30 min  stops
8 hours riding time 
About 17mph?
55 years old
Not bad

Almost There  

I left for the last 5 miles. There are some short steep hills that I basically crawled up but screamed down and was able to do a fairly normal pace into Montauk,,,,,finally. 

My reward 

I bought 2 slices of Pizza with fresh garlic that I had been dreaming about for the last 50mi., went over to the Green where my good friend Dan found me!

 Eating Pizza

Montauk,NY

2010

I took the 5;30 bus home!
When I got back to Manhattan my legs were so shot that I had to use my GRANNY to get up the hill on 36th st from 3rd ave to  Lexington!

Wish I could get more miles in .........
Anyone for the Ride to Martha's?