old guys back to old world bakery

I work a nine-days-in-two-weeks-schedule, and get every other Wednesday off. In September, that will go to every other Friday, so I wanted to get in today's ride-to-the-ride with Erich W, as I may not have many opportunities left to do so. The Old Guys leave from Byron Johnson Park in Allentown on Wednesdays, but Erich, and whoever else decides to go, rides from Etra Park in Hightstown to Allentown, adding about ten miles in each direction. Bob W, Al L, and I joined Erich today.

We rode down to Allentown at a somewhat faster pace than other recent rides. I brought the camera, and only got three decent pictures out of the fifteen I shot. Here are two of all of us assembling at Allentown:

(...which reminds me: That gal with her back to you, in the black jersey with the red slash triangle, is Irene; she asked to be remembered to Laura OLPH. A nifty Lynskey she has!)

We did one of leader Dennis W's favorite routes, to the Olde World Bakery in Pemberton (or thereabouts). Here are a few of my fellows solving the problems of the universe:

On the way back, one of the guys was having real trouble keeping up; I dropped back to make sure he made it back. He complained of leg and knee pain, but I thought he was out of breath as well. He made it back to Allentown, but we were slow... and I got closely acquainted with my saddle, as I wasn't pedaling hard enough to keep much weight off it. After the ride back to Etra, I was grateful to sit on the car seat again.

Al had taken off by the time we were above I-195, and I had to resist the urge to chase him. Erich and Bob were with me, and I'm trying to squelch that competitive urge (at least sometimes), and I'm a believer in the adage, "You dance with them what brung ya." Erich is the convener of the ride-to-the-ride (it's way too chaotic to be said to have a "leader"), and I wanted to go back with him and Bob.

And I did.