Tour to Tour of the Battenkill 2021

BK in a different way. For a C19 plagued and in 2020 cancelled event now a new approach to get there. Happy to stay again with my friends in Elizaville and thanks to Elliot for hospitality once again :) 

It was in Py's head for some time now to make it up there by bike and this year it should happen and now in context with the BK2021.

The minimal bike "expedition" style packing equipped Storck. Equipped with a set of most excellent "expedition" bags from https://www.revelatedesigns.com/ Py researched back in 2020 and so far mainly used the frame bag only locally. Now fully loaded. Super functional, rugged and just working right. No dangling and touching and anything annoying.

Here on the way near Bethel.

Nearly fully loaded test ride on Wednesday evening on the F14a loop.

Thursday: Rocky Point to Elizaville, NY

a journey with a few glitches.

The route created via Strava heatmap guided routing and manual tweaking to Py's likes. Mostly unknown terrain and roads. So must be fun. New land so close by to explore. Planning for the first Ferry from Port Jefferson. Early breakfast. Set and go with ample of time, no rush -- so the plan. Leaving the house around 6:15. Up and over the hill on North Country to Port Jefferson -- but no no no, why is it not shifting "up" now. Unexpected but some what not --- stupid SRAM Shifer battery status app is useless garbage -- Py checked them all showing -- well since ever -- about 3/4 green symbol. But dead now. Spinning in the lowest gear back home in a hurry not sure still making the boat... also had to figure how change it and find it. Py took a spare battery set but no quarter. But eventually the swap worked out quick after revisiting quick instructions on the phone... what about including instructional video in the app -- SRAM??

Time been very tight now, but giving it a shot -- full speed ahead to Port Jeff, but still taking North Country, so what, there is a next ferry.

But amazing enough the 7am ferry was still at the dock, getting a round trip ticket and rolln on and off it goes... -- nice! Now let the fun begin.

 

Almost empty boat at this time and day. After about 90min trip over the sound rolling off the boat and leaving the busy town Bridgeport in morning traffic on bumpy roads.

But shortly after getting out of town very nice roads, nearly fully shaded making it slowly up and further up state on small and smaller country roads.

Crossing the Husatonic River:

An old mill on the Wewaka Brook:

 

 

And bypassing the main road on a beautiful back road section...

Before descending into New Milford and looking around for a good place to have a coffee, almost giving up after filling up only water, finding this nice place with awesome cookies

 

 

before proceeding towards Kent for lunch. A little annoyance of a pinch flat indirectly caused by a stupid big truck with a long trailer cutting into my "lane" ahead keeping my eyes busy vs. scanning for road debris promptly hitting some bigger rock or other crap instantly pinch flattening my rear.... look closer at the clip and you see and hear when and what happened -- please leave "us" cyclists plenty of room, you have no idea what all kinds of hazards are out there for us!!!