One down, 11 to go

As I believe is mentioned previously, cycledork accepted the "2007 Metric Century a month Challenge" posted in the Cycling Plus forums. Predictably the plan is to use many weekend rides over the next year to meet this challenge. So expect to see maps for 100k rides, such as those posted the last couple of weeks, in the Friday Ride Guide. That said, it may become habitual that the trip described in the Friday Ride Guide is not the one that occurs in the two days following. Readers may recall that on Friday, CD mapped out an ambitious, 78+ mile route that would go through parts of five counties. What actually happened is that on Saturday cycledork took the trip described the week before.
Regardless of the route, I got in 65.6 miles in about 3.5 hours of riding time. It was a gorgeous day here even if a tad breezy. Dozens of cyclists were out. Lots of them seemed to have flats but when questioned said their situations were under control. I also got to meet Pete and Mark at the Wilsonville General Store, the popular cyclists' oasis, gas station and bait shop at the intersection of U.S. 64 and Farrington Road. Anyway it may be another month or two, until the days are noticeably longer, before any long ride I outline is the one I actually go on that weekend. My sympathies to cycling brethren and sistren in the UK who get even less than we do here.
Note: while preparing the second map, I was unable to compel GoogleMaps to find the actual location of Pea Ridge Road so the route description shorts me about 3.8 miles. However, in the first map it found the correct road. If anyone can offer any insight into this situation I would appreciate it.

C'dork's Friday ride guide

We'll confirm that the weather's supposed to be sunny in the morning since the 'dork is thinking about going long, or at least longer, this weekend. This route, an extension of last week's unfinished fantasy, would take in bits and pieces of Wake, Harnett, Lee, Chatham and Durham counties over about 78 miles. Part of the incentive is that it would discharge a twelfth of my pledge on the Cycling Plus forum to ride a metric century per month this year.

C'dork's Friday ride guide

This Saturday, assuming no rain and that I get confirmation from cyclebuddy, is going to be cycledork on the 2100, cyclebuddy on the recumbent and anyone with the fortitude to join us on our homemade, somewhat scenic and partially predictable ride through western Wake and northeastern Chatham counties. Meet at 8 a.m. at the ATT trailhead on White Oak Chapel Road. From there, south along White Oak to Green Level Road. West on Green Level to Wimberly Road. Then east on Jenks Road to Davis Drive (one big hill). South on Davis Drive/Salem Street through Apex (caution: traffic and parallel parked cars) to Old U.S. 1. Hammer on to Beaver Creek (south of US 64)/Farrington Road (north of US 64), where we turn north. Depending how studly we're feeling we can go all the way to Durham, where we turn east on Stagecoach Road, come south on NC 751 (hilly) and then east on O'Kelly Chapel Road (cyclebuddy's recumbent will hit hit 35-40 mph), south on Green Level to Durham (two hills) and back into Cary Park. If we're feeling merely mortal, we turn east on Hollands Chapel Road, jog along 751 for a second and onto Lewter Shop Road and back to White Oak Chapel. My guess is that these rides are in the 50 and 40 mile ranges, respectively, at a speed between 17 and 19 mph. There may be a Plan B to deal with the rain, in which case I'll pass that on.