forgot my gps

I couldn't get out on a club ride yesterday due to a social conflict (fellow club member has a birthday with a 0 in the second spot and an uncomfortably large digit in the first). I took the Krakow Monster, my cyclocross bike, out on a ride that I wasn't sure if I was gonna do 20 or 30 miles, and had a flat at about mile 6. As I was fixing the flat, a group of Major Taylor riders came by and asked if I needed assistance. I said I didn't and they rolled on. A moment later, Dave H and someone rolled bay and asked if I was OK.

It's a shame a guy can't get any help out here, isn't it?

Well, I figured if I'd had a flat already, what were the chances of another? So I decided to do 30, and sure enough, at about mile 23 I had another... and due to the route I'd chosen, I was about a half mile from the place I'd had the first. And sure enough, the Major Taylor guys come by again, and asked, "Are you STILL here?"

Uh, no, I'm here AGAIN. I'm not sure which is worse.

So with a bit of trepidation I packed up the car for Tom H's flattish 50+ from Bordentown. It was enough trepidation that I forgot my GPS, and the ride page actually shows "Front Wheel" Ricky G's results, not mine. (I'm sure I was faster, and had more climbing than he did on the same route.)

I count on having the GPS for the mileage tracking I do for my maintenance log, and for the credit for my points on weight watchers (you probably haven't seen those posts). But it's been worked out.

When I got to the start, there were a lot of people there, but few that I recognized; it turns out that there were riders for a training ride for the Spellbound Brewing Century rides. But eight of us were out for Tom's ride: "Front Wheel" Ricky G, Laura OLPH, Joe M, and Chris, Ralph, and Joe rolled in.

Above, Laura showing off that finishing-school femininity again. She's an inspiration to us.

Below, pretty lugged steel bikes and their riders. I could never justify owning one; I'd be afraid to ride it.

It was a beautiful day; I can't imagine why we weren't inundated with club members coming out. Perhaps they didn't want to travel that far. It couldn't have been because of the elevation; this was a ride to rival the flatness out of Cranbury, and there were long, straight shots where we could spin out our energies.

Personally, I felt strong today (maybe because I wasn't looking at the GPS), and felt like I could have gone on all day. I only remember a few stops at crossings and lights, and one for Laura to take pictures.

We stopped at a Wawa that didn't have a toilet (some of our number wnet to a park across the road) and I got some pictures of the pretty bikes.

One of those might wind up as the background for the Freewheeler website for a while.

Ricky also took some vanity pictures of me that I can use for profile photos. Now I'm 20+lbs lighter, I'm willing to show it off a bit! (But I'll save you that ort of my egotism!)