Charlton, west to Potter, then W Glenville and return

Gorgeous ride today almost 60 km at 65 F. With T-bone, phoned others, but no soap.
Juan did call back with regrets; one of his children was ready to go play a baseball game.

So we swept past the Starbucks; no one there. On we went through the residential area, down to the trail, through the woods, down down the hill and out onto Balltown next to the bridge. Scary, sometimes.

We snaked through Alplaus, then on Bruce to Hecheltown. Standard up to this . . . when we do the R then L,  to go north on Stage (including the L then R onto Stage, which T-bone missed, first try)
but no big deal. We tool along through Charlton, going west through town, outside of town, past the finer homes on the way to 147. We follow the inverse of the route used for the century rides; going R then L onto the road headed for the W Glenville corner.

We headed south once there, keeping an eye on the clock. We went along until Ridge Rd. offered a rolling hilly ride nothing boring like more or less flat 147. We start huffing it up the Ridge hill, curvey and wild when we take it the opposite direction. Hard to appreciate it at that moment. More up hill trekking. Then it evens out. We finally crest the hill, and crank it up to 30 mph, with no effort, all the way to Closson. We turn it down and go straight, keeping to the Ridge for the wild ride down to the Stewart's Shops.

Right back onto 147 through Beukendahl, left onto the Vly Rd., R onto Vly itself. We return the way we came except the bit going up Seneca through the residences of the Ave B neighborhood and all that.

Great ride.

Charlton by Hecheltown, Indian Kill Preserve and return by Swaggertown Rd

Charlton by Hecheltown, Indian Kill Park and return by Swaggertown

T-bone was ready to roll by 10:30 am, having wakened an hour or two earlier and swallowed breakfast bagel. We saddled up me in my Battenkill jersey, he in his King of the Mountain Champion supermarket jersey from 12 years ago. We left Niskayuna by way of the Rexford Bridge, and turned left at the light to roll through Alplaus. Then right at the firehouse to approach Glenridge . . . L then R  onto one way Hecheltown, hence to the Indian Kill Nature Preserve, the old folks home, and the tiny homes from 50+ years ago along Hecheltown. 

Out onto Rte 50 is always daunting but not busy this Easter morning. So left then onto High Mills, which turns into Scotch Bush. . . but we take a L then R onto Lake Hill Rd which becomes Stage. Stage goes all the way into town. Charlton. Hardly 'town' . . . Historic Village is more like it. 

It's now starting to rain and we begin to regret leaving so late. We were warned by the early storm warning system, Gisele. 

On the way back, we just take Swaggertown all the way into Scotia-Glenville. We decide to take Van Buren over to Glenridge thence up and over past Maple to the rail overpass, pinched tight for single lane traffic. Turn right into Alplaus. Here we are an hour and some later. Return by way of rail trail, now clear of ice and snow, about time, up the hill to the cruise past the view of the Research Center's parking lot. Empty. 

I call ahead to let her know we're not far from home. JP may be in for lunch? Nope. Starting home from Long Island at 11 am, there is just about no way she can reach home by 1:30 pm. No. 

Great ride. 

Cold, into the bracing wind, Van Vranken return by Droms

Cool spring ride up Rector, return by Closson, Snake Hill, F'man Bridge

Cool spring ride up Rector, return by Closson, Snake Hill, Freeman Bridge 

Had a great idea to call the cycling dudes to see what was cookin'. One had yard duty. One had a flooded bathroom and they are selling the house. 

So T-bone and I  decided to go it alone. First idea was to do a Rte 9 Bridge Loop, but he did that last weekend when I was up in Cambridge, NY doing my thing on the back country roads of Washington County.

It was fun if not a little cool and windy. Hope the rest of the atmospheric disturbance will have passed once we start seriously riding next week. 

I consider the weather nice here, compared to upstate a little farther north -- snow, sleet!! 

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/30708910

with jb, rjf, rc, and kw. As Always, a mixed bag of doing fast, easy, no-effort runs at up and down hills. We broke an aero-bar fitting up one hill near the Lakeside road stand selling cider doughnuts (later in the year) almost opposite the Scribner's old house . . .

Ridge, Rector and Johnson on Lunch

It was epic.
I met Alicia on the way in to dress for the ride; then looked at the thermometer and smiled. Well above the normal 40 F I've seen before so many times. I almost left off the long sleeves, but thought better of it.
Out onto the open sunny road. Dry. Nothing in the way. Little traffic, even. I was having fun. . . and on my way!!

Standard way over Hillside, without the tearing wind, down the hill across the old Eric Canal, around the RR crossing to cross the Mohawk R. around the Sunnyside, Wash, then Cuthbert. And the turn off to Vly and whipping up onto 147 turning left at Stewart's Shops, climbing Ridge. Slow going but better than the last time, when I actually wheezed. Once on top, I veered left again to go down Rector past our North Carolina origined chemist, thence out onto the 5. 

Next stop: trip up the hill on Gower. It was the next one over, minimum of 5. What else?

Up Gower, with its wandering around was fun. I revisited in my mind the great flat tire moment of Michael. Whizzing along, I struggled up some standing, some uphill sections I sat down through the entire hike. I went to Sanders, to L onto Washout. All the way down. I am drinking a mouthful after each climb. Sailing down the wind and grade. 

I have to hoof it west to the next--Johnson. It's a pull and I end up at the top around 1:10. I'm back down at 1:13 and it's a slightly downwind trip on 5. Into Scotia, past Adirondack Bicycle, and it's closing in on the time for the training session, but I could care less. I'm cooking. The road is sailing past. I feel strong. 

That will change on Sunday, Battenkill day. 

Dunsbach Ferry and return . . . T>50 F & Thomas' first for the season

Installation of odometer and tempo display, we togged up and got a start at 3:30 or so. Warm direct sun and diminished wind compared to earlier made for a nice start, but I put on the long sleeves anyway. Soon we were tooling down the street in our residential area on the way to fun. We wheeled through Edison Woods onto a familiar track . . . River Rd. We hit Rosendale, no one in sight, then on to the 'S' around to the straightaway toward the city park, then Old River Rd. 

Much less snow, ice and ick. Indeed, the rains have washed the surfaces clean of most everything that could wreck a bike or an outing. It's still bumpy out there on the bit from turn-off to Vly, to Fort's Ferry. We pass WTRY towers, the dip, then up the tiny hill to turn left to Shaker Bay. No water. The dry weather for the past few days has helped a lot. 

We do the Shaker Bay loop; then onto the route through the trees. . .. course right now, it's pretty brown and clear so you can see into the trees. 

Water treatment plant for Colonie on the left and right, so on to the gentle rise to the benches, dip to the road below, and encounter a family out for a ride. We zoom under the Twin Bridges (I-87) and right to go up the hill to Dunsbach Ferry . . . then to climb to the top, County View is not a misnomer; it's a great view in the winter. No leaves to get in the way. 

Return by the same route even down to the short cut. . . 

Nice 40 km ride. 

Route 9 Bridge Loop with shortcut

I thought it was going to be nice with the cell rumbled away with "Ride this morning?" message from one of the regulars. 11 am, we decided, was a good launch time and Starbux the best place . . . and so off we go through Olde Niskayuna out onto Hillside into the teeth of some wind and fresh temps. The sun was out and hope was alive. . . but, my feet were cold at the end anyway!!

Across the escarpment on Banker, through the Community Center's parking lot, now devoid of snow pack and ice, some water inevitably since it rained a couple of nights ago . . fearing for the worst our garbage collectors sent a message NO PICKUP, the followed it with YES, PICKUP on Friday, yesterday. So they came; we had stowed everything.

Onto the Aqueduct raceway, thence the bridge everyone wants to replace with more lanes, and right onto Riverview. With some wind behind us we make time especially once past the village of Vischer Ferry. Juan says 'too fast' so we slow down a bit. Too fast is no fun!

We ride up and over the Northway, turn right onto Klamsteem, taking care at the bottom of the hill to turn hard, but turn slow in case of sand or gravel. Cranking in big chain ring in front, we whiz past some brown and limp vegetation trying to catch up with Ti man riding next to a civilian on a bike. We wind our way past the boat docks, the club back there, autos lining the road -- 10 of 'em -- some event.

The Route 9 bridge is windy, but not too bad, then up the hill. We decide to risk the Rail Trail under neath Route 9 in the culvert, an 8' diameter ripply thing and it works. Only one bad patch of ice and melting snow, compacted hard near Lock 7. We make it to the turn off to Rosendale.

Wheeling home eastward on River Rd. we take the shortcut through the residences in the area that opens up into Edison Woods. Ti man peels off south, I take my leave of Juan at Van Antwerp.

Juan answering my question 'why are my feet so cold', with 'It's not that warm!' One day this weather pattern will break and we'll have some riding climate.

Nothing like the race being run tomorrow http://rvv.be/nl/elite-men/race/track
Good luck!