doin' gary w's sunday ride, plus extra miles with ed c

Yesterday The Excellent Wife (TEW) and I went into Philadelphia to meet my sister; she's visiting from Buffalo with a church choir that had an invitation to sing. We did the Wanamaker Organ Concert (part of a series of concerts on the organ throughout the day), and lunch at the Reading Terminal Market, and a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was a great day, and we were happy to see each other... but I was in need of a group ride today.

Of the offerings available, I decided I wanted to do Gary W's ride (especially after Laura had dished him earlier this month), partly to see if I could do it, and partly to see some of the folks who would likely be there. I decided to ride in from Bagel Street in Plainsboro to add a few miles, and, in my early-morning email, there was one from Ed C asking what I was doing. He decided to come along.

 I had every intention of taking a leisurely pace on the extra miles, but we didn't; we made the eight-or-so miles to Etra fairly quickly. We picked up fourteen others, so we sixteen total to do this route (and we picked up two more along the way).

Gary's ride was fast. At least one of the riders didn't know about the reputation, and wound up hanging on the back and catching up at the stops; a few of us took turns making sure he didn't fall off entirely. My average was lower, but I think Ed said he had 17.4mph on the ride. But it was a great day, and I got a few good sprints in (and a few good hills to zip up; fun, but not long enough).

I got to talk to John, a heldentenor who's having career-decision blues; he might be too old for the young musicians festivals, and if he can't get a career in performance, he might like to do music therapy with PTSD sufferers. He's from Nashville, and we had a good time comparing the craziness of the mid-South with that of the Garden State.

We stopped at the Wawa on Cranbury Road, and I think it was after that that someone said Laura OLPH had been spotted, but I didn't see her. I'd thought she wasn't planning to ride today, but it may just have been that a full group ride was more than she wanted t do (or she may not have been there at all!).

Also at the Wawa, I gave a Freehweeler's card to an inquisitive young man who had questions about bikes. Maybe he'll come out - but those cards were a good idea. I think Winter Larry gets the credit for that.

Pictures. At the start:

Getting started:

At the stop:

Father and daughter: