bike club event and recovery

Yesterday was the Princeton Freewheelers Bicycle Event, a day on which we sponsor supported rides (with food and drink at rest stops and at the end, and vehicles to pick up the folks who can't complete). I volunteered to help, so I didn't get to do any of the rides, so I did a solo 20-miler in the morning (on the fast bike, the Yellow Maserati*), and then I rode the chores bike (the Krakow Monster) with a pannier full of food and supplies from home to the event location, and back after my shift was done.

*It's the Yellow Maserati, of course, because it is neither yellow nor a Maserati. People who know me will not be surprised by the surrealistic humor. They don't think it's particularly funny, but they know where the joke comes from. Maybe.

The Event was not as well attended as I would have hoped, although the riders who did come out appear to have enjoyed it. I had a good time showing these guys the ins-and-outs of changing a bike tire:

...but the best story of the day was the call I get as we were starting to break things down and put 'em away, from the guy who had left his front wheel behind, and then drive 60 miles home before he realized he'd forgotten it. He got back to pick it up moments before we were all planning to leave. I'll protect his confidentiality by only posting a picture of the wheel in question:

Extra credit if you can identify the rider from the wheel (he wasn't a regular, as far as I could see).

I had planned to be in the office, taking calls on the "I can't ride any more, can you send someone to pick me up?" phone. I hadn't planned on being around to fold and carry a share of all the tables, and chairs, and shade tents back to the parking lot. Nor did I count on the headwind on the way home, making the extra-heavy Krakow Monster even more of a burden than normal (I'd eaten some of the food in the pannier, so it was a bit lighter... but, of course, I was correspondingly heavier, so I'm not sure there was any net improvement).

There's a new album of pictures from the Event over at the Princeton Freewheelers "Photos and Albums" page.

I'd planned a "Recover from the Event" ride for today: a short-and-slow ride, and if nobody had signed up, I might have stayed home and done nothing*, but there were registrants, so I went.

*No, I wouldn't have.

I had six rider, and when I told each that I doubted I'd keep up with the advertised pace, the general reaction was, "Oh, good." Evidently I was not the only one who needed recovery.

I was so tired, I forgot to take my usual plethora of pictures.

We did one of my usual routes, and stopped at the usual Bagel Barn at 206&518. It's a busy place, and if I could think of an alternative, I might try it, but I can't.

After the stop, Ricky and Laura OLPH headed off home. I decided to cut a few miles by heading straight back, instead of using the meandering route that adds about three miles. One of the crew decided she wanted a few extra miles; the others, I think, decided I'd had a rare moment of good sense by truncating the ride.

Ride page, including my rides to and from the start from home.

Off from work this week. The Excellent Wife (TEW) and I have a trip planned, but I might get out with Team Social Security later in the week. Here's hoping your legs aren't as tired as mine.