short ride from hamilton ymca

I saw in the list that Chris C was leading a 40-mile B+ ride from the Hamilton Y today. I know Chris wouldn't allow things to get too out-of hand- so I drove way down there, only to find a number of things:

• The Y was a beehive of activity, with buses pulling up, and excited young people in all colors of matching t-shirts shouting, applauding, and cheering;
• ... so that thee was apparently an inter-camp competition of some description. this suggested that the lot in which I'd parked was not really available. I looked around, and found...
• ...the Freewheelers parked OUTSIDE the fence (they quickly told me I should move). When I parked again...
• ... I learned that Chris would not be coming today.

So instead, I went along with ride captain Sue M on a 35-mile B-paced ride. A 35-mile ride is shorter than I wanted to do, but I'm planning to do a long, hilly ride tomorrow, so maybe it's better that I didn't burn up today.

Eight riders, including yours truly; the only one whose name I know is Sue, although there was another I've seen ride out of Cranbury. A quiet group; I think I was the most conversational (and maybe the most irritating; for all I know, they relish the silence). Mostly flat, as rides in that area are, but very pretty; horse farms, old towns, and estates on which I won't be able to afford to retire. I got a couple of good sprints in, including one on the way to Phil's where I was trying to catch up to a (much) younger lady who does triathlons.

At Phil's, we were met by Ira S's Cranbury riders, and I got a lesson in the use of Strava.Com from Dave H (he sent me the story about the treadmill bike last week). I looked at it when I first signed up, but there's apparently more to it; I'll have to go back and visit again (I haven't done so yet).

One rider deserves a mention, even though I didn't get his name. He was riding a Giant hybrid, with an upright position, a suspended fork, and fat, knobby tires. And he (mostly) kept up with the group, even though my pace was 16.8mph, and another rider's pace was over 17mph. We were talking about how he was going to do better if he ever got a road bike (he undoubtedly will), and I said I thought his bringing that hybrid on a B ride was like racing in a minivan. He was like the Energizer Bunny; he just kept going and going....

OK. We'll save the B+ ride for another day.