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| GPS Track of Six Pillars Century Ride |
It was windy!
Totals: 102 miles, 780 feet of elevation gained.
I’ve wanted to do this ride for several years in a row as an early season organized event, but always had to cancel, either because of bad weather or, one year, I had just had major surgery. This year the weather was cool and clear, but very windy.
I drove to Cambridge early in the morning, claimed my rider packet, and started riding around 7AM. This was not a closed course, but traffic was very light. I and about 100 riders did the 100-mile course. The rest stops had limited selections of snacks, but plenty of water and Gatorade.
I spent the whole ride in brutal headwinds and gusting side winds and merciful tailwinds. The scenery varied among typical Delmarva pine forests, wetlands, and brief coastal views. I had never seen this part of the Maryland Eastern Shore; it was a nice exploration. There was very little shade. I was glad I was mostly covered. I ended up nearly sunburned on my wrists where my sun sleeves left a gap with my gloves: now I have weird dark stripes on my wrists.
It was a long slog and I finally got back to Cambridge. I missed the turn before the airport near mile 90 and, by the time I figured that out, I just looked at my phone to figure out the best route back to the course. It added maybe a mile to the ride.
Instrument error was obvious through the entire ride: my Garmin 530 bike computer regularly showed my elevation was below zero.
This was my third century ride, but the slowest. I’m glad I finally got to do it. I doubt I’ll volunteer for this windfest again.
