July Recap: Piling on the Hot and Humid Miles

Some of my July rides in the Finger Lakes region.

This July has been recognized, at least in North America, for being one of the hottest on record, and given my anecdotal evidence from many hours on the saddle, it certainly seems to have been the case. Now that I'm down to one bib and one pair of bike shorts and really only three jerseys that I regularly wear, it's been very hard to keep the bike wear clean and odor-free!

Many loads of laundry, several dozen Clif  Gels and several complete drivetrain cleanings later, I must say that I'm quite pleased with this past month of cycling. The Le Tour Challenge really kicked my ass, and that event really got my numbers up. There were certainly times that I struggled to get on the bike—it's always hard to get motivated to ride hard the day after suffering on the hills and in the heat and humidity, but inevitably my spirits would be soaring after the first climb of the day. Still, it's a relief to head out for a long ride now and not obsess about my average speed and vertical ascent statistics, in an all-out effort to rack up more stage points in the Le Tour Challenge.

Cook Rd. is at mile 28. Beware of the dogs!

Today's ride was a case in point. With a massive tailwind as I headed north through Lansing and on up to Genoa and points north, the first 27 miles of my ride were almost effortless, but I knew that I'd be fighting that same wind on the return trip. But since it was August and I didn't really care about pushing harder for a higher average speed, the ride was even more enjoyable. Also, on days like these, I find myself randomly exploring different roads in an ongoing quest for new sights and route possibilities, something I avoided when going for maximum speed. Today I ended up on Cook Rd. in Venice, getting chased by two unfriendly dogs (no owner in sight) on a chip seal road with an overwhelming amount of loose gravel. While I doubt that this road will be part of any future routes, I have no regrets, and it caused me to study the map some more to look for further alternatives.

This July I've biked more miles in a month since my last big cycle touring adventure in the early '90s, and more vertical feet since...ever. All this hillclimbing has me feeling stronger than ever on the ascents, and ready to take on bigger and better challenges.

Total July Distance: 880 miles
Total Vertical Ascent for July: 52,250 ft.

Today's ride to Venice and Genoa.