la règle neuf

Today's ride might have been the last listed ride for the Princeton Freewheelers for 2019 that actually occurred. Team Social Security has one listed for tomorrow, but it's been cancelled.

I've been eager to get back to leading on Sundays, and had today free, so I listed one, even though the weather was threatening. And as the week progressed, the weather prediction deteriorated, to the point that I shortened the planned route, and moved the start time earlier.

Despite better judgement, Chris C, and Sophie T, came out.

I planned a shortened route through Princeton, then up to Hopewell, with a stop at the Boro Bean, then up through Skillman and Montgomery back to the parking lot at Blackwells Mills/Six Mile Run. We maintained a pretty quick pace, for a Plain Jim ride. I switched my usual route to take Pretty Brook road instead of Rosedale, and I avoided the climb to Mount Rose (there isn't any less elevation, the way I go, but it's spread out over more distance).

Despite my hopes, as we pulled in at Boro Bean, there were spatters of rain. We made a stop, nonetheless:

(Sophie was taken with this painting, whom I recognized as St George; that is, after all, the approved posture for killing dragons:)

As we were leaving, I spotted Brent D:

...but no time to catch up with him; the rain was dripping and threatening worse. I made an executive decision to abandon the route and head straight back on 518 to Canal Road; it wouldn't save much distance, but it did save some hills.

And it worked fine, until I caught a flat in Rocky Hill. Chris and Sophie were thoughtful enough (and apparently not too cold) to hang around, then we burned some sugar, as my saying goes, getting back to the start.

Chris is sure that the reason the rain held off is that he had his magic rain jacket in his bag, he says it is an unfailing talisman for warding of weather - evidently bad weather only comes when he doesn't have it. As for Sophie, she is from Canada, and considered today's ride as a jaunt for a balmy spring day. But Quebecois, as she is, I decided that the title of today's post would be translated into French. And even though she would probably pooh-pooh the idea of it, I'm considering today's a Rule 9 ride:

Rule 9: If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.