With just over a week to go until the NYC Century, I wanted to get one more ride in. Especially since I didn't get the long ride in the Poconos that I wanted. My wonderful wife said we were seeing her parents on Saturday the 1st of September, so why don't I just ride there again? Sold!
The night before, we held a game night for our regular board gaming group, the NBGA. The night ended up being a very late one as two of our more intrepid members suggested a game of Tichu that lasted until 3:30am. And we didn't even finish...
So I didn't get up until 10:30 am on Saturday. I fed the kidlets and myself and took off for Old Greenwich CT at around 11:30. It was the same route I did a couple of weeks ago, except this time I was a little more familiar with it.
I made it into Queens with little effort other than the 10mph headwind. Also, the day was HOT. I was prepared for the high 80s my trusty weatherman told me, but not the pounding low 90s that I go. Luckily the humidity was gone, but I was going through liquids quickly due o the excessive heat. When I got to the Greenway in Queens I breathed a sigh of relief due to the shade the trees provided.
The trip through Queens was very pleasant now that I was becoming more familiar with the route. I got to Flushing Meadow Park and skirted the tennis center which had all sorts of security up for the US Open. I then decided to get smart and detoured to Roosevelt Blvd. and then picked up 34th Ave. and it's bike lane at the beginning. Straight shot into Astoria and then to the RFK Triboro bridge.
My wife is very interested in the Hell Gate Bridge as she heard on a radio show once that it was so overengineered, if we abandoned NYC and let the vegetation take over, this bridge would still be standing hundreds of years into the future. This shot is from the RFK/Triboro bridge walkway. This is where my ride got interesting...
I get to Randalls Island and enjoy the view until I get to the walkway to the Bronx portion of the bridge and there is where I notice that the walkway is closed. Gated even. Apparently, the Electric Zoo Festival was going on at the same time. The police officers there were even confused about what was going on so I ended up having to go into Manhattan over the RFK. I wound around a few streets there until I found a couple of nice guys who told me how to get to the Willis Avenue Bridge. From there I found my way to Bruckner Boulevard and my route again. Whew.
I shot up to Fordham Road and went past the Bronx Zoo. Always a fun place to go.
Neal Morse's career is one that is very interesting to me. He became famous in the progressive rock genre with the group Spock's Beard, one of my all time favorites. He left the group when he turned to God and decided instead to dedicate his musical career to expressing his feelings about religion. Despite the fact that I don't agree with his religious position, I am continually moved by the passion and some of the most incredible songwriting I have ever experienced. He puts so much emotion into his work that it is hard not to be affected positively. My favorite album of his is the one simply labeled "?".
Back to the ride and that curious tag on the title of this entry...
I followed the NYC Greenway through the Bronx and was starting to get very tired. The heat was getting to me, and although I had already filled my water bottle and had some beef jerky and a Balance bar, I was starting to tank. I should note that I had actually brought two water bottles on this trip, but somewhere around Randalls Island, the second bottle fell out of its cage and I was down to one. Bad omen...
Anyway, I left the Greenway and found this beautiful home at the edge of the path in Pelham Bay. If you read a few posts ago where I helped the 18 year old after wiping out, this was the view I had then, but I was distracted at the time. I sat in front of this house for about 10 minutes trying to get some energy back. But it was HOT.
I struggled along and then crossed into Westchester where I visited a store and topped off my fluids, had an oatmeal raisin cookie and an energy drink that I don't recall the name of, but afterwards I saw some pink elephants flying by. With a new boost, I whipped my way through Westchester, although I started cramping in Rye. The heat again.
The cramps got so bad as I crossed into Greenwich, I had to pause and rest for a few. I gathered myself together and set out to finish the last 10 miles to Old Greenwich and a glorious shower. And my wife and kids. :-)
I then came upon Byram Park. The perimeter road is not traveled by many cars, but I did notice that there was a protected bike path that I could hop onto. So I tried to do the safe thing and when I came across a driveway I angled my way to the path. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that the driveway was raised by about an inch. Had I known, I would have taken it more gingerly and approached perpendicularly. Instead, my front wheel didn't negotiate the driveway and the wheel aligned with the lip of the driveway. My back tire slammed against the lip and I couldn't keep my balance. I slammed down into the pavement on my right shoulder, then my head (thank God for helmets!) and then my hip as I was thrown from the bike. There were enough cars on the road that they all stopped to see if I was ok. They even called the police, and when the officer arrived, he told me he was biking from Boston to New York the next weekend I believe with a number of servicemen and women. I refused medical attention because I tested that I had full range of motion but once it swelled up, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it other than to tell me to see my specialist. I've already had 3 arthroscopic surgeries on both shoulders so I'm familiar with the drill.
My father-in-law came and picked me up, about 6 miles short of their house and they all tried to be as positive as possible. I have no idea what this will do for next weekend. The bike was not road worthy, but it is fixable. Me? I'm going to have to see how I feel as the week goes on. Note that last year I went 82 miles into the ride before a broken spoke stopped me. I've completed two centuries to date, both the Ride to Montauk. I really want this one... :-(
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