Day 30: Batavia, New York to Liverpool, New York

Distance: 121 miles
Average Speed: 17.8 mph
Terrain: Rolling to hilly. 3,780 feet of climbing.
Winds: Chilly crossing ones out of the north at 10-15 mph. Generally adverse. Tights and jacket for the whole way.

The name of the game today was beautiful scenery and a bruising ride. I had chilly weather and an adverse wind along with a ton of choppy climbing for the whole ride, and I soloed the whole thing. But oy, the sun shone like a revelation over the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

Let me give you the place names. They sing the song better than I can. It sounds like the best work of Charles Ives. Le Roy, Caledonia, Avon, Canandaigua, Geneva, Seneca Lake, Seneca Falls, Waterloo, Throop. These towns look like oldsters’ descriptions of the Good Old Days that have you going, “Yeah, right, whatever.” But seriously, here they are, at least until you open the doors of the houses. What a place to raise kids, or flowers, or moss, or, shit, anything. I definitely need to do some more leisurely cycling in New England and upstate New York.

I turned a curve on the road and dropped into a deep blue panorama of Seneca Lake. It’s like it was competing with the sky and winning. The wind had whipped ripples that were hurling around sunlight like kids with sparklers on Independence Day. I can’t wipe it from my eyes. I had dropped off my camera to shed weight at the first SAG stop, but I’m only half kicking myself. It would have missed the moment, and I don’t need to own it to have lived it.

I’m just south of Syracuse now. Three more days. I know what I said, but it’s okay to count down now, I think. I’m planning on soloing from here on in, or maybe pulling one or two riders along if they want to ride for real, but I’m not sitting up for them. No sketchy pacelines. A wreck is the biggest risk to not riding every inch at this point.

Also, it’s gone beyond making it now. It’s how I make it. I hope you can recognize this as pride more than bombast. I think my surprise is the differentiating factor. I’ve ridden strong throughout. I haven’t limped through it. I haven’t sucked wheels. I’ve done my own pulling the vast majority of the time. I’ve made my own pace. I’ve ridden 3100 miles now at the edge of my capacity 90% of the time. That’s how I want to finish it. I’m not fading. That’s how I will finish it. That’s honoring the experience. That’s honoring my good fortune in being able to have it.

That’s all I’ve got tonight. Thank you.