Training with The Hammer

Got out Saturday and today with The Hammer to help him train for the century ride in Maryland this coming weekend. In my opinion, I think he's coming along pretty well. We tried a new loop Saturday: Starting at the Four Corners in Hurley, out to Hurley Mountain Road then south until it ends in a T-bone, then left up to Rt 209 the south on 209 to Cottekill Road, past UCCC then back to Hurley along the rail trail. The trail was a little tough for Hammer's street bike, but he made it. Today we altered it by starting at Four Corners then north up Hurley Avenue into Kingston, then out Washington Avenue to Rt 28 to Hurley Mountain Road. South again on Hurley Mountain Road until it ends in the T-intersection. Hammer didn't want to run the rail trail this close to his big ride so we turned it around and headed back up Hurley Mountain Road and back to Four corners. Good rides.

Assuming he returns to us alive and in one piece, I propose a celebratory "Bike Boys Night at the Hockey Game" on Saturday, October 19th. RPI vs Sacred Heart. I got 4 tickets - just bring the bodies; if more people want  to go, let me know as early as possible so I can buy the needed tix.

Rich, we'll be pulling for you...

... from our recliners in the backyard :-)

Late in the evening

Yep ! those who show up late get left behind, sorry. I knew where I was, I just wasn't where they were.
Got to spend some time looking for Paul and Scott, didn't find them at Broadhead road but still had a good ride.
Very true , how quick the seasons change, Great afternoon light on the ride out, but to quote the great
Yogi  Berra " It gets late early out there now"

Saturday's Big boys adventure

As Paulie so eloquently put it , we were off on first "big boy" adventure after 2 months of "extreme training" .
8:00 am shined bright and warm , a slight breeze , and the whispering sound of  a grown man softly sobbing, " he's out of his mind, we can't do this!"
But despite better judgment and forethought, off we went in a blaze of glory , wearing our shiny new helmets and tanked up on Paulie's personal rocket fuel ( rumored to be made from floor sweeping , reclaimed yak hair , and some stuff he pulled out of the laundry drain, at least that's what it  tasted like  anyway ) .
I argued that just because it came out of the swamp behind his house, it doesn't make it "all natural"

 But anyway , threatened with the thought of another swig, I rode off in a blaze of glory !!!

OK, more like " I can't believe I'm doing this.... they'll find my bloated carcass somewhere on Albany ave". But encouraged by Paul warm demeanor and threats that he'd call one of his Italian cousins , I persevered .
Over all it was a lot of fun, I felt like I was a Kid again , alone , scared , cold , aching joints, threatened by drag racing squirrels, falling leaves and honking cars, wishing that I was home in my pajamas eating cereal, while watching Saturday morning cartoon like a normal Kid would have done .
But all said , by mile 10 the joints had eased the numbness left the hands, and I really started to enjoy the ride.
Making to Saugerties to see the sight of the Mobile gas station was a dream come true.
Seeing Paul picking through the donated clothes bin, was well .......  
 Coming back , Kings Highway was a breeze , no I mean literally a breeze , freakin head winds for about 3.5 miles back to Lake Katrine. Yet all in all it was a great ride.

That is until.....
We approached " the Hill of Death" aka Hillside Terrace Kingston New York  .
Yes I'm sure, the Rockys, the Smokey mountains of the south and Mount Fuji are spectacular , and they are all accessible by CAR !!!!!
Old Men should never tackle a 40 degree rise in grade over one mile after riding 27 miles.
Similar to petting a rabid dog, have a staring contest with a hooded cobra, hugging the third rail of  a subway line or drinking another dose of "Pagnozzi  root juice. There are things one should not attempt over the age of 50 !
But I must say with Paul's unending encouragement , I made it up the hill and all the way up my drive way.
I was greeted with cheers from my loving family, and collapsed on the driveway ,warmed the noon sun and gently faded to rest , while I watched 3 turkey vultures circle above my head .



 
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Scrambled Eggs

Yes. Scrambled eggs. That's what I was talking about. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

P.

Evening Ride

Got out around the reservoir for a ride this evening with Scotty Dog; we were waiting for the Knife to show and kept going out then heading back to the Frying Pan to see if he had arrived. First we went to the Fire and back and then we went down and to the left to the bridge over the spillway race. We went back to the Frying Pan and then out to Winchell's Corners. We finally made our way back and found his car on the circle and he had gone out to Brodhead Road. These things happen. I am amazed how quickly the weather is changing and the days are shortening. Went to the closet this past weekend to find something light to wear and did not think I had a windbreaker or something equally light yet protective. Luckily, my Mom had bought me a sweet LL Bean windbreaker last year for my birthday - absolutely perfect - lightweight, more of just a thin shell, easy and small to fold, water resistant. Way to go, Mom. You Rock!!
I really love the opportunity for conversation that come during rides. Yeah, lots of laughs but also serious stuff, and plenty of info/learning, too. I am grateful for these hours. I'll be there tomorrow around 5:30 or 6.

Paulie

The Mountains around the Ashokan Reservoir

These are the mountains ringing the Ashokan reservoir where we often ride. From top to bottom the photos (taken from an old packet of postcards) the views are from left to right (or southwest to northeast as one stands on the dyke and looks west). Gorgeous.

Condolences

Condolences to Rich (the Hammer) Maletta on your loss. Our prayers are with you and your family.

Stretching Out...

So, Ritchie the Knife and I decided to try to go for (what for us is) a bit of distance with a ride to Saugerties and back. In terms of preparation, we each got up around 7am Saturday. Like the prizefighters of old I refrained from one of my favorite morning activities so as not to deplete my "vital energies" before the ride. We got underway from the Knife's house (inconveniently located on HILLSIDE Terrace) and made our way through uptown Kingston. We went up Manor Avenue and the back roads by the armory to avoid the traffic on Albany and Ulster Avenues. We proceeded up Neighborhood Road out to Lake Katrine then picked up Kings Highway. From there it was a pretty straight shot through Mount Marion and up to Saugerties. We stopped to refuel and take in some of the sights (see photos) then headed back. We picked up a bit of a headwind which really put the hurt on us but what really killed our sorry asses was the last mile busting our humps UP Hillf*#@kingside Terrace. But, we did it. 28 miles. Our first "Big Boy Ride". Yes, basically something we did in 8th grade. Oh well, that's what age does for you. Just happy to say we did it. We were back by 11am and had plenty of time left for more adventures, but I'll let the Knife tell you about those.

Smiles

Paulie

Weekend schedule

Weather permitting I would like to try something a little longer, distance-wise. How about trying Kingston to Saugerties round trip, leaving early saturday morning and home by 11 am? Sunday in the afternoon?

Midday afternoon ride in Troy

Had time between class and afternoon research planning session. Went for a ride in the Troy - East Greenbush area. Rode  for about 13 miles, past my daughters old school, Emma Willard and other places in the neighborhood. Pretty hilly with both long, gentle slopes and fairly short steep ones.  As I rode I was mindful of some of the lessons I have already learned from riding - some of them from the people I am riding with and some just from the ride itself. I was particularly struck by the fact that it's pretty difficult to predict just how tough a hill is going to be.  A lot goes into it (no pun intended) but I think one of the most important things is to not really look too much at the hill. Just go at it and keep pushing. It's really only when you look at it and tell yourself you can't do it that you fail.

Hope to see you tomorrow at the Frying Pan at 5:30

Paulie

Welcome to the blog Knifeman

Yeah, it was another beautiful evening ride. Getting cool now. May need a windbreaker and Maletta-style leg cozies. Good on the ride, great in the bedroom!!!!

Ok , looks like Paulie Four eyes finally got me on the blog.
Took a ride tonight with Paulie 11 miles total with a nice head wind on the way back ! ( way to burn extra calories without having to any bike farther)
No Ride for me tomorrow, off for my biannual tune up , hope to put a smile on Dr. D's face now that I'm out riding.
Wednesday looks good for me after 4:30  !!  

Next few days for me

Got back from Ithaca around 5:30 pm. Stiff from too many hours in the car and sore from climbing the hills and stairs of Cornell, sometimes wearing my trademark cowboy boots (thanks goodness we missed climbing to the top of the Bell Tower by seconds - two hundred some-odd stairs wearing those boots...). Threw bike in back and headed up to reservoir. Awesomely beautiful evening - sun was setting in the west and as the ride went on it sunk completely out of sight, while the 3/4 full moon rose in the east, wind was gentle but cool. A gift to be there. Rode for 10 miles then called it a night and drove home.

Next few days for me

Monday -  available from 2 pm until evening
Tuesday - no go - up in Troy all day (I will try to find a place to ride up there; if anyone knows a good ride in the Albany area do tell).
Wednesday - available from ~ 4 pm until eveing
Thursday - 2 pm until 6:30 pm
Friday - 4 pm until 7:00 pm

I have been mentally cataloging the routes we have been riding based on the length of the route and using commonly referenced landmarks. For instance, the east end parking circle where we usually begin is commonly known as "the Frying Pan" and I have come to think of one pass across the top of the dyke road and back as "Route I". I like to think that, if the east end lot i" the Frying Pan", the west end lot on 28A is "the Fire", so that one circuit of Route I takes you from the Frying Pan to the Fire and back. I will post my "taxonomy of routes" later this week.

Peace

Four-Eyes

Well I got out yesterday and got to Athens and still felt pretty good , so I continued up the river road to Coxsackie.....it was a beautiful day and I was glad I slathered up with my chamois butter ....

I caught a great tailwind out of Coxsackie and headed on home .......

I think it was a little longer than I intended to ride , but I'm glad I did it .....somewhere between 70 and 80 miles I think........

Maryland , ......... I'm ready !!!!!

Thought I'd give you all a picture of our team from last year......We were in Lake Tahoe to ride the 100 mile loop around the lake with an extension into Truckee, it's very beautiful there , the real beauty is riding for a cause , a purpose , for me and for the rest of this team , it's to experience silly cycling pain in an effort to raise funds and find a sense of solidarity with cancer patients. In our case patients with blood born cancers , we ride to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society..and I love it !!!!

Our team has raised over $150k in the last three years and we are still at it ........ Well ....Here's to this year at Marylands Eastern Shore .......

Hot & Humid

Wednesday September 11th

Rich the Knife and I got out for a short ride just ahead of the bad weather. Lots of gnats - ewww. I will be away until Monday September 16th. Carry on guys.

Ashokan Views August 2013

Old Men on Bikes

Welcome to the blog page for the Bicycle Mafia of the Catskills. This is our bulletin board for daily rides.
I will be out there  Wednesday at or after 5:30. Hope the Hammer and the Knife can join me. I'm pretty sure Tommy Fishes is busy.

Paulie 4-eyes