Saturday ride...

back roads

Flooded reservoir.

Yiorgos on the Hilsen.

The family got together with some friends in Montpelier yesterday. We hung out and chatted and drank hot drinks and the kids played. Then Yiorgos and I headed out rt. 12 to the Wrightsville Reservoir and then down some side roads and a little dirt. Lots of climbing and a big bomber run back down to town. He was on his shiny new Homer Hilsen, a move he has been contemplating for 5 years or so. It is a lovely bike and so far he is liking it. I rode it for a minute and it was nice, but 28 inch inseam (on a 6 foot frame) wouldn't allow much of a ride with the seat where it was. A great time on a nice day.

Rode our flooded town yesterday...

Laird pond burst the dam and washed out the bridge.

Roadside washouts almost made this section impassable by car.

Pretty crazy. Washed out roads, bridges and driveways. I have seen cars sitting in craters made by erosion. We are up high so it didn't affect our place. However, if it rains too much more the second way out of our road could be washed out too.

Lake 300k randocross...

double climb defeated by 34/30 gearing!
didn't require 34/32

half of the double climb

what! a long double climb just before the midway point?

rando cross 6" puddle

.
old log house 1805

flooded house

split sidewall

flooded park

sunrise

For lots more photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/yaksrule/2011Lake300k#

Saturday was the Lake Champlain 300k. The lake is at a record level, quite flooded. Mike had to pre-drive the route and re-route a lot of sections. He drove around all day friday and stayed up until midnight printing out new cue sheets and cards.

The ride was a great one. The day was sunny and cool. It was my first 300k and I definately found it challenging but managed to stay focused and centered and just spin away. The first section from Burlington to Lakeside Coffee shop was very windy. Sometimes and I would be working away and only going 10MPH. I made it to the first control with about an hour to spare. After we headed south though, there was a tailwind and in the flats I maintained 17-20 MPH. I made the second control at the mid point of the ride in about 8 1/2 hours. When I turned around I was happy for the time cushion as the headwind kept me more in the 12-14 MPH range. I arrived at the 130 mile mark with 1:45 to spare. During the last leg of the ride I teamed up with Gary and Sarah through the dark and we finished with a little over an hour left. They were great folks who are planning to go to Paris this year. They were riding on their anniversary weekend since they DNF'd the Boston 300k, which was terribly cold and rainy, due to the beginnings of hypothermia.

One of the most challenging things was that I forgot my shoes!! I had to borrow some flat pedals. It was ok since there wasn't much climbing on the re-route but I think I might super glue my shoes to my pedals now.

We had one sections where we rode through a 6" deep puddle where the lake went across the road! One rider got a sliced sidewall which the ol' dollar bill wouldn't remedy but was able to continue on as another rider loaned him a folding tire. Everyone finished except those who did not sleep so the rest of us could ride.