I'm Gonna Need A Bigger Goal

When I started really getting into bicycling this spring I decided I was going to set a goal of doing 300 miles on my bike this year.  After my ride yesterday I am now at 312 miles.  I guess it's time to set a new goal.

Yesterday's ride not only broke my yearly goal, it set a new record for most miles in a day at 52, breaking my previous ride record of 36 miles.  So what made me ride so far?  A brewery of course.  Deep River Brewing Company in Clayton.

Steve and I were riding last week when we ran into some other riders who told us it was doable mostly by trail and it quickly became our next ride.  We left yesterday around 10am and got there just before they opened at 1.  We took a quick trip down to the grocery store for some sandwiches and went back to the brewery for a few pints before our trip back.

The ride was gorgeous.  It was also hot as hell in some spots but what do you expect when riding in the midday sun on roads with no shade.  Most of the trip was on the greenway trails.  We had a few miles in Clayton on the roads to get to the brewery, including a ball busting hill where the climb was almost two miles, there was no shoulder and traffic was going by at 45 mph.  It was intense but good to get used to riding in areas like that.  Most cars give you plenty of space because they tend to not want a bicyclist hood ornament.

I think the beers were extra tasty because we worked so hard to get there.  I swear half the ride I was just thinking how great it was to be out on the trails with my buddy enjoying the day.  At least until the way home when I spent a lot of time cursing the hills and the head wind we were pushing through but it was so worth it.



Here's a few more pics from the ride: