Today was one of those Wednesdays off that I get, and I did the ride with the Old Guys. Dennis W, the purported leader, set the time for 9:30, so I wanted to be in Etra at 8:40 for the ride-to-the-ride that Erich leads. He's had hip problems, so I wasn't sure he was going to be there, but he was, along with Mary and John B. I almost didn't make it in time; I didn't leave enough time for rush-hour traffic.
But I did get there, and off we rode down to Allentown to the start point. Al P, who leads these rides when Dennis won't or can't (and, as it's been cold, that means that if the ride goes, it's Al P who generally leads it recently), sent an email this morning (too late for me to get) with the simple word "Yes" about the ride today.
It started cold, and I was wishing for full-finger gloves for the first half-hour or so... but it warmed up later, and I was cursing the three layers I had on top. It's hard to dress for the weather in April; perhaps we need a chase car to carry our cast-offs. (Any volunteers?)
We did this route. Many roads I didn't remember at all, and some I did, but only in the other direction (Al admitted he was doing a non-Dennis ride). We stopped at a stop in Columbus, where I had coffee (and should have had some food, but didn't; I was cursing that decision at the end of the ride. Still, my weight's creeping up again; I gotta start bein' careful).
Erich had a flat, has he has had a few recently. They have not been punctures; today's was a pinch flat, and another had been due to a bad valve. I wonder if Erich has gotten a batch of bad tubes, and if simply buying a different brand of tube, or at a different store, might not fix things... but he seems to think a new pump is in order.
In the last few miles, I saw a distinctive bandanna on the road;it turne out to be Al L's, with the distinctive cannabis-leaf print. Al is the last person I woudl expect to carry such a bandanna, so I knew it was his, and I picked it up and returned it to him at Allentown.
After we got to Allentown, for the ride back to Etra, we were joined by Vern H and Bruce. The six of us headed up Old York Road, and I could see that Vern and Bruce were ready to pull out... but I could also see that others were falling back, and could use a pull into the headwind; I resisted the urge to ride off with Vern and Bruce (after all, ya dance with them as brung ya), but we did alter the route to have a little more distance together with Vern and John, who were continuing their rides back to their homes. (See? I'm not the only one who adds miles; I'm not even the worst offender.)
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