# Heading out around Sourland Mountain area for a few hours...



## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

If you see a guy in a white Garmin-Cervelo jersey riding a black R3... for god's sake please wave to me!

:cryin:


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## jmoryl (Sep 5, 2004)

RJP Diver said:


> If you see a guy in a white Garmin-Cervelo jersey riding a black R3... for god's sake please wave to me!
> 
> :cryin:


Did a nice ride out that way (Princeton-Lambertville-Princeton, returning via Sourlands) last Monday. Great except for the a couple bridges closed for construction (did the cyclocross thing on Woosamonsa Rd) and the chipseal pavement on Pleasant Valley. Worst part was the Bent Spoon in Princeton closing early due to Memorial Day.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

jmoryl said:


> Did a nice ride out that way (Princeton-Lambertville-Princeton, returning via Sourlands) last Monday. Great except for the a couple bridges closed for construction (did the cyclocross thing on Woosamonsa Rd) and the chipseal pavement on Pleasant Valley. Worst part was the Bent Spoon in Princeton closing early due to Memorial Day.


They have a great product, but the last couple of times I was in there, it was one of the filthiest, most disgusting places of business I've ever seen. Too many customers, and far too little maintenance and cleaning.


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## Bee-an-key (May 5, 2007)

Speaking of waving... had a nice experience last Friday. Headed out Lamington Rd as usual and saw some of the PRO riders that were in town for Thursdays Base Camp Crit. all waved and said hi. So.. it is very PRO to acknowledge other riders, even us regular mortals on bikes.


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## jmoryl (Sep 5, 2004)

Terex - 
The Bent Spoon never impressed me as particularly filthy, although maybe that says more about me. I had to go over to Triumph and drown my sorrows with a couple pints of beer instead.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

jmoryl said:


> Terex -
> The Bent Spoon never impressed me as particularly filthy, although maybe that says more about me. I had to go over to Triumph and drown my sorrows with a couple pints of beer instead.


Maybe if Bent Spoon would start selling beer flavored ice cream I would like it better.


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## jmoryl (Sep 5, 2004)

Terex said:


> Maybe if Bent Spoon would start selling beer flavored ice cream I would like it better.


Ah, but they do. I seem to recall one of their flavors involving maybe a chocolate stout (from Triumph, keeping with the local ingredient thing).


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## gpcyclist25 (Mar 22, 2011)

I'll do you one better...

I rode the Sourlands on Sunday, starting out in West Windsor and winding out to Lambertville before coming back via Pleasant Valley and Cherry Valley.

So the forecast as of Saturday night was fine. I didn't check it again. I'm eating a ham sandwich at Peacock's and suddenly the weather turns and its raining cats and dogs, with thunder and lightning. Cyclists are scurrying in for shelter. It's only 1:30 or so, so I decide to wait it out, seeing that the radar seemed spotty at worst. Rain clears, I ride on towards Lambertville, going back up Sourland and down, hitting Pine Hill, French Twist, etc. I get into a Lambertville deli and it starts to thunder and pour again. Then suddenly the sun comes out while its raining. So far I've dodged two bullets, although I'm covered in mud from the dirt road segments.

I head back towards Princeton, and it starts to come down, and its pretty clear I'm screwed, which is more or less fine. At least it was until I went down Mine Rd. in Hopewell, which I've only been down once, and unfortunately didn't remember the steel grate bridge at the bottom. I come downhill, start to brake, and quickly realize that I'm about to ride over steel, in the rain. I had about half a second to contemplate this before I start sliding across the bridge. I unlock the front brake, but the rear is locked and before I have time to consider it, I slam into a guardrail at the end, jamming my fingers into a stanchion and flipping over the rail and hitting a telephone pole. My fingers are bleeding, but the first thing I do, which in hindsight is a bit depraved, is check to see my wheels are still true and ridable, which they are. I bashed my knee and shoulder and my fingers are gushing blood in the rain, but otherwise I'm 15 miles from the end. So I soldier on.

I roll into Princeton, most of the bleeding stopped, and decide I want to stop by campus. Making a left turn behind a pickup truck on Nassau, I don't see the manhole cover in the darkening day, and wipe out hard on it making a left turn. So now my left side is beat up as well as my right. And I'm starting to go hypothermic.

I hobble the bike across the bridge and then give up and call my brother to drive me back the last 3 miles.

Final tally: 9 different wounds, no broken bones, but a seriously bashed hip, some beat up brake levers and cosmetic damage to the fork, and a disassembled bike to empty the water.

But otherwise, actually a pretty good ride. Although that might have had something to do with 2 long breaks in between riding.


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## jmoryl (Sep 5, 2004)

gpcyclist -

That sucks. I hope you are feeling better. 

Never took Mine Rd. in Hopewell, but I guess I will avoid. When coming back from Pleasant Valley to Princeton I usually take Titus Mill - Bayberry - Cleveland/Pretty Brook. There is supposed to be a bridge out on Titus Mill but it was not a problem on a bike.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

gpcyclist - Sorry about that. Glad you're not hurt any worse. That bridge is a real hazard, esp. when wet, but it is a good way to head back towards Princeton.

And those damn manhole covers in Princeton... I was riding with Alan on Witherspoon St. a couple of springs ago when I went down on one.


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## gpcyclist25 (Mar 22, 2011)

Yeah, the irony is that I've been on that bridge before, but forgot about it. When I mapped out the ride, I didn't realize that I had been on Mine Rd in March for Hell of Hunterdon, so when I saw the bridge again, there was a flash of recognition, of course subsumed by the terror when I realized that it was steel and wet and that I didn't have time to stop. It is a good way to get back to Princeton, although I will often take 518 because its a bit more direct. I do suspect that 518 is hillier for some reason though. But the chipseal on Pleasant Valley is a bit unpleasant.

Yeah the manhole cover is a bit of a mystery. I've been riding for 10 years and have never done that before. I know they're smooth-surfaced vs say, a manhole cover in Manhattan, but piecing it together in my mind, I think the key factor was that I was behind a pickup truck with a bunch of crap hanging off its back deck so I was more concerned about not impaling myself on a ladder than looking down and seeing a manhole cover appear from under the truck.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

I came back that way today - not slippery at all! 

I have to say, the roads out of Lambertville in Mercer County are terrible. There is some sort of chip seal that they've used that has come off in some spots and stuck on in others. Usually the chips (rocks/pebbles) sink into the seal (tar) resulting in a relatively smooth surface. This stuff is nasty.

I road west across spine of Sourlands down Rocktown Lambertville to Lambertville, stopping at Pure Energy. Came back Goathill, Pleasant Valley, etc. to Mine and left on Stoney Brook back up the hill. All of the roads from Lambertville back to the top of the ridge were brutal. Glad I had bike with 28's and padded handlebars.


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## gpcyclist25 (Mar 22, 2011)

I rode the route again today. No bleeding. 80 mile round trip from West Windsor out to Lambertville.

The chipseal is awful - Pleasant Valley to Harbourton-Woodsville is a disgrace. I kept thinking, "saying this is a road is like pissing on my leg and saying its raining." I rode a bunch of dirt/gravel/hardpack up Montgomery, Linvale, Snydertown, etc. and Pine Hill Rd. I did make the observation today that going north up the steep south side of Pine Hill is probably preferable to going up the north side, which is long and entirely dirt, which would be both treacherous and frustrating.

I do understand now why I almost killed myself on Mine Rd. The short pitch east of Pennington Rd is steep and easy to develop 35mph on the downhill (yes, I know the sign says 10mph), and then the bridge appears. Fortunately when its dry its relatively easy to slow to something safe. Seeing it today, I'm a bit surprised I didn't end up flipping over the rail on the bridge and ending up in that shallow creek, which would've sucked. Crashing into the guardrail and flipping over it after the bridge was much better.

All the gravel roads and chipseal really do take it out of you. The increase in rolling resistance is just painful, especially when you're on the backside of the ride and just want it to end.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

Harbourton - Woodsville Road is so bad it even was mentioned in an article about HoH
http://www.cxmagazine.com/offseason-fundo-hell-hunterdon-sees-success


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

Re the metal bridge on Mine Rd. When I went down that way, I looked for a sign that warned cyclists that the bridge surface may be dangerous. Nope. Not there. In Montgomery Twp., before they removed most of the metal grate bridges, they had signs with pictograms showing a cyclist losing control to give you a heads up. There should be a big one at the top of Mine.

Drove my convertible over to Flemington for inspection today. My eyes are KILLING me from allergies. No ride tonight.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

*thanks for the heads up*



gpcyclist25 said:


> I rode the route again today. No bleeding. 80 mile round trip from West Windsor out to Lambertville.
> 
> The chipseal is awful - Pleasant Valley to Harbourton-Woodsville is a disgrace. I kept thinking, "saying this is a road is like pissing on my leg and saying its raining." I rode a bunch of dirt/gravel/hardpack up Montgomery, Linvale, Snydertown, etc. and Pine Hill Rd. I did make the observation today that going north up the steep south side of Pine Hill is probably preferable to going up the north side, which is long and entirely dirt, which would be both treacherous and frustrating.
> 
> ...


I do a ride occasionally from North Princeton park to Seargentsville that I will sometimes extend to include Lambertville and Studdiford/Goat Hill and some of the roads you mentioned. I think I will wait a couple of weeks until the stones get dispersed. I don't link gunpoint downhill fast on loose gravel


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

DaveG said:


> I don't link gunpoint downhill fast on loose gravel


ALL YOUR POST ARE BELONG TO US! 

:thumbsup:


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

AlanE said:


> Harbourton - Woodsville Road is so bad it even was mentioned in an article about HoH
> http://www.cxmagazine.com/offseason-fundo-hell-hunterdon-sees-success


Most of my rides include the unpaved section of Montgomery Road early on... anything else is like riding on glass after that.


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## fasteddy (Sep 22, 2005)

DaveG The roads mentioned have been sealed for some time they were just done very poorly with lots of gaps in the gravel application making for a very rough ride in spots.


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## jmoryl (Sep 5, 2004)

fasteddy said:


> DaveG The roads mentioned have been sealed for some time they were just done very poorly with lots of gaps in the gravel application making for a very rough ride in spots.


Yup. And they used a type of stone with what seem like larger, more sharp edged bits which never sink into the tar properly.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

Plan to head out that way this week. Has the chipseal situation improved? . I normally take Goat Hill to Valley Rd to Pleasant Valley Rd to Pleasant Valley-Harbourton to Marshalls Corner then Mine Rd. How many of those roads are affected?


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

DaveG said:


> Plan to head out that way this week. Has the chipseal situation improved? . I normally take Goat Hill to Valley Rd to Pleasant Valley Rd to Pleasant Valley-Harbourton to Marshalls Corner then Mine Rd. How many of those roads are affected?


All of that area is crap, and probably will be until repaved. I rode on Saturday all over the ridge (Mtn. Rd., Ridge Rd., Zion, Rocktown, etc.), and all of that is the well seasoned summer chip seal we all know and love - smooth tar, just below boiling point). The area you want to ride is like riding on a cheese grater. And the unpaved portion of Rocktown was OK if you avoid some large, sharp rocks and ride in-between the washboard tracks.

I'm back out west now and hiked up one of the local mtn. trails last evening. Lots of rocks, but no stinkin' chip seal.


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

Terex said:


> I rode on Saturday all over the ridge (Mtn. Rd., Ridge Rd., Zion, Rocktown, etc.)


Wonder if we passed each other out that way on Saturday? I was on all the same roads Saturday AM.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

RJP Diver said:


> Wonder if we passed each other out that way on Saturday? I was on all the same roads Saturday AM.


I was out in PM. Babysitting in AM.


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## jmoryl (Sep 5, 2004)

DaveG said:


> Plan to head out that way this week. Has the chipseal situation improved? . I normally take Goat Hill to Valley Rd to Pleasant Valley Rd to Pleasant Valley-Harbourton to Marshalls Corner then Mine Rd. How many of those roads are affected?


Reviving an old thread. I'll be out doing a Princeton-Lambertville-Princeton loop this weekend and have avoided Goat Hill to Pleasant Valley Rd. for a few years now, since they did the nasty chipseal. Has anyone been on the roads mentioned above recently? Any repavement since or any improvement of the old chipseal with age?


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

jmoryl said:


> Reviving an old thread. I'll be out doing a Princeton-Lambertville-Princeton loop this weekend and have avoided Goat Hill to Pleasant Valley Rd. for a few years now, since they did the nasty chipseal. Has anyone been on the roads mentioned above recently? Any repavement since or any improvement of the old chipseal with age?


jmoryl, did you go? I had hoped to get to the Sourlands this weekend because I haven't made it there yet this year. I may go next weekend but I dont want to deal with any fresh chipseal.


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## jmoryl (Sep 5, 2004)

DaveG said:


> jmoryl, did you go? I had hoped to get to the Sourlands this weekend because I haven't made it there yet this year. I may go next weekend but I dont want to deal with any fresh chipseal.


Yes, I went. The good news is that the Pleasant Valley chipseal has smoothed out so that it isn't too bad (still some divots on the climb going east). The bad news is there is some fresh chipseal on some of the Mercer Co. roads I went on: Bayberry, Crusher, Titus Mill, the Mercer part of Goat Hill. It isn't too bad, because they used a finer grade of stone and rolled it pretty well, but it is still annoying. 

Anyone know what group ride was taking place in the Sourlands? Saw a bunch of riders coming up Zion (as I was going down!) and on Wertsville.


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