Covered Bridge Metric

Yesterday, my husband and I left the house at 0-dark-hundred hours to drive to Lancaster, PA for the Covered Bridge Metric. Possible rain in the forecast, so I didn't ride my Eclipse. Instead, I rode my blue Dolce, which did a great job thanks to the pink Stelvio tires ;-).

In a word, the course was hilly. Very hilly. Luckily, I'm a good climber, so I suffered on only a couple of the longer ones. At the risk of sounding immodest, I was very surprised at how easily I dropped good riders on hills. I didn't stand either ;-) or drop down to my puppy gear. All that Coach Troy training really paid off!! It was humid and pretty hot after the sun got cooking. The scenery was very nice---mostly farmland. Went through about 5 covered bridges. Saw a lot of cows and mules, too. Passed many horse and carriages (Mennonite/Amish country). The car traffic was OK for the most part, but one guy in the group I latched on to at the end was almost run off the road--deliberately--by a jerk in a minivan.

I ended up riding with different groups because my hybrid-riding husband was going at a decidedly slower pace. [after he finished more than 30 minutes after I did, he said, "ok you can get me a road bike now"--haha]. I hooked on to various packs of fast, experienced riders, and took up the caboose position. I was the official "car back" sentry. Most folks were very nice, encouraging, generous in terms of looking out for others, etc. There was one bad wipe out -- an older gent who had to be taken away by EMS.

Saw a petite gal wearing at TE jersey. She was on a tandem. I was going to introduce myself but got too interested in the food table (my favorite recovery food---ice cream, soft pretzels w/lots of salt!!)

The ride home was awful--a backup on the Baltimore beltway and then, due to rain, on 95 and then the Capitol beltway. It was good that both me and Brian were pretty smelly, so we didn't offend each other. haha.

The Seagull Metric should be a breeze after that one. It's a flat course.

Great report, mickchick! Good going, with those hills! I'll see you at Seagull!

mickchck, any photos?

a blue bike with pink tires sounds like something i'd like to see a photo of
in front of a covered bridge!

Mimi--My husband had the camera and was miles behind me. haha. The event photographer did snap me in front of a bridge, and I'm hoping to buy a print. The pink tires look really great w/the bright blue Dolce. I got the tires at TE. Also have them in blue--put those ones are on my red Dolce.

Tulip--I'll look for you at the Seagull. :-) Actually, Potomac Pedalers is putting on a Century, Metric Century, and Half Century, and 25 and 15 milers in Berryville on 17 September that Brian and I might do. If you're interested.... looks like a good one. We are contemplating the Metric or Half.

Where in Lancaster did you ride? So many people go through here. Some day, I want to stand on the road and wave. :p Were you anywhere near Intercourse?

Mickchick and Tulip, I'll see both of you at the Seagull Century!! I'll be the one with the slow Cannondale Adverture, a hybrid. I can't wait to get a road bike! But I want to research and make the correct choice when the time comes. My husbamd and I also wanted to do the Covered Bridge Metric but had plans that weekend. Maybe next year. Hills in Pa can be difficult.