I was dying, desperate to get to the next water source. I ran out of water at the bottom of the big climb, Sugarloaf Mt. 75 miles into my 150 mile solo ride. The Flint Hill General Store ten miles further down the road was closed. A hot day, no shade, farm country. After I hit 43+ mph on a deserted well-paved straight downhill road, I stopped and sat near a drainage ditch under a lonely tree. I gnawed with my dry mouth on a Nutrigrain fruit bar hoping the moisture in the jam would help. Buzzards circled above. Thankfully it was mostly downhill to mile 95 and another closed general store at Point of Rocks. This economy is a killer. I diverted from my planned route down a muddy C&O Canal towpath about a mile to a campsite and water from a pump. Back to Point of Rocks, over the Potomac, an unpaved climb over the second biggest hill on the route, Furnace Mountain. Gatorade from a gas station at Clark's Gap, back to civilization and drinking fountains on the W&OD rail trail. Phew.
It's probably not safe to go that fast all alone in the middle of nowhere, but I figured I was going to die anyway so why not go out in style?
26 top speed usually average around 12 to 13mph. There's no hills around here so this is flat land speed. I just ride for fitness and fun so this is fast enough for me.
I average 13-14 on a ride usually. Have had her up to 28 on a hill, got to thinking bout how bad it would hurt to take that spill! Old and slow, that's me.
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