got rained on anyway

Tom H, Laura OLPH, and some others planned a ride in the hills of NJ & PA, leaving from Bull's Island, for today...

... but the weather called for possible rain and thunderstorms, and when I saw the worry in the eye of The Excellent Wife (TEW), I decided that the better part of valor was to do a flat ride, rather than worry about coming down the hills with wet brakes. So I went out with Ira S from Cranbury. 

I got there early, of course, and met Mark H, who was to go out with Neil C for about 60 miles. I thought at the time they were tempting fate, and the rain gods, by planning that long of a ride, and decided to stick to my plan of going with Ira... but, of course, I had to add some miles; the route shows my ride into Plainsboro and back, along with his route down to Clarksburg. As I usually do for Ira, I swept. I got to hang out with Erich W for a bit, and Spence, and Cliff, who lets me park in his lot, and Ken L, who was one of my favorite ride leaders when he led rides. Some folks needed the sweep, and some didn't.

And while it started out a reasonably cloudy day, after the stop in Clarksburg, we got rained on a little, then the sun came out for a bit, then we got rain and sun at the same time... and then we got rain. Not driving rain, not miserable rain, but inescapable, means-business rain. Several pulled over to put smartphones in dry places; others took off their glasses because, as rain-covered as they were, they were more hindrance than help. And though it cleared a bit as we came into Cranbury, I, for one, had slippy brakes and squitchy shoes, even as I put the bike back in the car.

The bike was sandy and muddy when I got it home, and I decided to clean it up - which was good, as the sand (or something) was gumming up the shifting, as well. After a take-the-wheels-off-and-wipe-and-rinse cleaning, I cleaned up the brakes and wheel surfaces, and adjusted the shifting. I may have fixed an intermittent problem I've had where the rear derailleur doesn't shift cleanly from four to five (it just clicks and I have to over-shift and shift back, and it makes me crazy).

While I was working on the bike, and once since, there have been short rain showers as well. I hope Tom H et cie. are well, and I'm glad I didn't go with. I willing to take the possible ribbing about wussing out on the ride in return for being safe; I've heard too many stories of accidents (including those of Don S, and Ken L), and I'll lean towards caution (for today, anyway).

Last week, I bought a top-tube bag for my camera. Because of the threat of rain (the bag is open), I didn't bring the camera today... but I'm hoping to put up more pictures.