to jackson

Lowering skies and drizzle this morning were probably the main reasons that Winter Larry's Ride to Jackson was as poorly-attended as it was, and by as few regulars. Of the eleven of us, three were members of the NJ Major Taylor Club, one was the treasurer of the club who's just getting back to actually riding, and two were first-timers to this ride (one was Alf from yesterday). But when the day cleared up, it was a pretty ride - and warm; several of us shed layers, and we were amazed that one kept his jacket and tights on all day.

I wasn't familiar with most of these roads (even though I'm always lost, I have occasional flashes of recognition, but they were absent today). It was a pretty ride, although we were on a busy road after the break, and met a walk for MS coming the other way (so much with the waving and thumbs-up to them!). One of the places where we had to turn left, a driver stopped for us, and an angry driver in a Corvette behind that driver pulled around and tried to cross through us as we were turning. That was scary, and makes me worry about polite drivers on busy roads - we don't know who behind them will turn out to be impolite and dangerous.

After that, though, we got back to our pace, which was quick on this ride; I finished with an average of about 16.2... but then forgot to turn off the GPS when I put the bike in the car after riding back to Bagel Street where I had breakfast, and it caught me goin' over 50 mph on Plainsboro Road. Duh! (I'm blamin' the GPS: it was dodgy again today, and cut out for a while after the break - I think it also wasn't registering correctly, possibly because I didn't have it charged up all the way. I like the technology, but I don't like being so dependent on it.)

I hope to ride with the old guys Wednesday, but no rides next weekend - I have real life to live, instead.