Sunday, September 12, 2004
Elmira, NY to Hammondsport, NY
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The gathering point for the tour was Rich Shapiro's, the sight of the wine and cheese party the night before. To save some time and money, Kerie and I brought breakfast cereal, milk, bowls, etc. We were due at the house by 9 am so we set the alarm for 7 am and rolled out at about 7:30. Kerie wanted to put the bike together the night before but I insisted that we could just do it at the house before the ride.
We packed the bike on top of the car and tried to organize our gear, leaving some in the car that would be left at the house. As usual we were rushed and a bit frantic by the time we arrived at the start. Of course Kerie was right; once the bike was together the front brake pads were sticking to the wheel, so I did what I could to adjust them. After repositioning the pads several times and reinstalling the wheel a few times, the wheel would almost spin free. As I was about to give up, I noticed that the cable housing was not seated properly in the guide and was causing too much tension on the cable. After resetting it, all was well. The riders gathered for a group photo; notice the two oddballs; everyone else is in matching outfits except us.
We decided to ride the longer route, 56 miles that included some additional climbing in the early part of the route. The profile looked steep, but there was only about 500 or 600 feet of climbing in the first 20 miles. Two other couples took the long route. It was a scenic ride for most of the early section, although the sprawl and industrial activity of Elmira spread along the back roads for the first few miles.
There were a few big dogs checking us out, but luckily most were tethered. The route was pretty well marked, but several of the roads were not signed and we had to rely on the mileage and route description to find our way. There was one road that was supposed to be unsigned, and now had a sign with another name. Everything else seemed right, and after looking around for a few minutes, we pedaled on. We heard later that Conrad, who has an new GPS unit with excellent color maps, relied on his GPS at that point and had no problems.
The highlight of the day was the visit to the Corning Museum of Glass. Corning is the prototypical one industry town. The glassworks dominate the downtown. The visit was well worth the $12 entry fee. There's an impressive collection of artwork, many descriptions of the science and craft of making glass, and an excellent live glass blowing demonstration.
For an additional $4 we purchased entry to the nearby Rockwell Museum of Western Art (as far as I could tell, not related to Norman Rockwell), with a very good collection of artwork by Remington, Moran, Bierstadt, Rungius, and others. It was a quick visit as it was already 3 pm and we still had 20 miles to ride. While parking the bike, Kerie spotted the cute little bat hanging on the wall behind the museum (left photo). She also got a kick out of the buffalo sticking out of the front of the museum wall (right photo).
The last 20 miles was mostly flat, with a couple of good, gradual downhills. The directions were a little vague but the mileages was right on. If we we didn't pay close attention to the mileage, we were in trouble, as many roads were not signed. As we rolled into the motel parking lot, the rest of the group, gathered under the gazebo for a wine and cheese snack, applauded our arrival as we were the last ones there.
We were able to get a quick shower before the shuttle over to the Three Birds Restaurant. It was formerly called the Sag Harbor Inn, and since most old timers still know it by that name, they've left half the signs with the old name. We had an excellent meal on the balcony overlooking Keuka Lake. It got a little chilly at the end and we rushed back to the motel to try to get warm.
Once again I've packed too much stuff. My bag is bursting at the seams and weighs too much. And our bike bag is so full that we can hardly close it. I feel like mailing some things home like I did on the other Southern Tier Tour.
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