Wallace McRoy
6/27/2016 4:19 PM
I will not be able to make the group ride this weekend. I strongly suggest you do a 50 mile ride out of Veterans Park in St Johns County. The weather forecast is for afternoon thunderstorms, so the ride start time should be 7:30 AM. The address for Veterans Park is:
Veterans Park
1332 Veterans Pkwy.
St. Johns, FL 32259
Park in the skateboard parking lot to avoid any conflicts with soccer parents. It will be the first right after you pull into the park. There are restrooms at the end of the parking lot.
I have attached a cue sheet and a GPX file. I do not expect the same inaccuracies with the GPX file that we had on the Mayport-Fernandina ride because the roads are not packed in nearly so closely. Be sure you have a copy of the cue sheet with you. None of you have ever done this route.
I will provide a complete group ride schedule for July under separate cover.
Please respond to this post so the other riders will know if there is going to be someone else there.
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Notes about the route:
1. These roads are very busy with bicycle traffic on weekend days. Wave to the other cyclists.
2. Try to spend less than 10 minutes at the store stops. Set a goal to finish the ride by noon.
3. Do not try to merge pace lines with other groups. There are a lot of beginners out there who do not have the same discipline you have for pace line riding.
4. The first store stop is about 24 miles into the ride. You can stop at about 9.8 miles into the ride, just across the street from Creekside High School. There are no facilities, but there is a break in the curbing that will allow you to get out of the flow of traffic. BEWARE of glass about 24 inches right of the bicycle lane. Don’t plan to stay there more than 5 minutes. It is just a moment to let your legs catch up with you after a 40-minute warm-up.
5. The first store stop is Valero convenience store called “Weedman’s”. The store owners have asked that bicycles not be parked in front of the doors into the store.
6. The second store stop will be 14 miles later at the same place as the first store stop, but you will be coming from the opposite direction. Do not get distracted by the smell of barbecue.
6. Shoot for a 15 mph pace. If everyone in the group feels good, up it to 16 mph. I do not recommend a faster pace because it will be getting pretty warm in the late morning. You are likely to have a favorable wind after the second store stop.
Wallace McRoy
770-653-0104 c