Biking - A tough ride for early in the season

With a choice of two rides today, I chose the tougher one. A couple of friends were riding in southern Albany County, and climbing Copeland Hill Road, which I had struggled up last spring. It was time for a rematch.

The route we took from the Delmar Park and Ride had another interesting climb we weren't expecting, up Collaback Road from NY-32 and Old Quarry Road. This one maxed out over 12%, and had us puffing and wheezing by the top. Then it was downhill on very scenic back roads, until we reached the bottom of Copeland Hill Road. This is only about a mile long and 350 feet, but there's a pitch at the very top that's around 15% (or 20%, depending who's measuring), so it's a good challenge. Despite riding this hill on my old 10-speed last year (when I was in great shape before my trip), I struggled today, even with lower gears. The legs felt great, but I had no wind, having ridden very little in this very wet spring. I stopped once and then continued, so will need to try this one again later in the season.



All told, we covered 23.5 miles and about 1,700 feet of climbing, some of it fairly steep, which was quite enough for me. Now to mow the lawn...