neat new rest stop on winter larry ride

I am a sucker for people treating me nicely. I'm also a sucker for earnest young people trying to make a go of a new family business. A couple of cute barely-in-high-school age gals behind the counter who give me a big smile ain't a bad idea, either. We stopped at a new rest stop on Winter Larry's ride today: the Stonebridge Bagels & Deli, 1278 Yardville-Allentown Road in Allentown (in the Olde Tavern Plaza), and I was so smitten that I may have to learn navigation, just so I can lead some rides there and we don't have to stop at the dratted Clarksburg place all the time.

Oh, yeah - I guess I could write about the ride, too. I couldn't make time for a post-ride ride today, so I decided I was going to drive to the start, then ride to Bagel Street in Plainsboro, then ride back to the car to do the ride, which would add about eight miles for the day. Laura OLPH & Ed C both got wind of my plans (well, it's not like I made any kind of a secret about them; there was the usual pre-ride email chatter), and both decided to join me.

I don't think any of us counted on how cold it would be, this first day of Daylight Savings Time (so an hour earlier than we would have left, at the same time on the clock, the day before), nor how foggy. As I was driving down Route 130, the fog was so think I had to slow down in some places, but it was already beginning to burn off by the time we started to ride to Plainsboro, and the fog was mostly gone by the ride back (for me, two bagels-with-cream-cheese later).

When we got back to the start, there were nine (NINE!) other people preparing to go: John W, John & Jane D, Mark H, Jack, Ron S, Al L (haven't seen him for quite a while!), Winter Larry, and someone I've forgotten (D'OH!). (Edit, March 11: Laura reminds me the other rider was club treasurer Peter F.) We did this route, including a stop at a new rest stop... oh, I've already done that part.

It was early in the season, and a couple of our number were tiring on the way back, so I did my sweep-y thing and stayed with the stragglers; the others rode on ahead, and most were still in the lot when we three got there. We had been chatting about the new Knapp's location, and how it didn't seem to be doing well (and might, indeed, be closed). It's not; I got a new bell there today... but it does appear to have only the dregs of the leavings of the main location; I'm not sure Knapp's is committed to having a store there (it doesn't help that this location, like the main store, is an all-Specialized-brand shop).

So a 100-mile weekend (my second for the year)... and a total of 33 hours on the bike for the year. I'd tell you my average speed, but then you could figure out my approximate mileage, and I'm not ready to share that yet. Suffice to day I've got plenty of miles before a new chain is warranted!