On the road again

Old Man Ride goes to Renovo!

A funeral then a bum knee kept me from the Old Man ride the past 2 weeks. Pete was set on Renovo and we were game. 8am start for a big group including the usual suspects with guest appearance by D. Hill and Bob Rad. 12 of us rolled out. A big crew will help with the big miles (125-130). My original plan was to climb up to Snowshoe, check the knee, then maybe turn around on the plateau and head back to cut it short. I pulled to the base of the climb on 144 then had to recover. Found life and started bridging back up, recover, bridge, repeat. Leaders just ahead. Bridge to them at top - great effort, where did these climbing legs suddenly appear? Snowshoe, regroup and eat. Across plateau, f'in roller heaven. 40 miles to Renovo - 40 miles of rollers - crap. Josh convinces me it is easier to stay with the group. Riding partner calls, I tell her I'm not back tracking! Climb up the lip, staying with the group, pressure peter but not enough to break him, he's KOM. Damn, one more pitch? 15%, I blow up but so does everyone else except nifty Todd. Descent to Renovo, ahh relax. I run 'cross gears so I'm spun out early. Bridge to Todd/Josh at bottom. Make a game and try to gap leaders in flats - fun. Renovo! IGA has fruit and choc milk, yum, need to push the liquids. Off again, rollers alongside river. Serious rollers for a 'flat' section. Who built this road, those are f'in hills in a downstream river valley. Who signed up for this? In sprint, James loses something. I double back to get it. Bob picks up the lube. We're off the back by a 100 yds but both strong. My pull, his pull, up a roller, maxing heartrate, my pull, his pull, he's breathing hard, my pull, here's a flat, dig, dig, dig. We're back on. F' that was hard! Not stopping. F' the lube next time. Spent! Roll into Lock Haven, then the sheetz at Mill Hall. Mile 95 at 20mph pace. Second fastest ride in State College, baby! We are freaks this summer. Truly. Glad to get onto Jacksonville. Didn't remember this part during the double but its beautiful. Josh and I spot an osprey on a pull. Runkle sprints from far, can't catch him, but end up doing another pull. Leave it out here on this ride, been going great all day lets see what I'm made of. Easy to recover as need to slow pace - everyone's tired. Longest ride for 2 fellas. Into Bellefonte, my first ride of the year was to Bellefonte and back. Thought that was good, now Bellefonte to State is nothing. Seibert hill. James takes off, f' it, I mark him then pass. Try to recover before the steep, damn it can't. He goes, Todd gets me. Another steep, legs toast, Bob passes but I stay on his wheel on will power alone. Could outsprint him but its pointless. Matching his pace was the victory. Out to the airport, seeya glover, regroup for finish, I am 5th back at light and attack early but perfectedly. I gap the field by a few seconds. Just hold this pace for 300 yards...shit I'm tired. C'mon, TT and dig. Fumes. no response, rounding turn I can see bridge, f' it. Fork is in me. 100 yards short I pull over and field zips by. I'll give myself most combative rider for the day. Pissed, I had it. Happy I left it out there.

Final stats - 125+, 18.8ish, 7600 elevation gain. approx 6 hrs ride time. Effort level - high to very high.