Mulehell

I took the 90 minute drive down to Whytheville for the annual Mulehell ride. It was a blast! I got to share nice rolling terrain and beautiful rural scenery with 90 fellow cyclists (all of whom were very friendly) . Most of the roads were in pretty good shape (for rural Virginia roads) and there was very little traffic. The unpaved sections of the course added to the challenge and interest. Luckily, most of the unpaved stuff was flat to slightly uphill so you didn't have to worry too much about crashing but the thought of a flat loomed large. Ruby handled it all well.

I was pleased with my 16.1 MPH average over the course. Some of that was with various groups and some by myself (I tended to climb faster than the groups I was with so I'd leapfrog up to the next group on a long incline - thanks Granny gear!). I felt that the overall terrain was easier than a typical ride for me on the Parkway but it had some steeps. 

I'll plan on being back next year and I'd like to try some of the other events in the Southwest Virginia Cycling Series, but this might be the only one that fits in my calendar.