I decided to throw in some challenging climbs for the route this past Saturday. Three was the magic number so I gave the route the Tripleberg nickname. We were greeted by 62 degrees and overcast skies which is a treat for July in Arkansas. The rain passed through the previous evening and we really needed it. Another great group of folks showed up to tackle a difficult 58 mile loop with 3,000 feet of gain.
The land is so resilient turning green over night after the rain.
This was not a slow ride by any stretch.
The overcast conditions with a little mist and fog were welcomed relief.
The pace eased for a few minutes as we got closer to the first test.
The first ramp. The Wedington Blacktop Climb is about half a mile with 230 feet of gain.
In the guts of it now and the bunch is still together.
Starting to come unglued.
The bunch is torn to shreds by the time we hit the top. Kudos to Jacob for getting the KOM.
Damage control.
After a water stop in Lincoln we headed south on Canehill Rd. Stunning views our reward.
The bunch was rarely at ease.
This might be in my top 5 favorite stretches of road.
The view causing a moment of pause and appreciation.
Ozarkia.
Roller coasting.
Down in Greasy Griesse Valley about to tackle the 4 Corners Climb.
At the top of 4 Corners. Pretty straight forward from this direction. 1 mile with 300 feet of gain. Kudos to Scott & Jacob for getting the KOM. STRAVA has both of you at the same time. Who really won?
From here we drop down to Cove Creek before tackling the Hell's Kitchen Climb.
The descent is super fun. I wish it was 5 miles longer. Smiling from ear to ear. Felt like a kid again for a couple minutes.
I didn't get any pictures of Hell's Kitchen. I was too busy going cross eyed. Joe's face really says it all. HK is 1.3 miles with 400+ feet of gain. With a ramp near 20%. What made this difficult was that the 4 Corners climb is within a mile of Hell's Kitchen.
Too see more on the Hell's Kitchen Climb click on this link to an older post.
A look back at the ridges and valleys we rode through to get here. Makes me feel small. What a great morning.
Our KOM champ hamming it up. Jacob said he was planning on tapering for a race on Sunday up in Springfield. Sometimes you just go with it when the legs feel good.
From here we crushed it back into Fayetteville. An excellent Ozark morning with good folks. I felt like I rode my bike at the end. That is certain.
Let's Eat! Dang those waffle fries are the bomb.
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