seeming verb: last of winter (we hope) ride

Sunday, March 8, 2015

last of winter (we hope) ride

Laura OLPH's ride for Saturday was called off. Snakehead Ed didn't want to do his hilly ride today, due to the fact that the roads in the hills were likely to be treacherous because of the snow melt and re-freezing. But a few of us still wanted to try to get out, so, after a flurry (Snow! Flurry! Hah! I crack myself up!) of emails, a few of us agreed to meet near Tom H's for a later-start ride. Tom was only promising 30 miles, so Laura asked if anyone was interested in a few more from Mercer Park East, so that's where I was at 9:30 this morning (well, actually, about 9:10; I'm pathologically early).

And what should I see, but Laura riding in from home. Roads were clean enough for her to do that! We got set to head for the ride start, when Laura got a call from Snakehead Ed; he'd lost the address for the start, so could we wait for him and he'd ride there with us? OK - so we were a few minutes late getting started.

We did this route. Although many of our concerns (about black ice, ice on the roads, narrow lanes, huge puddles) were well-founded, the roads were good enough that Tom added a few miles; the main ride came in at about 36 miles. We were going to stop at Woody's in Allentown, but Jim Bruno's shop was open, and if he was gonna be open on a day like this, I was gonna spend some cash there; I got some hot chocolate (courtesy of Laura) and a patch kit. Snakehead Ed had Jim look up some of the frames he's been eying for a bike that's not exactly a gravel bike, not exactly a cross bike, and not exactly a fat bike.

On the way back, we had a steady headwind (shades of Winter Larry!). By the time I got back to the park, I was glad of not having to go further; I didn't envy Laura her eight more miles (even though it meant she'd have 60 for the day).

It was pretty at the park, though. Before we left, below: