I don't know what it is; thin blood, warm heart, limp-wristed pinko-Euro liberal, whatever. But I am a cold mortal, or is it morsel? I just love to be warm. And today was the day, climbing to almost 27C/80F. My kind of day.
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| Pie time ... |
Snydertown Road follows the contours across to Linvale Road where the climb recommences towards the outward summit of 145m/470ft around Mountain Road. The route undulates across the dissected plateau towards Lambertville, so there is no let up for the legs until the final 2km/1.5mile descent into the town.
It doesn't take much for me to pause for a pie stop and watch the Easter visitors explore the town before threading the back-streets and starting the ascent along Alexauken Creek towards Ringoes. I made a minor detour out of Ringoes until I realised I was committed to taking Route 31 south. This didn't appeal to me so I turned around and set off, instead eastwards along the Wertsville Road.
The Wertsville Road is possibly the most like an English country "B" road that I know of, so riding it is a bit of a nostalgic pleasure. Climbing the northern half of Linvale Road isn't such a pleasure, but I think it is one of the easier Sourlands climbs which takes you up to the ridgeline road.
I met up with a cyclist who needed directions to Princeton at the junction with Mountain Road so we set off towards the Hopewell-Wertsville Road and over the summit of the entire route at 175m/570ft. The rider had the benefit of legs at least thirty years younger than mine so he sped off towards Princeton and I settled in for the final stretch diverted by the closed bridge in Hopewell and then home.
So, not a long ride, 52km/32miles, but 800m/2,600ft of climbing, so it was quality, not quantity. Next week should see me riding with a group, further, faster, but flatter ... I hope.
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