frock coat mockup

 It wants a heavier fabric, a lining, some stiffening interfacing, and some hems and finishing...

... and the cuffs want to be a bit wider (but I can adjust the pattern for that). Other than that, the mockup went together well.

Everything you're heard about jacket sleeves is true; they're hard to get right. Even in the mockup, I had to fit in a sleeve head.

When I get the fabric, I'll make the lining and facings first; I want to add some inside pockets (at least one on each side, wide enough to old my wallet, and deep enough to hold my phone), and doing the lining sleeves will give me a chance to practice sleeves again before making the jacket shell. The shell will be a midweight grey suiting fabric; the lining will be satin. Nobody's got my preferred teal or peacock blue in stock; I may want to do a burgundy instead.

not too old for this

 

Tom H invited some friends on a ride, mostly flat, near a development where he's got a bid in on a new home. In that there were no bridges out, and the only really bad surface was that bit of Rochdale leading to the Assunpink, it was an unusual Tom ride.

It was also unusual in that I got an average that was pretty respectable (and, now that I'm no longer posting ride report blog posts to Facebook, I can say that, probably without engendering the ensuing breast-beating and recriminations about how I'm implying one needs to be able to ride at a particular pace to be a "real" cyclist. Do I still have a resentment about that episode? Yep, I do).

We had a tailwind on the way out, and at the stop, my average was just shy of 17mph, a number that's rare on my rides (and that surprised me, frankly). Well, a tailwind on the way out usually means a headwind on the way back, and Aeolus did not disappoint. I remember riding through Sharon in the drops, head down, pushing against the wind, and thinking, "I'm too old for this."

Except I got back with an average of 16.4 (see the ride page), so evidently, I'm not.

How 'bout a few bike pics from the stop at the Wawa in Jackson?

Above, Tom's Feather. The fork is straight; not with the curve common in most forks; there's an angle right at the crown for the rake-trail stuff. It probably makes the handling slightly different, but I doubt I'm sensitive enough to notice the difference. (It's a neat look, though, and I like the high-polish of his titanium).

In other news, I wore one of my new, handmade jerseys on this ride, and now Laura OLPH wants one. We're working out the details.

the hardest way possible

Laura OLPH emailed earlier in the week that she'd been tipped off, via a Facebook post, to a new coffee shop in Lamberville: Union Coffee, and we should go visit to see if it might be a replacement for the late Sourlands Coffee. She decided to list a ride that would stop there.

We left from Twin Pines in Pennington.

Laura started right out by leading us on roads that, while familiar, were not the usual routes. I knew we were in for misery when she called for a turn onto Province Line.

Have a look at the elevation diagram:

If that's not enough, go look at the ride page.

Of course we got separated on those hills, and had to wait for each other to catch up.

Union Coffee was worth it, though (although Laura complains that there's not enough outdoor seating; she readily admits, however, that she's not ready to sit indoors at anything like a restaurant, and is not likely to be so, soon). I like the Union Coffee because the coffee is good, as are the various junk-food comestibles; the toilet is available; and, despite the LGBTQ+ inclusion flag flying outside, they were kind enough to make space for a boring, old, white, obviously cisgendered biker with too much education and not enough tolerance.

Pardon the poor quality of some of the pictures:

The bikes look like they belong there, too:

On the way back, we did that demanding climb on South Franklin Street and Highland Ave (I'll admit; I requested that). Laura had planned to take us down Woodens to the hills on Pleasant Valley, but we passed that, and did Harbourton-Mt Airy instead.

So it was perhaps not the worst way to get to Lambertville (riding a goat-cart engulfed in flames, for example, might be worse), but it was plenty bad enough.

he might've had a gun

 On today's ride, when we crossed Route 31 at that benighted crossing at Rocktown Road, a pickup or SUV came bearing down on me as I was crossing; he buzzed me close and did not slow. I flipped a bird at him as he passed.

Except he didn't pass. He turned in behind us, demanding to know who flipped the bird at him. He followed us for about a quarter mile, before passing and swearing at all of us. We kept riding; what would be the point of engaging him?

After the incident, I kept thinking: what if he had had a gun? In fact, given his vehicle and his rage, I expect he did.

To hell with him.

frock coat

 Almost twenty years ago, I worked with a woman who had a black suit that consisted of loose-fitting trousers and a knee-length blazer. I don't give a damn about the trousers, but I have been low-key jealous of that jacket for nearly two decades. 

I got the sewing machine specifically to alter bike jerseys, and then to make my own. But I've been altering other clothes, and I made a vest for myself... and I got to thinking about that jacket. So I did some research, and went looking for patterns.

I found this one:

... but that wasn't quite it. Neither was this:

Nor was this:

This, below, was more like it:

The pattern includes the vest, trousers, and tie, about which I don't give a damn... and I don't want the contrasting lapels, but I can just make them up out of the same fabric as the coat body. It will look like a modern blazer with long skirts, which is what I intend.

So I popped for the pattern, and I've been reading through it and learning the theory of how it goes together (for example, you make the entire lining and the entire outer separately, then you sew them together with the insides facing out starting at the collar, and then you turn the whole assembly right-side-out through the bottom hem, which you then sew up to close). 

Today I cut out all the pattern pieces; below you can see about two-thirds of 'em, adjusted to my size:

 

I'm thinking of a dark-grey main fabric (darker than the photo on the pattern envelope, but not quite black), and a deep teal lining. Laura OLPH has taken to calling it a "Dr. Who" coat.

Almost...

(The pattern doesn't include inside pockets, but mine will.)

the return of the holy kickstand, and only one bridge out

 Before the ride, Tom H brought out the Holy Kickstand, in its new and improved form.

(I hope you can forgive my tremor in that video.)

The ritual has been updated to reflect the needs of the modern believer. (I'm a little tremulous in that video, too.)

Some in the congregation:

Now in the proper spirit, we headed up to Three Bridges. Along the way, we picked up Alf for a while, with whom I've ridden in the past; I didn't get a picture of him when we stopped near the Bessie Grover park.

I don't remember where these cows were... but the cowherdess overseeing them was most engaging. (By that time, Alf had gone his own way.)

At the Wawa on 206, I was smitten by the front fork and brake on Ricky's purple Cinelli.

We came back over roads I sometimes lead over. When we got to the 206/Amwell highway, we debated taking it over to Hillsborough Road. We investigated the bridge, with fears of grumpy constables dancing in our heads.

It WAS passable, with some bike-carrying.

Ride page.

I'm not as worn-out as I thought I'd be, or as I have been after past rides. Is it possible I'm getting back in shape?

forgot...

 I forgot to post about this ride. Since I'm avoiding Facebook these days, and get fewer than a dozen views when I do put up a post, I think I feel like it's less rewarding to post.

I was gonna call this "flat, and colder than I thought", because it was both.

 

And of course there was a bridge out - after all, Tom H had scheduled the ride.

Ride page on RideWithGPS.com

Sorry there's not more of a post. I'm preoccupied with work, health, why have I gained 5-10 lbs, retirement, downsizing the house, and a number of other concerns. I'll get back on track soon, I'm sure.