2010 D2R2 Ride Reports
2010 D2R2 Ride Reports
If you want to read how to gain weight, despite climbing 6200 feet over 64 miles on questionable roads, read my ride report over at Double Hop.
I'm 20PoundSkull at cyclowhat.com.
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onegeardoug
- Chasseur
- Posts: 973
- Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:01 am
- Location: Marlboro, MA
Re: 2010 D2R2 Ride Reports
Great write-up. sounds like it was a lot of fun...
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carlshimer
- Chasseur
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:40 am
- Location: Westborough
Re: 2010 D2R2 Ride Reports
D2R2 was the most fun I have had on a bike in quite a while. I'm glad I did the 60 mile route. It was enough distance to really get a taste for all the great hills, dirt roads, and carriage paths without being completely zonked at the end.
Curiously, I would say one of the hardest parts to the ride was old albany rd. about 4 miles after the start. It begins when you pass a sign that says "road closed". It was very loose gravel / rocks with some boulders strewn in for good measure. I'd compare it to that hill in Upton st. forest that is half road / half wash. It is one of those roads where you don't want to stop because getting started again is hard. The other tricky bit was the the ascent into Vermont on Franklin Hill Rd. A couple of cars blew past us as we were making the ascent up one of the steeper sections - I guess all the Vermonters hammer on the back roads? On the long descent into the lunch stop I hit a pretty big rock / hole while descending at 30+. Luckily I only ended up with a flat - my only mechanical for the day.
Everyone regrouped at the lunch stop and we all stayed together to the finish. The peaches at the top of the last big hill was nice.
A couple notes on gear:
Cross tires are definitely the way to go. I was riding 30" tires with about 50 lbs of pressure. This was perfect except for the rocky descent where I flatted. My 34x27 low gear was fine most of the ride, although on the really steep sections it could get tough. I don't know how well the 34x27 would have worked if I was really tired and did the longer ride. next year I will bring more spare tubes and program the route into the GPS ahead of time.
Todd did an amazing job riding his road bike. I have no idea how he got over those washed out sections.
Curiously, I would say one of the hardest parts to the ride was old albany rd. about 4 miles after the start. It begins when you pass a sign that says "road closed". It was very loose gravel / rocks with some boulders strewn in for good measure. I'd compare it to that hill in Upton st. forest that is half road / half wash. It is one of those roads where you don't want to stop because getting started again is hard. The other tricky bit was the the ascent into Vermont on Franklin Hill Rd. A couple of cars blew past us as we were making the ascent up one of the steeper sections - I guess all the Vermonters hammer on the back roads? On the long descent into the lunch stop I hit a pretty big rock / hole while descending at 30+. Luckily I only ended up with a flat - my only mechanical for the day.
Everyone regrouped at the lunch stop and we all stayed together to the finish. The peaches at the top of the last big hill was nice.
A couple notes on gear:
Cross tires are definitely the way to go. I was riding 30" tires with about 50 lbs of pressure. This was perfect except for the rocky descent where I flatted. My 34x27 low gear was fine most of the ride, although on the really steep sections it could get tough. I don't know how well the 34x27 would have worked if I was really tired and did the longer ride. next year I will bring more spare tubes and program the route into the GPS ahead of time.
Todd did an amazing job riding his road bike. I have no idea how he got over those washed out sections.
Re: 2010 D2R2 Ride Reports
Thank for posting the ride report and pictures.
It was a great day, fun ride, and no one left hungry...
It was a great day, fun ride, and no one left hungry...
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Doran Abel
- Domestique
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:19 pm
- Location: north Natique, MA
Re: 2010 D2R2 Ride Reports
Great write-up Taud - always want to do this ride but it seems to fall on my son's b-day weekend (the house/yard cleaning fury and then having friends over for party/cake).