niche ride

 I've been ambivalent about whether to continue leading the low-B rides out of Franklin on Sundays; some weeks I don't get many takers, and it seems that club members want to ride out of more familiar places, or do flatter routes, or want to go faster than I want to go.

I listed a ride for today, and had only one registrant for most of yesterday, and only two by the time I went to bed (but I'm an early-to-bed kind of guy). 

When I got up this morning, though, I had five; another signed up late, and another came without signing up.

Yeah, that's not all of 'em; Rick W met us about 10-15 miles in.

The day started cold; it was well below 40°F when we started. As we rolled along, it warmed up. Some wardrobe adjustment pics:

I took the group along this route. As we went through ETS, Laura OLPH knew where I wanted to go better than I did; I called for a turn that she took, then I thought I was wrong and rolled on... but she was right (and I should have followed her). I think she was sure I was going to get cranky with her for going her own way, but she had followed the turn I initially called. We made peace quickly. I admitted I was wrong. (That's been happening a lot... although perhaps not enough, if you ask for TEW's opinion).

Laura turned for home at Pennington-Rocky Hill Road; the rest of us stopped at the Boro Bean.

After the stop, I allowed my pace to creep up substantially. Andrew A remarked on it, and then amended his remarks after I ducked into the porta-potty at the Bessie Grover Park.

Andrew and Rick turned off at Griggstown Road; the rest of us went on to cros the canal at Blackwells Mills and return to the start.

I talked to some of the riders, and to The Excellent Wife (TEW) about these rides, and it seems that there's a place for these low-B rides. They may not be the most popular, but they seem to have a following. So I'm sticking with 'em for now.