I rode solo today and felt very sluggish in the hills. Unfortunately, my route included a good number of hills including W. Outer 21, Hillcrest, Frisco Hill, E. Swaller, Rock Creek Valley, Saline and Romaine Creek. And along the way I saw enough sand on the roads to make a Hawaiian beach jealous.

Mapmyride says the route was just under 1300 ft of climbing. My legs would argue that I climbed 3000 ft. About mile 36 I ran across a group of 14-16 guys near the intersection of New and Old Sugar Creek. I wasn't about to turn around and tag along with them so I kept rolling and doing my thing in my own little hell.

Route

The longer I rode, the more I realized that my handlebars probably need to be lowered. By the time I reached Meramec Bottom I had begun to bonk. As usual, I forgot to take any food and had only drank a half bottle in 47 miles. My eyes were staring into space, my mind was foggy and I limped home over the four remaining hills. My back was absolutely killing by this point. I cannot fix those handlebars soon enough.