The Internet of Bikes: 2011 Tour of the Hill Towns

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Tour of the Hill Towns is a late summer road race held in Windsor, Massachusetts. The course is 60 mile loop through Savoy, Hallockville, Hawley and Cummington among others, with a 30 mile extension that passes through Kenneth M. Dubuque Memorial State Forest. The race features long gradual climbs along Route 9, fast descents through winding narrow roads, some rough roads and the three mile climb on West Hawley Hill Road. The race is classic event and a regular feature of the OA/Cyclemania Masters Cycling Team calendar. It also doubles as the Massachusetts State Road Championships. Given the length of the car drive (4.5 hours), the length of the race (97 miles) and the early start time (10 am), Frame and Wheel traveled the night before the event with team mate Joe Lynch and stayed with  "Auntie" Lynch, who kindly put us up at a very nice summer camp by a small lake. The promise of 90 degree weather made the idea of staying at the camp and spending the day swimming in the lake very compelling. Frame and Wheel joined 65 starters in the Pro12 category racing 97 miles.

Frame and Wheel will digress first onto the topic of The Tronski. A Tronski is a small  error of commission or omission that has exponentially larger but typically harmless ramifications and consequences than the error itself. It is a small mistake that results in a major headache. For example, Frame and Wheel in a moment of distraction left the Android smartphone used to track these races on a beach where it was soon covered by the rising tide. Small oversight, significant and ongoing  consequences (all phone numbers, pictures lost, no mobile communications etc.). Frame and Wheel was thus awarded a "T". Tronski users can award each other "Ts" over the course of a period of time and at the end see who has the most. That person is the winner (A Tronski that involves a digital piece of equipment such as a smart phone or a music player is known as an iTronski).

Frame and Wheel managed to find another smartphone to track this event and wisely wrapped it in a plastic bag (Frame and Wheel was soaked with water and sweat). The episode with the smartphone highlights another weakness of the Internet of Bikes, which is the vulnerability of the the technology to the elements. Clearly, an easier and better way is to deploy a more sturdy Garmin Edge 800 or something similar for tracking rides. Additionally, it is sometimes a chore to upload a route to the Internet and then label it and describe the drama of the event (it can be a chore to read these posts too). The two weeks that it has taken for Frame and Wheel to post about this event demonstrates that the process requires some work and time. Nevertheless, here's the data from the race: total duration is 274 minutes (4 hours 34 minutes), total distance is 100 miles (including warm up), average moving speed is 21 miles per hour, maximum speed is 49 miles per hour, maximum elevation is 1,974 feet, total elevation is 6,723 and maximum grade is 20 percent. Frame and Wheel includes observations about the race in the labels and uses the terrain setting to provide a better sense of features of the course. Frame and Wheel is unable to figure out why Google My Tracks shows the map in two sections rather than one. 

Frame and Wheel concentrates on conserving energy, drinking regularly, dousing water, eating real food and energy foods and avoiding the temptations of being lured into pointless attacks. There is a break up the road right from the start and after it is away, the pace settles down. The temperature is in the 90s. Frame and Wheel is burning through the water and the food. One rider has a water bottle cage mounted under his saddle. Everyone seems to have Gatorade straight up. Frame and Wheel second guesses the choice of regular water and a protein drink. There is neutral water along the road and in a chase car. Frame and Wheel obtains a refill and extra water from the car and is very pleased with this service. 

There are rough roads on this course and some diabolical cracks in the pavement on the big descent. The field rides sensibly through these sections but it is rough going and the bike and Frame and Wheel is  punished. Frame and Wheel manages to hit one of the cracks in the pavement with a sickening carbon crunch and is surprised and very grateful that the tire does not flat. Frame and Wheel executes a mobile pee for the first time on the latter part of the descent and is very pleased with having finally been able to do this although improvements in aim are required. 

The field arrives at the steeper sections of West Hawley Road and things begin to stretch out. Frame and Wheel is in the back and rises through traffic, but can see that the pace of the lead group is very fast and that the gap that is forming is getting bigger and insurmountable. Frame and Wheel is alone at the switchback with only some stragglers from the lead group in sight. After a few miles of solo chasing, a chase group of a dozen or so riders catches up and Frame and Wheel works with these riders all the way to Route 9. It is very hot now, there is no more neutral water and Route 9 grinds on relentlessly. Frame and Wheel is feeling very good and joins Andy  Lytwynec (MVP Health Care Cycling / Farmington, NY) who makes a bold break in perhaps the final ten miles and soon the chase group is out of sight. Frame and Wheel is pleased to be away from the chase group and the rider with the creaking bottom bracket, a noise which over the past 20 miles has become a comparable to water torture. Frame and Wheel and Mr. Lytwynex pass through riders from other categories and stragglers from the break. The end of this race is at hand and Frame and Wheel is keen on simply finishing strong. Mr. Lytwynec fades on the last hill after some great efforts and Frame and Wheel anonymously and individually crosses the finish line with an official time of 4:12 minutes or seven minutes off the winning rider (Robin Carpenter / Bike Reg Cannondale). Frame and Wheel is very pleased with the result. The drive home seems short which is a sign of satisfaction with the outcome, although Frame and Wheel is very tired, and only now, two weeks later prepared to write about this race.