Ride with Zvika and Nir Armoni from the Nachson Junction to Jerusalem and back. I forgot my phone, which was really annoying and a little dangerous. We headed southeast on the 44 to the 38, climbing pretty slowly to conserve strength for what was to come. We then headed northeast on the road running parallel to the 38 until we turned onto the 395 and climbed it up to Tsuba. This climb, overall, doesn't sound bad, 5.5 mi at 5.7% average grade. However, it has really steep parts and some flats/downhills mixed in, so the climbing sections are tough. I felt better this time than the other two times I've ridden it, probably because I now know more about where the hard spots are and could plan for them. Legs held out surprisingly well, and maybe some of my energy was wind-aided. We stayed on the 395 all the way into Ein Kerem, turning onto the 386 to climb up into west Jerusalem, coming out by Holland Square near Mt. Herzl. The three of us then turned around and rode back to the 395 intersection, where we split and I retraced my route back to the start. I had some climbing to get back to Tsuba, and then there were some steep downhills with sharp turns, so not so much fun. About a mile before the finish I got a front tire flat, but I was able to pump it up a couple of times and limp back without having to fix it on the road.
It was a good riding morning, nice weather and a challenging route successfully completed.
Avg speed = 12.3 mph. Total mileage = 40.2 mi
Avg heartrate = 147 bpm
Total elevation gain = 5930'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2766803810
