Ride Reports September 2005
148 Miles from Frederick, MD to Newton Square, PA - In One Day
I left my house at 6:18 a.m., excited and ready to go. I took Bill Smith's advice
and went north to Gettysburg and then to Heidlersburg to hit PA route 234 East. I
wanted to ride about 150 miles and thought that by going PA route 194 I might chop
off too many miles. I made it all the way to York before making my first stop,
averaging greater than 18 mph, but.....the sun was getting higher in the sky and
it was getting HOT!
I lost a bit of time in York due to the increased traffic and numerous red lights. I
crossed a large bridge that carries PA route 462 over the picturesque Susquehanna
River into Lancaster County. Meanwhile the temperature was still climbing. I
periodically checked in with my wife to let her know I was alive and well. She
was to meet me later in the day. Learning that she and my kids were stuck in traffic,
I felt that I still had the better deal.
Next I stopped in Millersville for a break. As it got hotter, my appetite waned,
which is not a good thing. Eating and drinking became a real chore for me even though
I realized it is of critical necessity on a long ride. Drinking hot Gatorade is not
so appealing though. At the 122-mile point I pulled into Parkesburg PA, running very
low on energy. I was still averaging above 18 mph, but my speed was beginning to
fade. Even though I knew I had to eat, I just couldn't picture anything that seemed
appealing. Happening upon a take-out pizza place, I bought a slice and ate it
outside in the heat. It took forever to get that piece down, but that slice is
probably what saved my day and my ride!!
As I got further along in hilly Chester County, I chugged on to the foot of a hill and
just had to get off my bike for a rest. I was soooo hot! Ready to "throw in the towel", I
laid down and tried to call my wife. I was hot, tired, and had enough. I was ten miles
from West Chester and about twenty from my destination. At that point, 20 miles seemed
way too far to accomplish for me. The only problem was that there was no phone service
in that particular location. So I forced myself back on the bike and up the hill to a
deli. I had a coke and rested some more.
I finally got back on and gritted out the remaining distance. I think it had to be
about 98 or 99 degrees. I finished at 4:08 p.m. - completely spent. A good forty-five
minutes to an hour passed before I cooled down sufficiently and could get up off the
floor and become a functioning human being again. My riding time was 8:22 and overall
time was 9:50 for 148 miles. At first I didn't think I would recover fast enough to
want to get back on the bike again this weekend, but I was ready to go just a couple
of days later, excited to be back on the saddle and thinking about the Blue Ridge
Extreme in a few weeks.
by Dr. David Levine
Recently, Dr, David Levine decided to challenge himself by cycling from Frederick
to Newtown Square, Pennsylvania [near Philadelphia] - a distance of nearly 150
miles - in one day.
Woodsboro-Cascade Loop
After a restful lunch, we descended that lovely and exhilarating long downhill
along MD-550 through Sabillasville into Thurmont. We then headed out of town
to the north, and rode through the Roddy Creek covered bridge, through Graceham,
and to the Loy's Station covered bridge, and then, across the stately Legore
Bridge, before a long, flat glide into Woodsboro, though we fought a stiff southerly
headwind which slowed us, and sapped what little remaining strength we had left.
It was a wonderful ride, and those who finished were exhilarated, and quite
sore. To use the famous cliche. "A good time was had by all." Those on all or
part of the ride were: Glenn Angus, Martha and Mark Anderson, David Miller, Bill
Pakenas, Carly and Bill Smith (tandem).
It was agreed by all who began this ride, that it should be held again in cooler
weather. So, be watching for a repeat during October, when we can enjoy it in
the coolness of the season, and enjoy the Fall colors, too.
August 14 by Glenn Angus
On Sunday, August 14, 10 intrepid cyclists from the Frederick Pedalers Club
met for an ambitious and challenging ride. The day was wonderful, and the
temperatures did not rise too high until around 1 PM. We all left from Woodsboro
Community Park, and rode a dazzling route which took us through the lovely and
idyllic Bennie Duncan Road, and through the Utica Creek covered bridge, along
through Lewistown, up to the Manor Area of the Cunningham Falls State Park, near
the Catoctin Furnace. Our route then took us up the daunting Catoctin Hollow
Road, a long and torturous climb along some of the loveliest scenery. We then
climbed even further on Wigville Road, and wound our way across the summit,
across MD-77, to Cascade, where we stopped for lunch. Unfortunately, a very
unsafe condition exists now along Tower Road and Old Catoctin Road, where within
the last few days, these roads have been freshly paved with a tar and chip surface,
which created severe conditions, as these roads are steep down hill runs, and we
had to ride the brakes for almost 2 miles. Hands were sore, and rims were hot!
The Flattest Metric Century You Will Probably Ever Ride
Glenn Angus and Alex Euler left at around 8:45 a.m. for a wonderful ride, which
began as a counter-clockwise transversal of the BWI Trail, a 10.7 miles loop,
which offered us several panoramic views of both the airport itself, and the
surrounding countryside, from a myriad of viewpoints. This trail is mostly flat
to rolling, but it is by no means a flat ride, though the hills are brief. The
trail winds at points through wetlands, woods, as well as wide fields. There
were countless views of a wide variety of aircraft, from two distinct runway
systems, both landing and taking off. We even got to see the famous "Shamu
the Whale" Southwest Airlines plane as it landed. At one point, we passed a
private residence where llamas and emus run freely, but we were not regaled by
their visible presence this time.
After once around BWI, we took a delightful by-pass of Glen Burnie, taking us
through the rural suburban areas of Glen Burnie, Severn and Millersville, meeting
up with the B&A Trail [Baltimore and Annapolis] in Pasadena. We then rode the
remaining 9 miles to the southern terminus of the B&A Trail. Along the way, we
were joined by Scott Burns, of Severna Park, who added greatly to the camaraderie
of our little band of cyclists now 3 in number.
At the southern end, we rode down Boulters Way to MD-450/2, and crossed the Severn
River at the World War 2 Memorial, where a vast and exciting panoramic view of the
United States Naval Academy awaited. Once across the bridge, we entered downtown
Annapolis, riding past St. Johns College, founded in 1696, and to the City Dock,
where we took a lunch break. After lunch, we crossed Spa Creek into Eastport, and
rode out to the community of Bay Ridge, which is on the point of land which is the
confluence of the Severn River and the Chesapeake Bay. We were afforded breathtaking
views of the Bay, Kent Island, the Bay Bridge [from end-to-end -- in my opinion, the
best view of the Bay Bridge anywhere in Maryland], the Naval Academy [and its Chapel
dome], and the old radio towers across the mouth of the Severn River. It was
certainly awe-inspiring to ride past this incredible scenery. One perceives a
totally different feeling viewing a wide expanse of water, as opposed to the
mountains.
We then circled through the community along the waterfront, and rode back through
Annapolis, riding up Main Street to Church Circle, and around State Circle [and the
MD Statehouse], and back out of town, across the MD-450 bridge, and back north on
the B&A Trail to Glen Burnie and BWI Airport. Sixty-three miles after our departure,
we arrived back at the parking lot, full of the enjoyment of such pleasant scenery,
and a very pleasant day. We had a great time, and would have enjoyed the company
of many more of our friends from Frederick.
Those who passed up this ride in fear of the weather would have enjoyed this ride.
Perhaps I will schedule it again in September or October during cooler times, and
if enough people request it, I will lead it again.
August 21 by Glenn Angus
On Sunday, August 21, despite concerns about the possibility of high heat and
humidity, 2 intrepid souls met at the BWI Overlook Park in Glen Burnie for this
ride. What we ended up with, was a very mild, clear, and relatively non-humid
day, in the mid-80's, with only a stiff breeze from the WNW.