d ride 7/20/14

Since my first D ride of the season, I've had email correspondence telephone conversations with the club president, and a board member has been despatched to two of my rides to make sure that all the rules were being followed.

I had no idea I was such an outlaw.

In the board member's defense, there have been two riders on two of my rides (one each) without helmets. In my defense:

1. The first joined the ride after the start, and did not hear the safety speech;
2. The second joined the ride on a day I had to change the route on the spot; there was a half-marathon at the place I planned to start, with a certain amount of chaos resulting;
3. I now keep two extra helmets in the car when I drive to ride starts (although I don't always drive);
4. The ride announcements on my blog usually include a notice that helmets will be required.

In any case, both my The Excellent Wife (TEW) and Laura OLPH decided to risk being outlaws with me today on the "D" ride I led from Blackwells Mills today. I had gotten an email from a Susan, but she was not at the start when it was time to go.

You may find the route link confusing. I rode from home to Blackwells Mills, then up to Millstone, then back down to Blackwells Mills, where I met John S. then I went out along Canal Rd to see if anyone had parked in the wrong spot. We got the riders together, and went down to Kingston and returned, at a stately, not to say regal, pace. TEW decided she wanted some more miles, so we went up to Millstone (for the second time today, for me). Then I rode back home.

On the way down to Kingston, we came up to the Other Terhune farm, and Laura was taken with the look of the old farm implements. She didn't have her camera, so I took some pictures for her; you'll see them below.

After this stop, I looked in my mirror, and saw that a young lady in black was riding along behind us. After a while I dropped back to chat with this "stowaway", and discovered that she was the Susan of the email; she'd gotten a late start, and caught up with us after we stopped at the farm.

And so down to the Main St Cafe, where we met Ken G and the group from his Sunday "Come Ride Hills with Hart's" ride. TEW, Ken, and I chatted about his luck about meeting people he knows everywhere he goes - even in foreign countries!

And then back. On the way back, TEW noticed that Susan's back tire was low, and had me pump it up. You don't suppose TEW's turning into a ride sweep, do you?

Pictures. At the start:

At the farm. (Did these come out OK, Laura?)

Sue, who caught up with us:

Meeting up with Ken G's ride: