# It seems this year I am a Va. to N.Y. cycling junkie



## Oldermileeater (Jan 6, 2013)

I could not decide whether to post the following in 'Mid-Atlantic', or here in 'Endurance Riding'. Since this fits in both topics, I posted in both:

I hope everyone has been having a good summer. Sadly it is almost over. I am not on line much because I have been doing a lot of (what some might call) extreme endurance cycling. I have a 10,000 mile total in 3 months (June, July and August), and going for a 25,000 mile total for 2013 - more miles than most people drive their cars (funny to think about that). Among many multi-day rides, my most frequent one is from south-central Virginia to N.Y.C. (450 miles one way) which I do in 2 - 3 days. I am getting ready to leave on another one - very possibly tomorrow (Aug. 28) in the very early morning. I can not wait to be done with this area. Rural living just does not cut it for me.

Since I do not do the elaborate mapping (money is scarce for me these days, and I can not pay for premium membership for things that would get me facts and figures I don't have access to at this time), I have no idea what my total climbing is in either direction. Maybe I don't want to know  . But it's easier east of Rustburg, Va. to the Fredericksburg area, then the hills get a little more intense in places all the way to the Rising Sun area of Maryland.

The next ride will be my seventh this year. The route varies a little at times. Sometimes I enter and leave Pennsylvania through Lancaster County (Amish country) and cross the Susquehanna via Route 372. But this adds about 20 miles and a lot more hills. I have become quite used to this particular ride. I do recommend it to those interested in cycling to or from the general origins or in between.

I do the ride completely self-supported (as I did last year when I crossed the U.S.), so I look completely unlike what most cyclists would deem as looking 'experienced'. Small backpack for my necessities, and some needs in case of a problem with the bike out there in the middle of no where; not dressed in the latest and expensive cycling attire; Riding a retro steel frame road bike with durable 36 spoke wheel sets (there are things I do not want Carbon Fiber frames and Carbon Fiber Clinchers for), this way if I have a wreck, the bike will probably survive; 100 ounces (5 bottles) of water and other liquid on the frame (there is a particular expanse in Va. of about 80 miles where there is almost NOTHING, so it's sort of a good idea to have enough liquid as well as my solid energy stuff so I am still strong after up to 6 hours without re-filling anything). So I do not appear as the streamlined competition highly experienced roadie out there. But I do not care about that.

This next ride, I plan on doing this version (the Mt. Vernon Trail and then the Pentagon Memorial area, and crossing the Susquehanna via Route 1 - The Conowingo Dam) :

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=VA-24+E%2FShingle+Block+Rd&daddr=37.5447088,-78.6037147+to:37.98151,-77.9014899+to:38.707858,-77.1139275+to:38.7130802,-77.0484082+to:38.8581621,-77.0477569+to:38.855281,-77.0683094+to:38.8676517,-77.0588891+to:38.8694472,-77.059575+to:38.88941,-77.015461+to:38.929885,-76.9590964+to:39.9489461,-75.1492246+to:40.0575129,-75.0290001+to:40.0841348,-74.9902389+to:40.770829,-74.0168646+to:40.785333,-74.005911+to:40.794122,-73.9985746+to:40.8587412,-73.9344537+to:Broadway&hl=en&ll=39.27479,-76.245117&spn=4.847212,8.426514&sll=38.867572,-77.058728&sspn=0.004761,0.008229&geocode=FfgFOAIdkQtC-w%3BFQTjPAIdPppQ-ykZWhXdBamziTG8m38Zl2PdXA%3BFUaNQwIdT1Fb-ymxEy0molWxiTFrBD-oHrONig%3BFZKiTgIduVVn-yn7f2SMF6y3iTHFMgikpGeQlA%3BFfi2TgIdqFVo-yltFlEi4663iTErTNy40CBNXQ%3BFbLtUAIdNFho-ylbzzgNJbe3iTEUBYWQuDebWg%3BFXHiUAId6wdo-ykLLygkzra3iTFeTNUsrNJEhw%3BFcMSUQIdtyxo-ylnTgMz3ra3iTG00uOYWXl1Gg%3BFccZUQIdCSpo-yndcj704La3iTFw36_EMTSwrw%3BFcJnUQIdW9Zo-yklze0chLe3iTFke4yo2DTZfw%3BFd0FUgIdiLJp-yll9uVGd8e3iTFgUtBTW_CnMg%3BFZKSYQIdWFCF-ynl4qNng8jGiTGzC288AAHmVQ%3BFag6YwId-CWH-ymlfPIqd7TGiTHhviMfCk95RA%3BFaaiYwIdYr2H-ymJEamJPbPGiTGafSAjCOWyUw%3BFQ0dbgIdoJeW-ykVkuO7OljCiTFKlVZ1K68-ew%3BFbVVbgIdacKW-ylvqWYkbVjCiTEF0-4mhyJrow%3BFQp4bgIdEt-W-ykhxhOMdljCiTFNOVSA9bSVlA%3BFXV0bwIdi9mX-ynrL7y9AvTCiTG4vZGXX2tzYA%3BFbWGbwIdzOqX-w&dirflg=w&mra=dvme&mrsp=7&sz=17&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17&t=m&z=7


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