The wet weather had everyone in the east trapped this past weekend. Housebound kids whose little league games were rained out drove parents who had looked forward to the weekend “up a wall”. Even the hardy members of Team South Jersey climbed the wall. No we didn’t miss our training. Our intrepid band not only ventured forth despite the drear, but crossed into nearby Philadelphia and pedaled toward the fabled Manayunk Wall.
Manayunk is a small neighborhood on the shore of the Schuylkill River. Nestled on the side of a cliff its narrow streets climb the wall with double digit grades. For the last twenty-five years it has been the scene of the Philadelphia International and we were riding in the tracks of some of the greatest names of the sport. Eric Heiden, George Hincapie and Lance Armstrong are just a few of those who have ground, grunted and spun up these streets and gone on to win their race.
We had already ridden nearly 20 miles. We had traversed the blight of Camden, and with the strains of “Rocky” in our heads passed the famous steps of the Art Museum and the boathouses along Kelly Drive. We had done a few repeats on Lemon Hill and were ready for the most difficult kilometer yet. We rode along Main Street and avoiding the traffic on Levering & Lyceum we turned up Green Lane. This was indeed the most difficult climb we have faced as a team. I will admit thinking about breaking it off. Instead I gritted my teeth and just ground out the last 100 yards or so. Frank waited at the top and encouraged each of us as we crested that last block. Turning around we coasted down, cheering on teammates still grinding up the 17% slope. We did it! We had climbed the Manayunk Wall!
On Sunday the weather was even worse. The weather man promised a dry morning with increasing rain in the afternoon. He lied to us and the other 30,000 people who cycled into lower Manhattan for the Five Boro Bike Tour. The tour, an annual event, was to be training for riding in crowds. Unfortunately the lack of planning by the organizers, a crowd of inexperienced riders, a rash of flat tires and a steady rain made for a less than pleasant experience. Yours truly was unable to finish. Even two years after chemo my digestive system can be delicate and easily upset. The rest of Team South Jersey can be proud, that despite terrible conditions that drove us “Up the Wall”, the Five Boro Tour is just one more item on the list of accomplishments for this dedicated group of people!
Four weeks to go! Tahoe here we come!
Manayunk is a small neighborhood on the shore of the Schuylkill River. Nestled on the side of a cliff its narrow streets climb the wall with double digit grades. For the last twenty-five years it has been the scene of the Philadelphia International and we were riding in the tracks of some of the greatest names of the sport. Eric Heiden, George Hincapie and Lance Armstrong are just a few of those who have ground, grunted and spun up these streets and gone on to win their race.
We had already ridden nearly 20 miles. We had traversed the blight of Camden, and with the strains of “Rocky” in our heads passed the famous steps of the Art Museum and the boathouses along Kelly Drive. We had done a few repeats on Lemon Hill and were ready for the most difficult kilometer yet. We rode along Main Street and avoiding the traffic on Levering & Lyceum we turned up Green Lane. This was indeed the most difficult climb we have faced as a team. I will admit thinking about breaking it off. Instead I gritted my teeth and just ground out the last 100 yards or so. Frank waited at the top and encouraged each of us as we crested that last block. Turning around we coasted down, cheering on teammates still grinding up the 17% slope. We did it! We had climbed the Manayunk Wall!
On Sunday the weather was even worse. The weather man promised a dry morning with increasing rain in the afternoon. He lied to us and the other 30,000 people who cycled into lower Manhattan for the Five Boro Bike Tour. The tour, an annual event, was to be training for riding in crowds. Unfortunately the lack of planning by the organizers, a crowd of inexperienced riders, a rash of flat tires and a steady rain made for a less than pleasant experience. Yours truly was unable to finish. Even two years after chemo my digestive system can be delicate and easily upset. The rest of Team South Jersey can be proud, that despite terrible conditions that drove us “Up the Wall”, the Five Boro Tour is just one more item on the list of accomplishments for this dedicated group of people!
Four weeks to go! Tahoe here we come!
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