Lockdown Chronicles: #60

Assunpink Lake, Mile 77.7

30 May 2020

If a ride starts within 20 miles of my house, I try to ride my bike there. If the weather, distance, and motivation line up right, I sometimes spin a long ride out into a century.

I didn't figure there'd be much chance of that this year. We're not stopping to refill our bottles or buy food. There are no restrooms, only convenient trees to hide behind.

We're not riding close enough to each other to draft in a paceline. We all face the wind on our own now.

So when the idea crossed my mind that it's about time I rode 100 miles, I wasn't entirely committed to it. Tom's Saturday plan was to go from Mercer County Park to the southern end of New Egypt to see the longhorn cattle on Brynmore Road. The route he sent was 54 miles. Adding my trip to and from the park would get me 70. Finding another 30 would be a task I wasn't sure was worth pursuing.

I filled my Camelbak and packed extra food anyway. I told Jack I wasn't sure when I'd be home.

"So, you doing a century today?" Pete asked me?

"Dunno yet," I said.

Tom led Pete, Ricky, Jack H, and me out of the park. We were surfing the tailwind across the northern side of the Assunpink when I made up my mind. I switched to century cadence and fell behind.

Harvey Road at Davis Station Road

The little heat wave that had us turning on our air conditioners at the end of the week was being blown out to sea. The temperature was perfect for a hundred-mile ride, even if the wind was blowing a little strong. If I were careful with my water, I could probably do the trip without a refill.

We got down to New Egypt, where the herd was grazing on decomposing garbage and fresh grass. Tom altered course to avoid a muddy road, cutting out a few miles.

The calves were sprouting horns.

From the looks of the route, I thought we were going to stop at Charleston House, but we didn't. Tom found a wooded spot on a residential road instead. We spread out and ate our snacks.

We'd barely got moving again when Ricky found the pink-ankled horse and the two donkeys.

I gave the donkey nearest me some grass from my side of the fence. Then I had to use a precious disinfectant wipe to clean the donkey lips off my hand.

A handful of miles later, Jack H disappeared off the front, tired of waiting for us.

"Hey, Pete, do you have any spare water in your car?"

"No. I didn't bring any today."

Tom said, "You can stop at my house and use my hose," so that's what I did. He and Lori even let me use their bathroom, a first since the lockdown. I made sure not to touch any knobs or handles with my bare hands. This is the new normal.

I had to find 39 miles somewhere. I decided to go back to the Assunpink and take a look at the lake. I crossed Route 130 again, turned on Perrineville, and realized I'd still be short on miles. I took a detour up Cedarville to Etra and down Feldsher before heading into the Wildlife Management Area.

If nothing else, this ride would be a test of my distance knowledge. My solo loop to the Assunpink two weeks ago gave me some idea. I'd still come up short, though.

I stopped at the lake long enough to sit down for two photos and drink some water.

Instead of turning on Herbert to head home, I went south to Route 524. It's been so long since I've been on that road towards Allentown that I had no idea how far away it would be. I did know that from the center of town to my house is about 14 miles. When I reached town, I had about 16 miles to go. I went south to find Route 526. I took that to West Manor Way, where I saw several Amazon trucks coming and going from the industrial park. I've been on this road for many Saturdays, all of them truckless, until now.

To add some distance, I took Sharon Road to Bresnahan back to Gordon. When I got to Route 1 at Bakers Basin, two miles from home, I had just under 2.5 miles to go. I took the long way into the neighborhood and passed my house 0.3 miles short of 100. I went up the block until the odometer turned over.

This was my 60th century, and the first that I'd done half solo. I liked that I didn't have to try to keep pace with anyone. That's about the only advantage I can think of.