Bastille Day Consolation Ride

"Jim?", Dave C said when he answered the phone

"Yeah. Whaddya know?"

"I know I'm pissed off. Cheryl's cancelled the ride."

Cheryl had planned a Bucks County ride for today, and I'd made arrangements to meet Dave and a couple of the other Pennsylvanians early, and ride the few miles from their development to the start. That meant I had to pack up the car and get going early. Grey skies were overhead, and drizzle coming down as I loaded the bike and left, but I hoped that the signs of clearing that I saw to the southeast meant that the ride would still go on.

No such luck.  At 7:18, Joe forwarded me the cancellation email, but by that time I was already close to the Route 1 bridge to Pennsylvania. I pulled over a few blocks from Dave's house (I didn't know how close I was at the time) and made the call that included the conversation that leads off this post.

It's a tough decision for ride leaders; they have to make the best choice they can  with the information they have at the time. Since I don't lead rides (being perennially lost), it would be unfair to second-guess a cancellation. But this one was especially disappointing, since I had missed the July 4 All-Paces ride when I made a bad call about the weather myself (I was grumpy about that for days!).

Since it turned out I was so close to Dave's house, and the ride start, I set the GPS and found the start location (in case I have to go there again). Then I started home... but on the way, I thought I might just make it to Cranbury in time to make that B ride with Ira.

And I did make it to Cranbury just about in time. And I was pleasantly surprised to see Ken L, whom I've seen rarely since a bike accident over a year ago. He doesn't come out when the weather's too hot (and there may still be some family ill-will about his riding at all), so I was delighted to see him.

Ira, however, was not there; instead, club treasurer Peter F led this ride, apparently his first in some time (we had earlier talked about how he'd stopped leading rides, then stopped riding almost entirely, when his leading got to be like another job). I made the mistake of calling this lead his "debut", and he informed me he'd led over 300 rides... but he's also said he rode only 34 miles last year.

Also not there was Ed P for the B+ ride. Some of those riders came with us, and we wound up with a group that was spread way out; some faster riders way off the front, slower folks struggling to keep up in the back. I swept, and twice sprinted up to Peter asking about directions and letting him know who was off the back.

We had a flat tire, which the rider fixed, but then the fixed tube went flat, so I gave him a tube and CO₂ and helped him with the fill. (Now you know another reason why you want me to sweep for you, leaders: I carry two tubes, two CO₂ cartridges, a multi-tool with a chain tool, and replaceable links for 10-speed chains. Call me the next time you're planning an unmanageable ride.)

After the break, we split into the faster and slower groups, and some riders elected to simply go home rather than try and keep up with even the slower group (since I was sweeping, I had among the lowest averages, and mine was 16.5, high [though in-range] for a B-rated ride). On the way back, Peter and I got to discussing my trouble with directions; it may be that I just don't put enough effort into learning the routes, but I think I surprised him with just how hopeless I am when it comes to velo-navigation. We did have a few sprints on the way back, and it was a fun ride.

I still wish I'd gotten to see the Pennsylvanians, and the others I'd hoped to see on Cheryl's ride, though. Maybe tomorrow, if the weather holds...?

Naaaah. 60% chance of showers as I write this. Oh, doodies.