Day 41 - Crotched Cousin Ride
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of riding with my second cousin from Northfield, MA to the Inn at Crotched Mountain in Francestown, NH. David Fowler lives a short ways from here and he and his wife Christine joined me for dinner at a nice restaurant nearby after our ride.
It was good to have company as we suffered over the hills and the crappy route that Google set out for us. David also got to match my slow pace that was very comfortable for him so that he got an extra 10 miles than me and some extra climbing after we split, he to home, me to Crotched Mountain.
Let's talk about that crappy route. Google seems to think that the Rails to Trails bike/hike trails are good for bicycles. And they aren't. There are some paved spots, some gravel spots, and some spots that are tree roots. And others that are just plain mud. If we were mountain biking, maybe these would be fun, but we're on road bikes trying to make it across 57 miles! Not fun on the rails to trails.
It is not fun on the dirt roads too! I'm starting to think there are as many dirt roads in CT, MA, and NH as there are paved roads. I appreciate Google taking me off the beaten path, but lets be sensible here! I have enjoyed some of these dirt roads when they're smooth and easy to ride on, but those are the minority. I know I'm going to have to be careful when I move into Northern Maine to stay off dirt roads because who know where I'll end up. Getting from Hartland to Route 15 I'll make certain that I don't go on any dirt roads. But I get ahead of myself. For today I have another 56 mile ride, but the profile is mostly downhill to flat for the first half and mostly flat to slight uphill for the second half. I'll see you on the other side. Today's video has no ending as all my Gopro batteries died. Hopefully they'll be fully charged for today's ride!