Stage 39 - Island Pond VT to Oquossoc, ME - July 2 Tuesday  

Once again, the window shades prove wholly inadequate to blocking out sunlight and I first wake up at 5:30. Thankfully I fall back asleep. I am up again and at it at 7:15 getting ready for a morning departure. 

Marvel of marvels, David oversleeps. Since it never happens, it’s noteworthy when it does. 

Breakfast is a hodgepodge.  David bought scones. A few of Jonah’s hard boiled eggs remain. That’s about it. 

The weather is glorious again. Sunny. Few clouds. Minimal wind. Warm becoming hot. A great day to ride. 

TODAY’S RIDE PART 1 ... 

We leave the hotel around 9:15, later than we wanted. David, Jonah and I ride together. It will stay that way till the latter part of the morning’s ride. 

The terrain is not too difficult in the early part of the ride. There are some modest ascents. Vermont is very pretty. 

Amazingly enough, I forget my water bottles. When I mention it, both David and Jonah immediately offer me one of theirs. How quickly they do so is pretty cool. Finally Peter drives by and stops. I get my water bottles while he and David discuss a problem we’re having with one of the tires; cord is showing through and the tire needs to be replaced. 

David and Jonah race to the Vermont border. Jonah wins, entering New Hampshire first. We pass throughout nearly 200 year old covered bridge. I think of Terri and take a picture. She loves old covered bridges. 

At Colebrook NH, we pass a bike shop. I stop to have my brakes adjusted; they’re soft. Jonathan the proprietor and sole employee is at a bike stand outside. Not bad working environment. His shop is called The Spoke ‘n Word. He is great. Jonathan checks my brake pads. He tightens them reducing the softness in my hand levers, and shows me how to make the same fix if I need to in the future. He recoils the frayed end of a cable and reattaches its cover. Jonathan cleans and apples a plastic strip to two spots on The Slim Miss Piggy’s frame where the paint is rubbing off. For all this Jonathan charges five dollars. I hand him a ten. He explains he doesn’t accept tips but donates said money to a local charity for young children and biking. I wish I had given him a twenty. 

Jonah is feeling the after affects of yesterday’s ride and especially the climb up Mansfield Mountain. At one point, Jonah isn’t visible behind us. David and I wait. When he doesn’t appear, I ride back to see what’s up. Jonah is eating; his legs are ‘dead’ (cycling term meaning ‘are not strong’). It appears to me he has bonked (fuel tanks are empty). I supplement his food supply. We continue cycling and catch up to David. The two talk. I continue to ride with Jonah. 

Three quarters of the way through the morning’s fifty miles, we hit some pretty nasty climbs. Jonah is really struggling. I ride by his side. There’s not a lot I can do. I offer him more food. I try and take his mind off his suffering with inane jokes and trivial banter. The final ascent of the morning’s ride hits 10% - 12% grades. Jonah fights his way to the top; David is there encouraging him on. 

We take a break at the summit. When it’s time to descend, I leave first and David chaperones Jonah. 

The first half of the descent is a drop and I love it. I’m a bullet streaking down the road. I’m flat on my handlebars. Both hands in my drops, touching the brakes if they’re needed. Most of my weight is in the forward portion of The Slim Miss Piggy. I navigate the descent picking the best spots to ride. The Slim Miss Piggy is fast going downhill. The 28mm tires provide a sure feel and stability; they’re also fast.

I meet Peter where we’re lunching in Errol, NH. David and Jonah join about twenty minutes later. 

TODAY’S RIDE PART 2 ... 

Peter departs for a town we passed through twenty miles ago. A replacement tire is available there. 

David, Jonah and I depart for the last leg of our day’s journey, a forty mile ride. David suggests I go ahead solo if I want as Jonah and he will be slower. Initially I decline and we ride as a group. Once I ‘recover’ from lunch, I feel good and decide to proceed alone. 

I enjoy the solitude of cycling by myself. This is how I ride 95+% of the time; my feelings are no reflection on my fellow Norsemen. I spin a high cadence. I maintain a speed around 16-18 MPH on the flats, and much higher on the descents. 

There are several significant downhills, elevation declines of 8% or greater. The Slim Miss Piggy flys down these hills, little to no pedaling necessary. I’m moving at speeds at times in excess of 45 MPH. The Slim Miss Piggy is steady and sure. Rocketing downhill. Eventually two cars appear far behind me, gaining slowly. I keep streaking. Eventually the cars are close enough, the grade too modest, and I pull over so the cars can pass. The passengers in the first car give me a thumbs up for my descent. 

The ride is a joy. The weather perfect. I’m in Maine. I snap a picture of the sign welcoming me and try to send to my family. Of course, no service. A theme of our trip. 

My ride ends after 92+ miles. I am greeted by Peter. I shower and we wait for David and Jonah. Testament to my decision to ride alone, they arrive over an hour later. 

DAY’S END ... 

We have a wonderful dinner. Service is classic Maine (I’ll say no more). We have fun reminiscing. 

We have two more rides. It’s a crazy mixed up feeling. 

Peter challenges us to leave on time just once. We commit to doing so tomorrow.