probably too much

Three-day weekend (with Monday off for Columbus Day), and the excellent wife had a few daytime plans that didn't include me, so I got to bicycle all three days. Our Lady of Perpetual Headwinds wanted to do a 62-mile (100 km "metric century") including some hills and stop in Oldwick & Califon, but didn't get a lot of takers, because the next day was scheduled the Central Bucks Bike Club Covered Bridge Ride, with a choice of rides through a number of covered bridges in Bucks County, PA (as well as Sergeantsville, NJ), and yet more hills. There was no better offer in the ride book, so yours truly kept whining, and Our Lady Laura came up with a couple of occasional Hill Slugs to accompany, and of we went on Saturday morning. It was the most beautiful ride I've done this year, and had enough hills so I could show off on the ascents, and some frightening descents to remind me of humility and my tiny place in the universe. I'm sure she's got, or will soon have, pictures on her own blog; you can check at the link on her name above.

So the next day is the Covered Bridge ride, and I really went with the intention of riding 33 miles and going home. But I ran into Laura, and Joe, another Hill Slug (whom I'd dropped on a ride a few weeks earlier; the guilt has not yet dissipated), and they were doing the 100K ride. Oh, well... so I did my second hilly, 62-mile ride in as many days. Another beautiful ride. Along came one of Joe's friends, who is recovering from a lung ailment from several months ago. He was not quick on the hills, but I am NOT.DROPPING.ANYBODY... and he had a delightful sense of humor, a mellifluous accent (from which part of England?), although he was tiring at the end (the accent was intact, but his humor appeared to flag). I didn't pre-register, so I didn't get the shirt, but it was a nice one, and I'll try to get next year's.

Just because I could, I did the Old Guys ride today, and it was probably too much. Only 30 flat miles, but I was sweeping (riding in the back, keeping track of straggling riders and upcoming traffic, as I usually do). At one point, a huge pickup was coming from behind. I called "Car Back!", in my mellifluous, classically-trained tones, and some of the riders moved, and others didn't. The pickup tried to pass... but there was oncoming traffic, and it couldn't. When the pickup pulled in again behind me, he was apparently angry, and rode very close. For a long time. For over a mile, I'm sure, my mirror was full of that pickup's grille. I got edgy, and my temper was short; I tried to let it go, and thought I was successful... until we crossed Route 33 (a fairly main local road), and I swore - loudly - at the car trying to turn left in front after the signal had changed. It wasn't my legs that gave out, or my wind; it was my temper. Now I know of what to be careful when I'm overtired from riding.

I won't get back to the old guys for at least two weeks, and (as the weather goes) it may be the holiday party before I see them again; I may not ride with them again until spring. I hope they've forgotten by the time I see them again. And I hope I haven't forgotten when I do see them again.