John Aylward Photography

Today’s Highlights:
We had another 90-mile ride today. It was also the day with the most climbing of the tour. The weather was more typical of summer here – warm and humid, but comfortable for riding. Cloud cover also provided some relief from the heat. Showers passed through in the afternoon, and most of the cyclist had a refreshing 10-15 minutes downpour, followed by sunny skies to stay just warm enough. From mile 4 to 70, we rode up and down lots of big hills, some of which were very steep. The descents are always fun. The last 20 miles were mostly downhill, which was a great way to finish the long ride.
Most of the ride was on Rt 44. Since it’s a main state highway, there was plenty of traffic. The road was rough in several areas, but all that was manageable. All the towns we passed through were small – more like villages. It was a good route to get a feel for old New England towns. Our route also included 7 miles of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and 3 miles of the Dutchess Rail Trail, both of which gave us a nice break from the hills and traffic.
I finished much earlier than I expected today, getting to the hotel at 1:45. We are staying at the very nice Poughkeepsie Grand, and had an excellent dinner at Amici’s.

Day 03

Statistics:
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Time: 8/16/2016, 3:26:3

Duration: 07:14:10

Ascent/Descent: 5278 ft 5150 ft

Distance: 89.79 M

Today’s Highlights:
We rode 64 miles from Worcester to Windsor Locks today. The weather was much better than yesterday. The morning was very comfortable with temperatures mostly in the 70’s and dipping into the 60s in shady wooded valleys. It rose into the high 80s and above 90 after 11:00. I finished the ride at 12:15, so was not long in the heat.
We snaked through the city of Worcester for the first four miles, then suddenly transitioned to country roads, starting with Dead Horse Road. It was a very steep one-mile climb. For the next forty miles we climbed and descended hills. There was nothing flat. Riding in the Northeast is always hilly, but this stretch was one of the hilliest with about 3000 feet of climbing in 40 miles. It wasn’t hard though, and every climb was rewarded with a nice descent to get cooled off on. Some of the country roads were very pleasant, with almost no traffic. We passed a few lakes and little quiet towns. At mile 60, we crossed the Connecticut River.

Day 02

Statistics:
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Time: 8/15/2016, 3:47:3

Duration: 05:24:13

Ascent/Descent: 3686 ft 4098 ft

Distance: 63.83 M

Today’s Highlights:
Today’s route from Portsmouth, NH to Worcester, MA covered 95 miles. With the extreme heat, I was only able to do 77 miles. At mile 53, in downtown Lowell, I had to escape the heat in the SAG van and attend to some dehydration symptoms. I got a ride to the second rest stop 18 miles away. After drinking lots of water and Gatorade, and eating a little, I continued cycling the remaining 25 miles to the hotel. I was glad that I could get back on the bike and do the hills. That last section had some nice scenery also, especially one equestrian center.
The route was hilly, but mostly rolling hills with some steep ones near the end. The hills would have been fine if it wasn’t so hot. During the last 25 miles, the temperature was between 90 and 100.
We rode mostly on country roads, through a few quaint towns like Exeter, and there were a few busy streets too through Lowell and Worcester.

Day 01

Statistics:
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Time: 8/14/2016, 3:48:1

Duration: 08:38:55

Ascent/Descent: 3623 ft 3122 ft

Distance: 93.57 M

Today’s Highlights:
I made the four hour drive from Poughkeepsie to Portsmouth today to meet up with the ABB staff and the other 16 riders. The first order of business was filling out a few forms and having the mechanic check out my bike and helmet. Then I had a special visit with my friend, Joe, who I have known since middle school. Joe and his wife Beth and son Jack took Sue and I to the Portsmouth waterfront for lunch. The historic downtown has been revitalized beautifully, and was bustling with visitors. We had lunch overlooking the port, and had some time to catch up on life.
Back at the hotel, all the riders met with our four staff people for orientation. We reviewed the ride procedures and tomorrow’s route. We followed that with a group dinner. Now I just have to rest up for tomorrow’s 95-mile hilly ride.

Day 00