windy, "where's larry" ride

Laura OLPH has been dropping hints that she'd like to be invited on my ride-to-the-rides from Cliff H's office in Plainsboro to the Cranbury starts; she seemed to think that perhaps they were part of some deep spiritual discipline and I might object to her company - but much of the reason I ride is for the fellowship, so I made sure to let her know where and when I start. She emailed this morning that she was planning to be there, but Cliff's office is tricky to find, so I cruised the parking lot until she found me and led her to a parking spot, and we rode the unnecessarily-long eight-mile route from there to the Knapp's in Cranbury.

It was colder than either of us planned for, and, as usual, I was ridiculously early (8:35 for a 9:00 start -- Laura, do you think we ought to start a bit later next time?), so we rode up Main St. to Route 130 and back for ten minutes. When we got back, we found Ed C, Mark H, Bob (whom I don't think I'd met before), and Ron S, who was bemoaning the fact that he'd left his bike shoes at home. We tried to persuade him that he could use the sneakers he had on, but we were unsuccessful; he chatted with us until we departed, then went back home.

We did not see Larry, the leader. I suspect he looked at the temperature and winds, and went back to bed; he did not respond to the call I left for him before we left (and has not yet as I write this). We had no route planned; what to do?

Laura had considered the wind, and decided we would be better riding into it early, and having it at our backs on the way back. After a bit of discussion, we decided to go to the Main St Café in Kingston (I was part of a grassroots movement for decent coffee). Mark started us on the route across New Road and down the canal. (The whole route, including the long-way from Plainsboro and the ride up Main St, is linked here.)

Wind. Cold and windy. Boy howdy, I don't think we planned for this! We fought cold and wind all the way across New Road (with various riders pulling, and getting separated, and getting back together) until we got to the canal and turned left to Kingston. Bob proved a particularly strong rider, but while slow rides wear thin for him after a while, he doesn't seem competitive; we were recruiting him for the Hill Slug rides at the break. (He's also got a Ph.D., as do both Ed and Laura. Mark left us at the café, so there i was at the table with three Ph.D.'s [although Laura frequently says she isn't a Ph.D; she has a Ph.D.], feelin' all outclassed and stupid.)

Then back to Cranbury by College Ave. As we approached Plainsboro Road, we decided to try to minimize out distance on that, so we took the right on Schalk's Crossing with no real plan... and came to the walk/bike path by Plainsboro Pond, and followed that, and another side road, back to within about 1 1/2 miles of Cranbury. After saying goodbyes to Bob and Ed, Laura and I turned around, and went back to Plainsboro in the teeth of the wind, which was about 3° warmer than it had been the first time we went out.

What kind of a nutball goes riding in this kind of cold and wind, anyway? I'm sure Winter Larry is asking the same question, from whatever warm, windproof place he was today.