Monday, June 21, 2021

Tour to Tour of the Battenkill 2021

BK in a different way. For a C19 plagued and in 2020 cancelled event now a new approach to get there. Happy to stay again with my friends in Elizaville and thanks to Elliot for hospitality once again :) 

It was in Py's head for some time now to make it up there by bike and this year it should happen and now in context with the BK2021.

The minimal bike "expedition" style packing equipped Storck. Equipped with a set of most excellent "expedition" bags from https://www.revelatedesigns.com/ Py researched back in 2020 and so far mainly used the frame bag only locally. Now fully loaded. Super functional, rugged and just working right. No dangling and touching and anything annoying.

Here on the way near Bethel.


Nearly fully loaded test ride on Wednesday evening on the F14a loop.




Thursday: Rocky Point to Elizaville, NY
a journey with a few glitches.

The route created via Strava heatmap guided routing and manual tweaking to Py's likes. Mostly unknown terrain and roads. So must be fun. New land so close by to explore. Planning for the first Ferry from Port Jefferson. Early breakfast. Set and go with ample of time, no rush -- so the plan. Leaving the house around 6:15. Up and over the hill on North Country to Port Jefferson -- but no no no, why is it not shifting "up" now. Unexpected but some what not --- stupid SRAM Shifer battery status app is useless garbage -- Py checked them all showing -- well since ever -- about 3/4 green symbol. But dead now. Spinning in the lowest gear back home in a hurry not sure still making the boat... also had to figure how change it and find it. Py took a spare battery set but no quarter. But eventually the swap worked out quick after revisiting quick instructions on the phone... what about including instructional video in the app -- SRAM??

Time been very tight now, but giving it a shot -- full speed ahead to Port Jeff, but still taking North Country, so what, there is a next ferry.


But amazing enough the 7am ferry was still at the dock, getting a round trip ticket and rolln on and off it goes... -- nice! Now let the fun begin.



 
Almost empty boat at this time and day. After about 90min trip over the sound rolling off the boat and leaving the busy town Bridgeport in morning traffic on bumpy roads.


But shortly after getting out of town very nice roads, nearly fully shaded making it slowly up and further up state on small and smaller country roads.


Crossing the Husatonic River:


An old mill on the Wewaka Brook:
 
 
And bypassing the main road on a beautiful back road section...


Before descending into New Milford and looking around for a good place to have a coffee, almost giving up after filling up only water, finding this nice place with awesome cookies
 
 


before proceeding towards Kent for lunch. A little annoyance of a pinch flat indirectly caused by a stupid big truck with a long trailer cutting into my "lane" ahead keeping my eyes busy vs. scanning for road debris promptly hitting some bigger rock or other crap instantly pinch flattening my rear.... look closer at the clip and you see and hear when and what happened -- please leave "us" cyclists plenty of room, you have no idea what all kinds of hazards are out there for us!!!
 


The suspect...

and the scene of repairs...

 
That fixed with a sticky patch with saving "good" spare tubes having in mind so far so good. Making it trouble free to Kent for lunch. Picked the first good looking place and ordered a chicken sandwich.
 
 
... while waiting for the sandwich, noting the rear tire lost air, oddly ... still no good clue, but it appears most likely the sun heated tire and getting hot sticky patch does not go along well. So replacing it with a previously patched spare tube ... and eventually having the sandwich. Then ordered a coffee and cookie... what took a while to come. Having to find the tube did not hold up air either -- argrr. -- having all kinds of suspicious about the trouble just pumping it up again and seamed fine. Strange.

Just about 40 more miles -- but only making it up the next hill until getting soft. Stopping at the edge of a driveway in the shade on top of this hill. Patching a bad patch on this one still not grabbing the last good spare tube.

Almost done a lady pulled in with her car asking if I'd need help, seamed to be a cyclist also and chatting a bit. And she told me a few miles down the road in Wassaic around the corned of the old train station is a bike shop if I'd needed some thing. At this point I wasn't 100% sure if it would be on my route, but kept my eyes open looking for it. Tire was all good and held up pressure, but I won't minded to stock up spares and replace thus trouble some tube anyways. And there actually was a hardly signed hidden bike shop, all I noted was the station and a few bikes lines up on a deck, checking it out. 

 
The shop guy was very helpful, had some tubes and more patches. Plus offered my water to fill up and a bike stand/pump for convenience :) Great, Thank You!!

Would you see a bike shop here, if unexpected?



 
And again fully stocked on the road for the last miles... one more little longer climb 
 
 
 
before and finally arriving in Elizaville.
 

 
Here is the complete journey track:  



Saturday: Tour of the Battenkill
Gran Fondo


Would you see a bike shop here, if unexpected?



Another BK (https://tourofthebattenkill.com/) in the books. Not much new to say. As usual great run event, superb road markings, water supplies and all you can ask for.


 



Sunday: The Return, Elizaville, NY to Rocky Point
Another Journey with a Special Visit near Bethel.

Mostly backtracking.