This year’s version of that OCC summer tradition is taking place on Saturday, the fifth.
The route has only been ridden twice [the old historian was incorrect in the newsletter] since it’s incorporation into our lexicon in 1998. The RL that year said: “Eighty-five miles of rain AND a flat. We were comforted by the thought that it could have been worse, much worse, like the Giro d’Italia of 1909.”
Sure enough, on the second outing we had rain again. In fact, the thundershowers were so heavy in 2001, the last time the Firecracker 100 has been scheduled, that only two people rode the 100-miler. Believe it or not, one person has ridden both of them.
The ride was first described as: “traveling some old NY turnpikes to Bunker Hill and the sauerkraut capital of this glorious land” and later as “celebrate the 4th on Canada Day by visiting Ottawa and Bunker Hill….” Whatever. There are no big hills, the terrain category is flat to rolling, as we roll along the Cayuga and Seneca Turnpikes to Alloway, Dublin and Montezuma.
Now the ride schedule lists this ride as generally Rolling while the web site lists it as rolling to hilly. Neither are correct. Believe it. This is a 1600 foot elevation change in one hundred miles, obviously less on the
shorter options, a 40-miler and a metric century. Flat to Rolling so you can’t use terrain as a whine. The last ten miles are definitely ‘rolling however.
The course will be marked in red, white and blue. The weather forecast is for sunny and warm. Rumor has it that watermelon and snacks await your finish. The weather promises to be sunny and warm so come on out and celebrate the Fourth on the Fifth in OCC’s inimitable way.
Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery,
NY 321, west of Camillus
Saturday, 5 July, 0900
Three mileage options: 42, 62 and 100.
FYI:
474-3801
Rspear1@twcny.rr.com
spearr@upstate.edu