50 on 50 Milestone

Thursday September 11, 2008, I arrive at a milestone. Hopefully I will be alive for half a century. In honor of that milestone I would like to invite anyone willing to join me on a fifty plus mile journey through rural Union County. I do not celebrate birthdays so this is not a birthday ride, that is why I am calling it a “Milestone Ride.” Here is the proposed route, starting at Colonel Francis Beatty Park, in front of Lake Pointe Hall:

Opportunities exist to shorten the ride in a number of spots. For instance if you need to go really short, once on Potter Road, make a right turn onto Beulah Church Road and follow the remainder of the route from there (approximate distance 12 miles). A little longer, you may make a right turn at South Rocky River Road and New Town Road, then a right turn at Clarence Secrest Road and continue from there (approximate distance 25.7 miles). A little longer but not the full 52 miles, then turn right on Doster Road into Mineral Springs following the route from there (approximate distance 33 miles).

I am hoping that as many of my cycling buddies as can make it are there. The pace will likely be about 3.5 hours including stops. There is only around 1900 feet of climbing, nothing really long and nothing steep. Just a bunch of rollers. There is some construction at Potter Road and Wesley Chapel-Stouts Road that we will ride through. The construction on South Rocky River Road we will avoid completely by riding around it on Doster Road.

Yes, I do realize that there is the formerly known as “Y” ride that also leaves from Beatty Park. That particular ride is shorter, usually only about 30 miles, and leaves earlier, 8:30 AM, but does leave and return to the same spot where I will be riding from. I hope some of my cycling friends can join me, I will be leaving promptly at 9:30 AM.