"it's TALENT, it's TALENT"
well, the title refers to something i'll get to eventually about Saturday. first and foremost, i'll discuss a GREAT ride i took on Saturday in Casey Co., which is directly south of Danville, home of Centre College. it was the family's annual trip to family camp at Wakonda'ho in Yosemite (pronounced YO-sah-mite), Ky. i'm not too churchy, but it's a great weekend for food, fun, relaxation, and general contentment. there are a variety of activities, but i talked my good wife into letting me get out and explore some of Casey Co.'s topography via the bike.
i started with a perfect, sunny, not-too-hot day, and had mapped out a route i felt would give me some interest, but would not be too difficult to manage (and save from getting lost). i started in YO-sah-mite going north on 1552, which then goes straight on 198 out of Middleburg. After some miles, i turned NE onto 698. this whole first leg of the journey took place in a great, verdant valley in between the knobs of the area and roughly following the Green River. really a great, great stretch of road with very little traffic and some nice hills thrown in for stretching the legs. in fact, i stopped on 698 and took a few photos of an attractive creek. i then turned E/SE on 1778, by now in Lincoln Co., and followed the South Fork for a while. these are generally flattish roads at this point, with 1778 a little more tree-lined and with fewer fields. i stopped again to take a couple pics of a nice barn in a field full of ironweed. i might load those in at some time. i also snapped a shot of an old, rusted train trestle bridge high over the road. i crossed a creek (actually the South Fork) and began to experience 'acclivity', which is to say a false flat, which then pitched a little more. i then saw the sign, the "extremely wiggly road ahead" sign which i then realized would take me up some attractive swithbacks. i wouldn't consider myself in very good climbing shape, but i bucked down, grounding out 2nd gear, which some standing in 3rd. i DID have to rest once, not walking but catching my breath. mind you, i'm in the small ring of the triple, but if that's reality, well, that's reality. I chugged the rest of the way up and made my way to 501, where i turned SW. after a while on 501, i realized that i had earned a long, gradual descent with my abrupt climb of about a mile total (maybe .5 m steep). 501 became a 30min big gear smashfest with some occassional hills. i would say i often was pedaling at 20-25mph, which is fast for me. as the trip ended, i was rewarded with another gift, a sudden but exhilirating steep downhill where i reached 40mph+ until the bend in the road caused me to slow a bit. that section ended up being a quick .6m. i finished turning N on 70 for a couple tenths of a mile.
what a great 1.5 hours to spend, a great ride in great weather. i'm pleased to have had to climb a bit, as my commuting is table-top flat. the rest of family camp proved enjoyable and relaxing, with the culmination Saturday of the talent show, and the 3 year old (4?, 5?) singing a self-composed song whose whole lyrics were comprised of "It's talent, it's talent, it's talent.........talent is what you do". very funny.
i hope at next year's camp to further explore some great Casey Co. roads.
25.8m 1.35 16.1avg a good average for me, aided by the nice, long 501 downhill
i started with a perfect, sunny, not-too-hot day, and had mapped out a route i felt would give me some interest, but would not be too difficult to manage (and save from getting lost). i started in YO-sah-mite going north on 1552, which then goes straight on 198 out of Middleburg. After some miles, i turned NE onto 698. this whole first leg of the journey took place in a great, verdant valley in between the knobs of the area and roughly following the Green River. really a great, great stretch of road with very little traffic and some nice hills thrown in for stretching the legs. in fact, i stopped on 698 and took a few photos of an attractive creek. i then turned E/SE on 1778, by now in Lincoln Co., and followed the South Fork for a while. these are generally flattish roads at this point, with 1778 a little more tree-lined and with fewer fields. i stopped again to take a couple pics of a nice barn in a field full of ironweed. i might load those in at some time. i also snapped a shot of an old, rusted train trestle bridge high over the road. i crossed a creek (actually the South Fork) and began to experience 'acclivity', which is to say a false flat, which then pitched a little more. i then saw the sign, the "extremely wiggly road ahead" sign which i then realized would take me up some attractive swithbacks. i wouldn't consider myself in very good climbing shape, but i bucked down, grounding out 2nd gear, which some standing in 3rd. i DID have to rest once, not walking but catching my breath. mind you, i'm in the small ring of the triple, but if that's reality, well, that's reality. I chugged the rest of the way up and made my way to 501, where i turned SW. after a while on 501, i realized that i had earned a long, gradual descent with my abrupt climb of about a mile total (maybe .5 m steep). 501 became a 30min big gear smashfest with some occassional hills. i would say i often was pedaling at 20-25mph, which is fast for me. as the trip ended, i was rewarded with another gift, a sudden but exhilirating steep downhill where i reached 40mph+ until the bend in the road caused me to slow a bit. that section ended up being a quick .6m. i finished turning N on 70 for a couple tenths of a mile.
what a great 1.5 hours to spend, a great ride in great weather. i'm pleased to have had to climb a bit, as my commuting is table-top flat. the rest of family camp proved enjoyable and relaxing, with the culmination Saturday of the talent show, and the 3 year old (4?, 5?) singing a self-composed song whose whole lyrics were comprised of "It's talent, it's talent, it's talent.........talent is what you do". very funny.
i hope at next year's camp to further explore some great Casey Co. roads.
25.8m 1.35 16.1avg a good average for me, aided by the nice, long 501 downhill
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