North Carolina...Part 3

Sunday, July 1st, we finally headed for the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I was excited, as we were about to leave 100 F heat and get the temperatures down to the low 90's, and eventually into the 80's.  What's not to like about that?  I was also eager to test my legs on the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, because I knew they would be different from what I normally experience.

We arrived at our destination around 2 pm and I eagerly unloaded my bike.  I was like a child at Christmas...I was dressed in exactly 2.132 seconds, and on my bike in another 0.321 seconds.  If you are not good with math, I was out the door and riding in exactly 2.453 seconds.  That is pretty amazing, and I figure that is a world record of some sort!

The first thing I experienced was climbing.  I did not get a flat section to warm up on, instead I was instantly going up at about 8%...Ouch.  Luckily for me, this was near the end of the climb I was about to do 3 times.  At the top of the climb there is a FAST descent, with some sweet hair pin turns.  I took those slow the first time, but with each pass I gained confidence and speed.  At the bottom of the descent is a nice road with rolling hills, then I would turn left and start the climb.

There is not much to say about the main road, but there is a lot to say about the climb.  Strava told me the climb averages at 10.2%, and I suppose that is correct.  However, there is a very short steep down hill about a third of the way up the climb. (note: upon further review, that was not part of the designated climb).  If you remove that down hill section, I would bet my bottom dollar (which happens to be my only dollar...good thing too) that the climb would average around 12-13%.  Yes you read that ride.

There were some places on the climb that were consistently over 20%.  I noticed 30% in one of the turns, and a few spots that registered 26%.  This climb was so steep that I really had to use the handle bars for leverage while pedaling.  If I was not careful, and I am not, I would lift the front wheel off the ground.  This is not a good feeling, so I chose to do most of that section standing,.

After that section the climb became easy, and the gradient hovered around 5-6%.  I know exactly what you are thinking, but trust me, 5-6% feels flat after the previous section.  The respite was short lived as the gradients quickly went over 8% again.  The held that way to the top, where I would take the descent and do everything again.

The first time through the climb was AWESOME!  I loved feeling the burn in my legs and lungs, seeing my HR climb higher and higher, feeling my legs start to lose power, and mostly the sense of accomplishment of cresting the beast.  The second time through the climb was LESS awesome...I started to think "this sucks a bit."  I also thought, "am I nuts doing this?"  Do not forget this one too, "it is really hot outside, and these water bottles are weighing me down."  The third time through the climb I just kept thinking, "this is my last time, and I promise to never do something this stupid again!"

I made sure to ride up to the top of the climb, which is past the turn off to my Dad's place.  As I descended from the top of the climb, I noticed my Dad and Bella walking out to take pictures of me.  The did not get the good stuff, me suffering, but they did still get a nice picture.

descending...is way more steep than it appears

There are two more parts to this adventure, yes I know you are thinking "how long can Rod milk this trip?"  Well, I can do this for a long time, but I won't.  I promise not to disappoint with the next two posts, and as a hint...my direction disorder comes into play as well as mechanical issues.

See you tomorrow