We were going to go earlier, but when we both woke up and looked at the temperature, it was 22F! No way am I going for a ride at that temperature!!
I get a call after sending a text message "Too cold to go at 9; call me if you want to go later."
So we decide on 1:30 pm. After lunch, I dig around and find my pump, spare tire, and bottles. I drive up to Nottingham Woods, avoid the men in tights, and we are off.
The first few steps are exactly the same as a Classic, so I nearly veer off to the left at first opportunity but am reminded by Bianchi who whizzes past. We're off! The day is lovely, sunny, but still a little cool at 40F even.
On to the end of Kinns to the crossover to Farm-to-Market thence left onto Anthony by way of a little cut-off I can only vaguely remember from routes that I used to take from the river west to civilization by Farm-to-Market Rd. I can only dimly recall the lay of the land; not to worry, it is flat or nearly featureless, but farmland it is. I forget just rural the place really is. There can be suburban developments on one side of a road and farm lands on the other.
Cary Rd runs all the way to cross over the outlet from Round Lake which is to our left or west. It is running high with all the rain and melt from the snow pack which litters and covers all the fields and roadsides. We cross a level RR crossing, hear the train pass behind us, and dip down to the stream, cross the level crossing, then up to Rte 67. Left into spare traffic, then right off 67 onto Farley straight up UP the road to the plateau -- a feature in the area.
There is a jog left at Fitch, then onto Cold Spring. There is a quarter mile stretch of unpaved road, unpave (an accent should appear as if to say in French, un pah vay, a Battenkill conceit. Look into their charming literature. TODAY is by the way the 'Introduction to the New Route of the Battenkill' ride. . . $35 full support all you can eat and drink, party afterwards or similar. This year it's changed; not so many amateur riders (cats 4 and 5, wienies like me, I think) to make way for more cat 1, 2 and pro. Although they are not on the UCI calendar, they remain Queen of the Spring Classics . . . or something.
Turns out that the new date corresponds with the Paris Roubaix after which the Battenkill was named, for some time. With its unpave it resembles the Roubaix. . . a little. There are no cobbles. In fact, even the unpaved sections, 15 miles total, are pretty smooth. They enjoy publishing picutres from the messier days, but so far I've been lucky. Very little in the way of rain or mud!
As we approach the southern end of the lake, the road improves notably. Bianchi man tells me all about the coming fab plant. AMD, now Global Foundries, is putting in a 12" chip plant. Each one takes on average 1,000 gal of DI water! It's been the talk of the region for years now; it will be here before too much longer and with it all sorts of business, employment, real estate sales, and everything else good that comes with such enterprise.
We'll see.
We come to the Stewart's Shops at the southern end of the lake and stop for a little break. I go in to get rid of some extra coffee. We are off following the last 12 miles of a Classic. Around the lake contour to take the road out of the depression to the straight bit of 9P that takes us up to Rte. 9.
Crossing 9, we were onto Main Street on the other side of the trailer park and Travers Landing development, as well as the interstate. Up the hill to the intersection with the return route Brownell and East Line Rd. south into town. This includes the semi-infinite uphill past faux plats and horizons that don't tell you when the ride uphill is really over . . .
We ride past the park and cemetery into Jonesville. Hang a left onto Main Street -- photographed many times -- with its Greek Revival homes and Academy. We tool on into safe harbor.
40 km, almost exactly 25 miles as advertised.
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