I led a ride that The Excellent Wife (TEW) came along on. It went great; we had a great time, along with the more-than-a-dozen riders that came along. Among those were Laura OLPH, Tom H, and Jack A, three of my friends from Laura's Hill Slugs and Tom's Insane bike Posse, with whom I haven't been able to ride recently due to either weakness or scheduling. This ride was paced below their level, but they came out because I haven't seen them in a while, and because, apparently, they fell like that is what friends do. they came along for ten miles of our ride, and then went off on their own, and I'm just beside myself with gratitude.
The rest of the group I led did this route (if you're paying attention, it's almost the same as the group rides I led earlier in the season). I had advertised a low C+, but we brought it in as am mid C+ and everybody seemed to be happy, even the folks at the back. A rider who'd had a bit of trouble on an earlier ride came along, and I don't know who was happier when she finished strong: she or I. And what matter is it, anyway?
(Sssh. Don't tell anybody. This is the tenth ride I've led in 2018, after having to postpone FOUR of them for rain on the weekends I planned. I want a jersey next April!)
Yes, there's a picture album on Photobucket. I gotta find a new hosting site; any ideas?
After the picnic lunch, I did a quick class on tire changing. I did all the work; if I do it again, I'll make a point to tell people to bring their own bikes and have three or four people work on a single bike. But the people in the class seemed to be satisfied, even if I wasn't.
We talked about a few things I promised I'd link to. I get my sunglasses at SafetyGlassesUSA.com; the type I use is the Uvex Genesis because a prescription insert is available. To get the lenses inserted, I couldn't find a local guy to do it, but the folks at LensesRX will put lenses in your frames for a reasonable cost (go for the progressive lenses; I tried the bifocals and it was a stupid economy that didn't work).
I also talked about the cheap tubes I get, these Duro from JensonUSA. The price has soared to $3.79 from the $3.00 I remember paying (possible in response to Our Orange President's tariffs), but the price is still good if you buy 'em in bulk and add enough stuff to qualify for the free shipping at $50.
So the laundry's in, I ate too much, and I'm doing another ride out of Franklin tomorrow. TEW and I are still glad of each other's company (which was not the case for much of LAST Saturday). I'm planning to attend the Freewheeler Board meeting on Monday, and there's already talk of getting me on the board, and I haven't even shown up yet!
Life could be worse.
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