Sourlands Grinder : 20110607

And it was yet another fine evening for the Grinders as we set off on Diane's idea of happiness. Just short of 26miles/42km and over 2000ft/600m of climbing. Happiness indeed.



The ride started off with the usual into the breeze section on Skillman Road as it heads off into the Sourlands. Turn right up Hollow Road, whose surface gets worse with every week and defies you to get a good rhythm as it deceptively ascends towards Long Hill Road.

For some reason, Long Hill isn't nearly as much of a challenge as Hollow. Maybe it's the surface, which is markedly better. Or maybe Hollow is just plain deceptive. Descending Hollow is a bit of an eye opener as to just how much of a climb it is.

As Long Hill metamorphoses into Zion Road it meets Lindbergh. We made the cut across to Ridge Road while Jen told me her theory of attacking hills.

The whooping descent of Rileyville Road towards the Wertsville Road is either exhilarating or white knuckle inducing. Rich claimed 47mph/75kmh and I believe him. He was dropping away from me and I was over 40mph/65kmh.

A short run along the Wertsville Road towards Peacock's Country Store then the foothills of the Lindbergh climb with its initial 500ft/150m climb, descent and then a knee cracking 20% heave just when you thought you were on a nice swoop back down to the Hopewell valley. Jen reckoned this scored 50 using her new found hill-climbing technique.

We charged back to the start to beat the sunset. And it was worth watching.

Don't forget, Team Old Cranks is riding the Metric Century - 100km/62.5miles - this Sunday from Princeton Junction. All proceeds to help beat diabetes.

Please consider sponsoring either Gary, Gene or myself, Grinders all. Even better register as an Old Crank and come along for the ride and help this good cause.

Tour de Cure - 2011

Help fight Diabetes by sponsoring me on this year's Tour de Cure around Princeton, NJ, on June 12, 2011.

Last year, Gary, Gene and I rode the Century along the Jersey Shore. This year we're scaling back a little to a Metric Century - 100km/62.5miles - but with, we hope, a larger group of riders.

Me | Gene | Gary
in 2010

I feel a connection with this cause. My brother, Martin, has suffered with Type 1 Diabetes since he was a teenager, so I know how this condition affects a life. None of us are immune and the onset of Type 2 Diabetes is common enough as we get older.

I know any decent society would have prioritised the conquering of this and many other diseases a long time ago, but for now please consider sponsoring me or any other rider and help fight this scourge.

Thank you.

Tour de Cure : Century Ride - 20100619

It was hard ... but we did it!!!

Here we are; Gene, Gary and me just prior to setting out on the 100 mile Tour de Cure for diabetes research, from Brielle on the Jersey Shore.

We don't look like finely tuned athletes, but believe me, your first Century Ride is your own personal Everest. Special credit to Gary, who is proudly wearing the red jersey of a rider who has diabetes.

We took part as the "Old Cranks", our own ad hoc team for riders of a certain age and we intend to get one or two more centuries under our 6-packs before the year is out. We do this instead of buying Harleys or shopping for purses/handbags ...

I cannot begin to tell you the sense of achievement we have from finishing this ride and also the feeling of having contributed a small part towards the search for a cure for diabetes.

The ride itself was largely situated along the Jersey shore, but with several loops which made following the route rather confusing so it was easy to miss one and have to backtrack to get back on course. Large parts also ran alongside the beach so wayward pedestrians, cars diving for parking spots, recreational cyclists riding on the wrong side of the road and potholes made it very hazardous indeed. I fear that a young cyclist, not on the TdC was hit by a car just as we passed. I hope they are okay ...

And for Old Cranks like us, putting the first hills eighty miles into the ride was a bit cruel. I have to say, we suffered them heroically, although a rest stop meant I endured my usual two or three miles of hell while I got back into the swing. Our time was pretty good for beginners. An early puncture/flat put us off schedule and towards the back of the Century riders, but we dealt pretty efficiently with it. The tyre had taken quite a cut but we had an emergency tyre boot and spare inner-tube with us which did the trick.

There were rest stops every 20 miles or so, and these were most welcome. I did pretty well at keeping myself hydrated, drinking about 24fl.oz/hour of various energy drinks, nibbling my way through Clif Bars and eating several bananas.

If organisers are looking for improvements for next year, I'd suggest:

• Better on road waymarks. Often they were confusing, especially when routes diverged on the loops. Frequently, waymarks were under parked cars.
• Publish a map of the longer routes as well as a cue-sheet. Making a .gpx map of the route available for riders with GPS units would be a big help.
• Each rest stop have a pump and a couple of spare inner tubes available.

And finally, thanks to all our sponsors. We raised $665 for diabetes research.

Thank you.

PFW : Griggstown Grinder : 20100615

Tuesday evening saw a quick sprint to Copper Mine Road, a hill which gets its retaliation in first by rising steeply from the turning off Canal Road. Any rhythm is ruined by negotiating the junction and the hill really does become a grind right from the start.

For some reason I don't understand the last few miles are showing up on a line north of our actual route ... anyone know what happened there?

We've been relatively puncture free ... ooops! ... I mean, flat free this year, but suffered two on this trip ... annoying ...
As usual, thanks to Diane for a nice itinerary ...

Gary, Gene and I are now contemplating our Tour de Cure Century this Saturday ... It's nearly time ... no news on the route yet ...

Tour de Cure : my first Century

On Saturday, June 19, I will be taking part in the annual Tour de Cure, a ride in support of diabetes research, from Brielle Park on the Jersey Shore.
This will be my first ever Century ride, that is one hundred miles.
At the moment the route is unknown, but given it's on the shore hills won't be too much of a consideration, although headwinds might be.
I'm in a team; Old Cranks, which currently consists of Gary and myself, fools that we are ... Anyhow, assuming we survive, our secondary aim is to raise money for diabetes research.
I hope Gary doesn't mind me mentioning that he suffers from diabetes so for him it's a tribute to how this disease can be managed.
For me, my brother Martin has had type 1 since he was a teenager and I want this ride to be for him.
So please consider contributing to my aim of raising $175 for diabetes research, and giving me a reason to keep going when I reach milepost 80 ;-)
Please click here if you want to contribute. Thanks.