Day 9 - South Carolina

Last day of riding.  I was feeling it after yesterday (and all the previous days), so today we decided to stick to the flats..ha ha..75k ...but we still managed more than 3000 feet of climbing!

Details...click here

ha! 4 minutes into our ride we hit a steep hill...250 feet of vertical in less than 1k...listen to my breathing here..



I am going to miss these scenes

The bikes

Day 8 - South Carolina

Good long day today...100k & 5600feet

click here for details

Have I mentioned how much I like my Garmin?









I was really feeling it today.. a few minutes after starting the heart jumped to 158 only a few minutes (and climbs) into the ride as we hooked up with a couple riders from Uxbridge.

Climbed over the continental divide and into North Carolina

Somewhere on the 276 we came across this great place for lunch.



Just after climbing back into SC, we saw the sign for the YMCA camp..where we had heard that there was a spectacular chapel, open air with a 100 mile view from the pews...it was a 18k out and back hilly detour close to the end of a long ride...but well worth it.
Perched on the edge of a cliff

Day 7 - South Carolina

Good ride today...started a little late in the day, decided to take the  mtn bike ride up over Caesar's Head, and down into Dupont State forest.
The climb on the singlespeed took 58 minutes....a slow uphill grind.  Once I passed over the continental divide, and into North Carolina, the weather got worse.  By the time I got to Dupont it was windy and raining.  I barely got a ride in and it was raining hard. :(
So I decided to head back.  Once I did get back to the cabin, there was Craig getting ready to go for a ride.  So I swapped the mtn bike for the road bike, and I was off again.  End of the day 90k  and  5,000+ feet
What I find, not really surprising, but still interesting is each day I am a little more sore, but am that much stronger.  Just 2 more days of riding left.

details here

North Carolina Day 6

Details are here
Legs were feeling it today.  The ride today was from Bravard up on to the Blue Ridge parkway.  Good 3000 foot climb over 30k, 60k total
view from the top

Finished up with a burger at a Brevard classic (Winston & Guy..you should have been  there)

Day 5 - South Carolina

Details of the ride are here

Staying at the base of Caesar's head means, yes, climb it again :)
Today was the longest day yet... more climbing, 84km with 5000+ feet of vertical. Weather was perfect

This shot of Craig climbing can give you an idea of the road...

Spotted on Sliding Rock road...

Tomorrow we drive to Brevard and ride up to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Day 4 in South Carolina

Activity Details for Day 4 South Carolina

2 hours of riding today, higher intensity than previous days 46km & 2100feet of climbing.
Cold (4c) and windy

Mom dropped in for a visit on the way home from Florida, we went traveling around the area and visiting waterfalls

Day 3 in South Carolina

Caesar's Head on the Misfit
Wet wet day today, Craig wasn't going to ride, and I am really don't like riding the road bike in heavy rain down roads with grades of greater than 7%. This was the perfect day to take the single speed out for a good climb up Caesar's Head, a six or seven mile climb of 2300 feet, and I'd feel alot safer decending on the big tires at 40psi.

Unfortunatly the Garmin ran out of power shortly after starting the ride.

The weather on the way up went from damp, spitting to heavy fog close to the top, and then on the way down, rain.

Finished the day watching Nascar racing at Bristol...500 laps around a half mile track...sounds pretty repetitive, kinda makes me think of doing 100 laps around the 750 meter loop at Joyride :)