july 4 before-the-rain ride

Last week, I was unhappy with the ride offerings for today's All-Paces July 4 ride, so I nagged Laura OLPH into leading one. She gave up her lead for tomorrow, and agreed to lead a B-pace ride today.

And then there was all that weather predicted. We didn't get the bulk of the hurricane (that went to North Carolina), but we had rain yesterday, and the promise of rain today. I agonized about whether to go to the ride... but Laura was goin', and I really didn't feel like I could beg off.

I went to the start, and there were only a few people there. Normally, the lot is full and parking is at a premium at the lot for this ride, but I don't think there were twenty cars total at the time we left. A few rides did go out, and Laura's was the last; one of the folks had a flat before we started. As we were waiting, a latecomer rolled up: one of the fast boys, who decided to roll with us for a while.

So seven of us started. We did this route. Laura planned it to ride into the wind on the way out (well done, Laura!) and the wind mostly at our back on the return. It was an un-Hill-Sluggy route, in that there were few hills and much straight-out-and-straight-back.

Laura had planned to stop at the Wawa on the corner of 206 & 518, but they don't often let us use the lavatory. I remembered there was a bagel place close, and we went there. It was under construction, so we went into their temporary storefront. Well, they treated us like folks, and the proprietor-fellow told us about his bike adventures and brought us out a fresh-from-the-oven bagel that we split (can we go back there, please?).

By the time we finished there (the fast boy had split off before we got to the stop), some of us were worryin' that we were pressin' our luck with the weather, and we opted for a straight-back route in hope of beating the rain home. And while we had a few drops, there was no real rain - not on the way back, not as we were packing up the cars and saying our goodbyes. In fact, the rain held off until I started typing up this post.

Some pics. At the parking lot:

Empty, huh?

Below, Mike & Theresa. They had to leave before the start; Mike wound up with a mechanical problem.

Below, at the stop. I like this picture of Kermit.