WHEELS OF LOVE DAY 1
JERUSALEM TO MASADA – "CHILLED TO THE BONE"
Rochel Leah (Lisa – RL) and I awoke on Sunday morning to cool temperatures (low 50’s) and partly cloudy skies. We were pleased, as the rain expected that day would hold off until after we got closer to the warmer, sunnier Dead Sea area. We added arm and knee warmers to our usual cycling outfits, tossed on a light windbreaker (all things that can be easily folded up and stuffed in a pocket as it got warmer) and proceeded down to breakfast at the hotel. Much to our dismay it became cloudier and began to drizzle while we were enjoying our meal.
The ride kicked off at the Hebrew University site on Mount Scopus in northeast Jerusalem. This was supposed to be the easy warm-up day as we dropped from an altitude of 2700 ft. in Jerusalem to 1300 ft. below sea level at the Dead Sea. By the time the cab dropped us off on Mount Scopus for the opening ceremony the drizzle had turned into a steady, windy downpour. By the time we registered, retrieved our bicycles and pumped up our tires we were completely soaked and chilled to the bone. I don’t ever remember being so cold on a bicycle (and I mountain bike when it’s 20 degrees and snowing outside). The chill turned into shivering which turned into shuddering! Finally, after a brief ceremony we were off.
There were four separate groups of riders on this trip. About 80 riding on road for one day only, ~ 150 riding off road (mountain biking), ~ 200 on road riders (RL was in this group) and ~ 60 riders doing a more challenging (longer distances and steeper climbs) road ride (I was in this group). We were destined to go our separate ways but on the first day we all descended to the Dead Sea together (the off road ride for that day was cancelled due to potential flash flooding in the narrow canyons). I was very concerned about the possibility of a critical accident occurring as we were having nearly 500 riders descending together nearly 4000 slippery ft. over less than 20 miles. In fact, one serious accident transpired as one of the challenge riders was clipped by a passing rider and crashed. He was taken for a day to the hospital for observation and later returned to join the regular on road route.
After descending from Mount Scopus we climbed briefly to Maale Adumim and then dropped steadily into the Judean Desert. After nearly 20 miles of slippery curvy descent we reached the Dead Sea and pulled off into a rest stop to get some drinks and use the bathroom facilities. It was quite a bit warmer and stopped raining, but it was still overcast so we weren’t drying off too quickly. It was there that I noticed my first flat. There was a slice in the actual tire which I patched with a tire boot and changed the inner tube.
We continued along the rolling hills on the shore of the Dead Sea for another 40 miles. Along the way we split off from the one-day and regular road riders (I wouldn’t see RL again until day 3) and arrived at Masada with the off road group. There was one significant climb along the way of about one mile at an 8% grade, which everybody seemed to be itching to go all out for. I reached the top near the front of the pack and felt pretty good about myself. My roomates at the Masada youth hostel included Yakov, the famous MoChassid, and an Israeli currently living in LA (a very nice group). After an adequate meal we retired for an early night.
Summary: Distance 59 miles
Total feet climbed 1,900