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The BikeADK Handlebarley Gravel Tour – 9.25.21
The Handlebarley, a 42 mile ride throughout the Adirondacks is a new event organized by Bike Adirondacks. With 42 miles of scenic Adirondack roads, two fully stocked aid stations, followed by good local beer, pizza and a live band, the Handlebarley was a great way to spend a Saturday. * Note: I was offered an entry to the event in exchange for social media coverage and a blog post! On Saturday morning my parents and I drove out to Paradox Brewery, the starting and ending point of the ride. Since I was attending solo, I thought it would be a good chance for my parents to hang out and do…
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Nutrition for Endurance Gravel Riding
Now, I’m not an expert at endurance cycling events, but I’m no stranger to long distance activities. I’ve run a handful of marathons and finished the 46 high peaks, both of which require adequate nutrition for long hours of intense activity. The Farmer’s Daughter was the longest ride I’ve ever done at 65 miles, with eight hours of pedaling and seemingly never-ending climbs, requiring a lot of calories and hydration. Fueling for long cycling events is easier for me than it was for marathon running because I can tolerate real food and actually prefer it over gels and blocks. My strategy was to keep stuffing my face every few hours…
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Farmer’s Daughter Gravel Grinder – 8.15.21
After almost 2 years, the Farmer’s Daughter Gravel Grinder, the premier gravel event for Upstate, NY was finally happening! Jordan was supposed to ride with me but decided he wasn’t ready (he had knee surgery in March) so my friend Aubrey took his place. The two of us set a goal to finish the entire 65 miles. Each of the previous times I’ve ridden this I’ve bailed after 40 miles. But not this time, we were committed! Canceled in 2020 for obvious reasons, the 2021 event was postponed from May to August. This would give me ample time to prepare for the long distance and intimidating elevation. It also helped…
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Wright Peak – 7.11.21
After a 2 year hiatus, Brendan and I finally summited a high peak together, Wright Peak! Brendan is almost done with his 46er Journey. He’s hiked almost all 40 of his high peaks with me over the years and on Sunday he hit #40, with Wright. Our original plan was to hike the trio, Algonquin, Iroquois and Wright together, but since it’s been so long since our last big day, we decided to break it up to make it a little easier. At 4,587 ft in elevation, Wright is the 16th highest peak in the Adirondacks. At only about 7 mi RT with ~2,500 ft of ascent, Wright on it’s…
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Camping at Limekiln Lake and Riding Moose River Plains ADK Gravel – 6.13.21
A few weekends ago Jordan and I spent another fabulous weekend in the Adirondacks camping and biking. We stayed at Limekiln Lake campground for 2 nights, located near the quaint Adirondack town of Inlet, NY. Friday evening we set up our tent in the light rain and woke up to an amazing morning. Can you just hear the loons calling in this photo? We got up and drove into Inlet for breakfast at Tamarack Café, along with a quick stop at Mountain Man Outdoor Supply in Old Forge because Jordan forgot his bike shoes! Thankfully they had lots of shoes to choose from. From there we drove back to our…