Virtual Ride For Jacob Report: Pedro del Río Muñoz

A surprise showed up in my inbox this past weekend. It was a very nice message from Pedro del Rio Munoz, a reader from Spain. Pedro may strike a memory for some of you as he has submitted reports for the Virtual Turkey Burn Ride and is a regular in the comments. 

So, here is Pedro's report, as he sent it to me with a lot of nice imagery. It means a lot to me that anyone would take the time and effort to honor my deceased son, Jacob, and especially so from someone overseas. What an honor! Thank you, Pedro! 

And with no further fanfare......

Ride for Jacob 2026

Well, Mr. Guitar Ted has inspired us once again, this time with an incredibly sad but beautiful reason to ride. And I would very much like my support to reach him from here.

For reasons that aren't important and don't really belong in this story, I had barely ridden since January, so this was an excellent reason to get back into a good habit.

I met up with a friend and suggested a route that I really enjoy. Completely flat. Technically very easy. Mostly gravel, with around 7 km of tarmac, for a total of 61 km.

There was only one condition: we would take it easy, and if we found an open bar or café along the way, we would stop for coffee.

Sadly, the coffee part never happened.

We set off at 7:00 a.m. from our meeting point and rode around the outskirts of my hometown, El Puerto de Santa María, as dawn began to break. A few cars and a handful of people on their way home after a night out were pretty much all we encountered, so it was a very peaceful start.

As we left town, we had our first taste of dirt and headed onto the trails, where we faced the first climb of the day. A very short 10% ramp, less than 400 metres long.

 

From there, it was dirt tracks all the way to the next city, Jerez de la Frontera. Riding through Jerez with the sun already up but still low in the sky is quite something. We crossed right through the historic centre and the Santiago neighborhood, with its 15th–16th century church. The silence of an area that is usually busy makes riding through it at that hour rather special.

From there, the route really begins.

Good gravel roads, surrounded by farmland, now dry and waiting for the next planting season.

As the route progresses, so does the sun — and the temperature. At this time of year, temperatures quickly reach 30°C, so we went through quite a lot of water.

We were firmly in touring mode. Zone 1, for those who still insist on calling everything  "training" 

We rode along having a pleasant conversation, mixed with those moments when each of us was simply lost in our own thoughts.

 

In my case, and especially on this ride, many of those thoughts were obviously with Mr. Guitar Ted and his family. I found myself wondering how I would face such a sad and terrible situation.

The support of family, friends and community must surely be fundamental when facing something that, perhaps, can never truly be understood.

And somewhere between conversation and reflection, the kilometres kept passing.

 

Despite my very obvious lack of cycling fitness, I held up surprisingly well — and, importantly, my backside didn't complain about the saddle.

My Ergon is probably one of the most comfortable saddles I've ever owned, and it 's quite easy to adjust. My other saddle, a Brooks Cambium C15, is comfortable too, but much more difficult to dial in and get that feeling just right.

My trusty Jones Spaceframe, running 2.8-inch tyres, is certainly not the world's greatest gravel bike. It's heavy, not particularly aerodynamic, has Plus tyres...

But somehow, for me, it has become a combination I absolutely love.I find it incredibly comfortable for simply riding, riding and riding. I feel integrated into the frame rather than perched on top of it, with my weight supported by the saddle and pedals —something I really like. And its length makes it extremely stable.

All of that helped me finish those 61 kilometres tired, but happy.

I hope that, wherever Jacob may be, my prayers reached him.

Wishing strength to your entire family.

El Puerto de Santa María, Spain

Ride for Jacob 2026 – Sunday 26 th July 2026

Written: 9 August 2026

Pedro

Virtual Ride For Jacob Report: Henry Pratt

I mentioned last week that anyone who could not make the Ride For Jacob on the 25th could do a virtual Ride For Jacob if they wanted to. I also added that anyone wanting to pass along a story with some images could do so and I'd post this on the blog. Kind of like how I have done for the Virtual Turkey Burn rides. 

I know a couple of folks who did their own Ride For Jacob recently, and this is heartwarming. I really appreciate anyone thinking of my son and his family.  

Well, Henry Pratt of New York took me up on the invitation to share his ride and he sent in a beautiful report. I hope that you enjoy this as much as I have. With no further delay, here is the Virtual Ride For Jacob post from Henry Pratt. 

Dear Guitar Ted,
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​As it happens, I was able to do the Virtual Ride for Jacob on the 25th, perhaps even simultaneous with your own ride, as I left at 9:00am EST. I had a good three hours to use, and I wanted to get in something scenic. It would be my longest ride so far this year, recovering from a wrist badly broken in April (which I'm happy to say has now stopped limiting my riding!). In the mid-Hudson valley of NY, we don't have the endless gravel of the midwest, but we do have some pretty great stuff, including the privately-owned Mohonk Preserve (requires a membership or day pass) and the adjacent Minnewaska State Park. Both are part of the Shawangunk ridge, which is primarily known for world-class rock climbing, but which also features 100+ miles of bike-legal "carriage roads." Most of these are either fine gravel or dirt double-track, with a few chunks of single-track for the adventurous.
​
​On the 25th, I saddled up the Titanium Hoss, my trusty Lynskey Pro GR, and had at it. The weather was beyond ideal: no real wind, clear and a million, low 70s. I don't like to drive in order to bike if I can avoid that, so rode 8 miles of paved rail trail and road to the Testimonial Gateway. This structure was gifted to the Smileys (the folks who used to own Mohonk and it's uber-fancy resort/hotel) by their rich friends as an anniversary present. It has no function now other than looking cool (see picture).

The Testimonial Gateway

 From there, I went through some other parts of Mohonk, mostly uphill, to the Undercliff carriage road--I should have gotten some pictures of the climbers there, but it's under construction and I didn't want to stop. Instead, I went out to Awosting Falls up in Minnewaska. We've had a dry summer, but there's still some pretty good water flowing from it. It's a 65 foot drop.

Awosting Falls

I'd thought of going farther into Minnewaska (there are some great sky lakes to ride around), but was about half done with my available time, so turned around at 20 miles or so and headed back. This time I took Overcliff carriage road, which looks like this, pretty representative of a lot of the trails. The picture doesn't capture it, but this is carved into the side of a ridge that falls off steeply to the left. It's lined with blueberries, huckleberries, and dwarf pitch pine, which is a rare habitat in these parts.

Overcliff Carriage Road

 After that, I ventured up a good hill on Laurel Ledge, nearing the Mohonk Mountain House. The Mohonk folks built these funny little gazebo-like structures along this carriage road for their guests, and the views of the ridge are quite something, so I stopped at one for a small snack and a photo. This is looking northwest at the Trapps, Millbrook Mountain, and, in the distance, Sam's Point.

Overview of Trapps, Millbrook Mountain, and Sam's Point.

 After this stretch, I was at the top of the ridge, so lots of downhill to follow. I shot down some of the aforementioned singletrack, underbiking it a bit, then down the longest and fastest hill of the day, Lenape Lane. About 2/3 of the way down I started to feel an occasional, disconcerting "clunk." Not so good at 30mph with this terrain. So I pulled over, and sure enough, I'd flatted the rear tire. It was a small cut not far off the centerline, not a puncture--I think I must have ripped it on some exposed shale. A ranger happened by and asked if I needed help, but it was an easy fix. Luckily, after pumping it back up, the sealant did its job and I didn't need to put in a plug or a new tube. I don't think I've had a flat for 4-5 years, so I was due.
​
​I was feeling stronger as the ride went on--it's great when that happens--so put some effort into the rest of the gravel and the pavement home. I finished in a touch over 3 hours, including time stopped to take pictures and fix the flat, with a shade over 42 miles and 2500' of climbing on the day.
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​I feel grateful to have been able to do the Virtual Ride for Jacob. I try as often as I can to reflect on just how lucky I am--to have the time, resources, health, fitness, and family support to be able to do things like this, and this ride in particular brought that home, given the occasion. I hope it was similarly meaningful out in Iowa. I'd have loved to join y'all in person, but that's something of a trek! Needless to say, any who visit the mid-Hudson should definitely check out the Shawangunks. It's a stunning place.
​
​All the best,
​Henry

Wow! What a gorgeous ride! I definitely had no idea there were things like this in New York. (Now wait for N.Y. Roll to give me the business about this!) Anyway, I really am touched by this gesture and it is so cool to know that someone wanted to honor Jacob in this way who never knew him. What a blessing! 

Thanks Henry. This made my day when you sent it in.