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In the Moment

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I had a day of fun, camaraderie, speed and scenery at the Tour De Talbot this year. This was my third TDT, and it’s an area that I like to visit, so I signed up early.

Before the start of the Tour De Talbot.

I had a strange approach to the Tour De Talbot this year. The weather was threatening and thunderstorms were in the forecast. I was tempted to simply cancel my hotel room and stay home. Though it didn’t look good, and even the organizers were making plans in the event of thunderstorms, I decided not to let the potential for rain stop me and I went to Easton on Friday afternoon resigned to accept what the weather would send my way. I got my packet and shirt, found a nice spot for sushi (Sakura on Rte 50 West in Easton), and went to bed with a “wait and see” attitude.

Normally at such times I’m excited. That implies a kind of tension, which feels normal to me. I had no such tension that day. The forecast I looked up on Saturday morning looked hopeful. No thunderstorms forecast until late afternoon. It looked like the Tour would happen, and we would stay dry. I went to the ride start at the Easton Fire Hall feeling relaxed. I had given myself plenty of time to prepare, and I got ready to ride slowly and carefully. My friend Stephanie had a group of riders that I was welcome to join, and I gladly accepted. We would all meet in front of the Easton Fire Hall at 7:30. It turned out to be a large and friendly group.

Standing at the back of a crowded group photo!

We started out at a conversational pace, around 15 mph, and it was nice to talk to new people. I spent a lot of time at or near the front of the pack, and I was enjoying myself as we rolled through town and then northeast into the open expanse of Talbot County beyond Route 50 that most travelers miss. I have a good memory for routes, and I was confident in the road markers. I didn’t need to look at my GPS, even though I had downloaded the route.

It was extremely humid and my glasses were fogged, so I took them off. Since it was overcast I didn’t need them, and I decided to clean them at the first rest stop and wear them afterward. I had planned on riding the 40 mile distance, and many of the riders in the group were riding the metric. I decided to stay with the group on the metric course for the first half of the ride, then finish on the 40 mile route after the ferry from Oxford to Bellevue. It added 5 miles or so to my total, but I had done the same last year and it felt fine to me.

Some of the roads on that part of the course had been recently chip sealed. That means they added tar and fine gravel to the surface of the road, which traffic compacts over time. For cyclists with road tires (like myself) this presents the dual danger of sliding on the gravel and getting flats from it. You have to be very careful on that surface. I wanted to be on my gravel bike with its wide tires on those roads – and true to the nature of such surfaces there were several riders who had flat tires in those sections. I was lucky and made it through intact. We were all happy to get back on smooth pavement again.

We approached Trappe, a town east of Easton at route 50, and despite some concern in the group about route markings, I knew the way. I took the lead and pulled the group toward the first rest stop. I had to pick up the pace to get our group through a green light as we crossed Route 50, but we managed, and I made the correct turn for the first rest stop, which I promptly rode past. Thankfully my friends didn’t, so I turned back when they called and got a rest, some snacks, and some Gatorade for my water bottles.

We were less than 15 miles from the Oxford-Bellevue ferry, where we get a rest no matter what we do, so some of the team decided to pick up the pace. Naturally I picked up speed with enthusiasm. We didn’t have much wind to contend with, and with a wide shoulder and light traffic on the way to Oxford the team really got moving. I’m sure I was grinning like a madman as we set a brisk pace that I felt I could manage, knowing that I would get a rest at the ferry. Oxford is a pretty little town. I’ve stayed there on a vacation mini-break, and I appreciate its charm. It looked like they had a sports car rally there as we came in, and I watched the cars go by with interest. We cruised to the ferry dock just as the ferry came in, so we went aboard without stopping for drinks or food.

Waiting to board the Oxford-Bellevue ferry. I didn’t have time to get food or drinks before boarding.
On the Ferry. Crossing the Tred Avon river is part of the joy of the TDT.

From the ferry to the decision point between the 40 and 62 mile routes we were still moving well, and I was enjoying the speed. I was riding strong in a line of riders, doing my share. Coming off the ferry I knew that I had less than 15 miles to go to get my 40 miles, but I was being encouraged to go for the full metric. I knew that my training to this point wasn’t that impressive, and I felt that it was likely that I would begin to suffer a little in the final miles if I went the full 62 mile distance, so I stayed on my course. It was a close run thing though. I wanted to keep riding. I was feeling good at the final decision point and more miles sounded inviting.

A well earned post ride beer. I didn’t know what to expect before I started, but it was a great finish!

Practicality having won out, I rode the last 3 miles on my own. I rode with joy and power, and got back feeling very satisfied with my experience. I had spent that entire ride living in the moment. No plans or expectations. I just took in the sights as I rode along and rode like a good team member when I was needed. Since I wasn’t sure if there would even be a ride for me that day because of the weather, it was a small joy just getting a ride in. I may not be riding as many events now as I once did, but I still enjoy them and this is one event that I’ll continue to ride in the future.

Addition by Subtraction

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The rest stop on my C&O canal towpath ride. The Cinelli Nemo is a great ride.

I have had quite a few bicycles over the years. As the Spring of 2025 came in, I saw that I simply had too many of them. I thought I could let go of 3 of them, and to help me do that, I decided to get ANOTHER bike. My current road bike, a Wilier Superleggera, is a custom build that I absolutely love, and I must keep it. Two older road bikes and a very old hybrid bike could go. I would get a gravel bike to replace them. That way I exchanged 3 bikes for 1, while reducing clutter and helping me let go of the old bikes at the same time. I wanted a change, and riding off road would be perfect. There are plenty of places nearby to ride on gravel, and that would motivate me.

Since I had a general idea of what I wanted, I spoke to my friend Travis at Just Riding Along Bicycles in Laytonsville MD. He had put together the specification for my Wilier road bike, and I’ve been very happy with that custom build. I’ve received a lot of compliments on it. I decided to ask for another custom build, rather than buying a gravel bike off the floor of a random shop with a parts specification determined by the company whose brand name is printed on the down tube.

I wanted a gravel bike with a steel frame and Shimano GRX gearing, which was designed for gravel riding. Travis put together a parts specification for me, and I trusted his experience. I asked him to be creative. I ended up with a bike that feels great and rides like a dream. It’s a Cinelli Nemo Tig steel frame, Shimano GRX gearing and pedals, Thomson Seat Post, Bars and Stem, and Rolf Prima Hyalite wheels, and Vittoria T-50 40mm gravel tires. For a steel off road bike, it’s quite lightweight, built with Columbus Spirit tubing, and I think it’s beautiful to look at too. Once the frame and parts were ordered, it was just a matter of time until they all came in and Travis could assemble the bike. When the time came, I felt like a child on Christmas morning.

After a full check-out, bike fitting and bedding in the brakes, I got together with friends the following day and rode 26 miles on the C&O Canal towpath. It was a lot of fun! I felt I’d made the right decision.

Every time I ride my Cinelli, the bike feels better. I’m still a road biker, but now I have the option to ride on dirt and gravel trails, and I am starting to feel comfortable riding on new surfaces, as long as they’re not too technical.

At the towpath with the Cinelli Nemo. It feels better every time I ride it.

My bikes are unique. They’re not mass produced corporate machines you can find in a catalog or the floor of your standard shop. For example, one TREK Checkpoint ALR 4 is just like any other, and they’re common. My bikes are not like anyone else’s. Both frames are made by Italian companies that aren’t common in the US, and they stand out in a crowd of generic bikes.

Now I’m looking at more off-road adventures. It’s exciting to go new places and ride new terrain.

Turning the Page

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On September 28th, 2024 I rode my 17th Seagull Century. Barring some special circumstance, it will be my last century ride.

Enjoying a well earned beer after the 2024 Seagull Century

I began riding centuries at the 2006 Seagull Century at Salisbury University in Salisbury Maryland. Every year until now I’ve felt excited about the next year’s event. After 2023, I wasn’t entirely sure of my willingness to ride another. In the spring I felt better about it, and I signed up. However, through spring and summer and into the fall I realized that I had lost my taste for century training. Almost all of the friends who once rode that ride regularly no longer go to the event. I had given up riding other century rides, but this one was special. It was my favorite. I started there, and it was a challenge. Then it became social, and eventually it became a kind of personal tradition. I’ve ridden it 17 times over 19 years, with one not held because of hurricane Joachim and another because of the Covid 19 pandemic. I haven’t missed one in all that time, but I know now that for me, the time has come to turn the page and walk away. I have nothing to prove any more, and I don’t train as I once did. I have other things that I want to focus on, and while I still love to ride, I don’t need to take on huge efforts like a century to stay fit. Much as I loved riding them, and as many good memories as they’ve given me, I have begun to see riding centuries as a step too far for my cycling enjoyment. I want to ride for the soul rather than train for events. I’ll ride events, but I don’t want to suffer for them. I’m scaling back the distances I ride when I ride events now.

I have started to see rides from 30-40 miles as good days out, and metric centuries (62 miles) are still fun without being too hard on the body. The difference between 62 and 100 miles often depends on training and nutrition, but for the average person 62 miles is near the limit of both stored energy and energy easily gotten through eating and taking in electrolytes. You will feel tired (depending on how well trained you are) and you probably will feel fine the next day. 100 miles is a different animal. You may be trained well enough to shrug off a 100 mile ride without caring too much. There was a time when this was a good description of my cycling fitness. For the most part, 100 miles will test your legs to their limit. You will need to eat and drink during the ride to avoid the dreaded “bonk” where you run out of muscle nutrients and are forced to stop. It’s a test. There have been 4 times in the past when I’ve ridden “back to back” centuries, that is 100 miles on a Saturday and another 100 the next day. That was many years ago, and every time I was testing extreme exhaustion, and it took about a week to recover. Recovery from a century will typically take a day or two for the average rider with decent training. Age is also a factor, and needless to say, as I’m in my 60s and I’ve lost my training mojo, centuries are getting much tougher.

I knew going in that this Seagull would be my last, and I decided that it would be a success as long as I finished, and it wasn’t my slowest Seagull. I stuck to my personal traditions, and set out to make it a memorable ride. My steel Wilier Superleggera was ready to go. It seemed the perfect ride for the event. On a flat course and a warm and pleasant day like that Saturday, my Wilier is smooth and comfortable, and it suited my mood perfectly.

Almost ready to set out on the 2024 Seagull Century.

Starting out I was surprised at how FEW people were in the parking lot, in front of the gym, and particularly near the starting banner after going through the tunnel under Rte 13. So much has changed since I started riding this event! in past years, it would be crowded in these places. I started out about 7:15 in the morning and warmed up quickly. I was trying to hold a steady pace, but not necessarily a fast one. The point wasn’t to go fast, but to ride steady and finish with a time and pace that was at least averaging 16 mph. That would satisfy me at this point. I wasn’t expecting much, because my training wasn’t as good as it could have been. I had a lot of rides, but not a lot of long training rides. Still, I felt good and once I got warmed up, I was enjoying myself. The first two rest stops found me holding on to a faster pace than I expected. I knew that I would pay for that later, but holding on to a speed that was good when I was better trained was a hopeful thing. I had one point where a kid was drafting me for a couple of miles, and I asked him to pull through. I could have used a pull. “I’m just following you” he said. “I know!” I replied. He disappeared, being unwilling to give me a rest. Thanks, kid. Some people really don’t understand cycling etiquette. If you’re unwilling to return the favor, or you don’t have an agreement to be there, please don’t draft people!

On Assateague Island, 69 miles in. Getting there is a big part of the Seagull Century.

I reached Assateague Island as I began to feel fatigue. Had I stopped there I would have felt fine the next day. I could have bailed out then. Many riders apparently do. There are SAG wagons available. I ignored that possibility. I was going to finish the entire ride even if I had to crawl across the finish. I had been enjoying the ride so far, but I knew that I would have to slow down in the last 37 miles. I expected those to be difficult miles. I took a good rest before I set out again. By the time I reached Berlin on the way back I had begun to cramp up a little. Nothing major, but it was a concern. When I reached the final rest stop at mile 88, I needed a break, and I took a long one.

At the final rest stop, 88 miles in. Fatigued and cramping a bit, but enjoying the ride.

I knew that I had another 18 miles to go. I knew that I was beginning to cramp, so I did my best to stretch out, hydrate and fuel up for the final leg of the ride. It’s funny how you can suffer a little and still find it all so enjoyable. It was a good day to ride, and I was doing something I had enjoyed for years. Discomfort didn’t matter. The beer garden at the finish was calling to me, and I was listening. I got back out on the road.

The final leg was accentuated by leg cramps. Nothing severe, nothing to stop for, but I did find myself standing on the pedals to stretch from time to time. Yes, I could have trained better, but I knew I would finish. I took in the sights and smiled as familiar landmarks rolled by. I entered Salisbury with nobody nearby. I picked up the pace near the end, just because it felt right. I rode through the tunnel with a smile. I got to the finish line and pulled over feeling like I had nothing more in me. 106 miles, at 16.5 mph. Not great, but good enough. I went back to the car, stowed the bike, put on sensible footwear, and went back for pie and ice cream in the beer garden. Then a beer to celebrate. It was a good ending. I headed back to the hotel hot tub. I needed it. After the Seagull in 2022, I knew I wanted to come back. After 2023, I wasn’t sure. This year I am certain that this was my last century. I started riding centuries with a Seagull, and I ended with one. It was a perfect day.

I’m turning the page on century rides, but not cycling. Just rides over a metric century in length. We all have to grow, change and evolve as we age. It would take something special to get me to ride another century. This just feels right. I had a good century ride to end on, and I look forward to new and different challenges.