An older Trek 1500 aluminum and a new Cannondale Synapse here for the road, plus a Cannondale Adventure hybrid for back and forth to the tennis courts. My wife has a Specialized Sirrus, and just sold her Fuji Monterey. Mostly Shimano 105 sets and one Ultegra. My favorite bikes ever were a Specialized Sequoia touring bike, and an older Colnago.
Founding and life member of the Princeton NJ Free Wheelers. Rode for many years with the Potomac Pedalers in DC. Now ride with the Sarasota Manatee (FL) Bicycle Club, and occasionally the aptly-named Lakewood Ranch Village Idiots, a mostly racing group.
Used to ride centuries and several shorter hilly rides every week in NJ -- pretty much had to have a triple, with a 13 to 24 low. Now the right knee limits even my biking. This old age is a bitch.
My younger brother used to do more challenging rides out of Atlanta, like the Assault on Mount Mitchell, Six Gaps, Bridge-to-Bridge, the Hotter-than-Hell 100 (TX), etc., and run events for the BANG club. He just drove the old Mount Mitchell and Bridge-to-Bridge routes last week, and couldn't believe he used to ride them regularly.
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"Bridge to Bridge starts as the first rays of light are on the horizon in Lenoir North Carolina. 1,000 competitors are poised to head out when the gun sounds. The riders take both lanes of the road, and it is pure havoc when there is an oncoming car. Shoulder to shoulder, it is not uncommon to be forced off the road and into the weeds to avoid a car. After ten miles the pack is thinned and all the riders are in one lane. Around mile 60 there is a long steady 12 mile climb up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway is up and down until you approach the Aqueduct, a very serious set of switchbacks that take your breath and your legs away. You exit the Parkway and head toward the entrance to Grandfather Mountain, elevation 5,200 feet. At the entrance to the park you have completed 100 miles with 9,300 feet of climbing. But, the ride is not over, you have two more miles to bike. Two miles and 1,000 feet of climbing. That is an average grade of 9%. The winners will finish in less than 5 hours, mortals finish before dusk. 102 miles, 10,300 feet of climbing."
Mount Mitchell is like driving the Pikes Peak Hillclimb: you're likely to go from 90 degree heat to sleet and hail -- and lightning -- during the climb.
Ride them all now, while you can, guys.
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