another slow ride

The weather was threatening thunderstorms for today (and, as I write this, there's thunder; they may still come), but I figured I'd plan on going to Johnson Park for the start of the "D" ride I had planned for today. The Excellent Wife (TEW) wasn't too sure... but she decided to come along as well.

I like to do these on the third Sunday, but John W also wanted to do a beginner-rider thing, and the Rutgers students have graduation next week, and tomorrow is Mother's Day... and it just seemed like today was the best day for the schedule. But then the weather was threatening all week.

AND I wanted to do the towpath ride that we didn't get to do last time... but the rumor was that the rains last week had washed out much of the towpath, so a road ride seemed like a better idea. And some of the Rutgers folks wanted a road ride.

Well, the weather held; TEW said that if she'd decided NOT to come, she would have been kicking herself. In fact, by the time we got to the stop, the sun was out and it was hot. But it turned out I needn't have worried about the Rutgers people; Alex B rode with us for about ten minutes, and that was it for them.

Instead, we got Freewheeler Lou, and Bike Exchange volunteer Mike B, and along the way Tom joined us. We did this route from Johnson Park in Piscataway. Speed is higher than posted because I didn't brake on the downhills, and because when I thought I'd lost Lou, I took an opportunity to sprint a bit (it's HARD WORK goin' that slow on the Yellow Maserati!), but we didn't lose anybody, I had everybody in sight all the time (we only got split at a light once, and the front group waited), and the only person complaining was Mike (and if he's not complaining, how are you going to know if he's happy?).

For next month, maybe the towpath, or maybe a ride from Blackwell's Mills down to the Main St cafe. I'm open to suggestion.

Pictures! First one, I took over my shoulder on the road.

Waiting at the light:

At "Deli Bicycles" on Amwell Road: