Crankin' To Canandaigua, NY

Before getting into today's ride, I want to mention that we all enjoyed a very tasty cake at the hotel in Erie, courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Police in honor of Captain Larry.  Larry was also interviewed by one of the local news teams.   

It was a crisp morning in Hamburg for the start of our ride today.  Tracy had emphasized at the meeting last night that we should be prepared for serious climbing to Canandaigua.  How true.

Morning departure from Hamburg

And another milestone,

Robin, from the CrossRoads staff, will go to any lengths for a photo op.

The further east we travel, the reaction that we receive from people is less of the "Gee, I hope you make it" variety but rather one of amazement that we've already come so far.

The road surface today was, for the most part, the best we have seen so far.  This is important in many ways: it minimizes the vibration for the riders and the bikes, it is safer and it helps our speed a little bit.

We rode through East Aurora where the home of President Millard Fillmore still stands.

Our last SAG stop was in the charming little town of Avon.

Avon town square

Avon SAG stop

Avon Inn: National Historical Landmark (1820)

Riding through the hills,

Today was a great riding day.  The raw numbers, total miles and total vertical climb, would have suggested a real grind but there's more to the story.  There are other variables like wind, heat, humidity and the difficulty of the rides leading up to the ride in question.  In this case, we had mid 70's, moderate humidity and a neutral wind.  Yesterday was not a difficult day and the day before that was a rest day.  The above variables also interact in ways such that 1+1+1 can equal 10.  On top of all this, each of us is unique in how we handle the combinations of variables. 

For me, today felt comparatively comfortable.  Although, Mary T., I could have used another root beer float!

Just 1.8 miles from our destination, Nick (UK) suffered his third puncture (we have flats) of the day. 

Three man crew changing Nick's tyre (we have tires)

Canandaigua is a lovely little town situated on the shores of picturesque Canadaigua Lake, one of the Finger Lakes.  It is in an acclaimed wine region of New York.  Diana and I visited here in 2009 on our way back from Boston.  Our good friends, Dave and Pam, first turned us on to this area.

Total Miles:  94              Total Vertical Climb:   5100 ft.