the real mccoy

Is it an earthquake or simply a shock?
Is it the good turtle soup or merely the mock?
Is it a cocktail, this feeling of joy?
Or is what I feel the real McCoy?

Is it for all time or simply a lark?
Is it Granada i see or only Asbury Park?
Is it a fancy not worth thinking of?
Or is it at long last love?

(Cole Porter, At Long Last Love) 

I had this song in my head the whole ride today.

The Excellent Wife (TEW) and I have been under siege this week; we've been having the condo painted by contractors with effective technique, and apparent fond feelings for us, but with inefficient scheduling (I would have no problem recommending the quality of their work, and the price is reasonable, but plan for at least one late night or an extra day if you hire them). Laura OLPH had scheduled a ride for today, and I had built up my hopes to do it, and when the painters were running late, my mood got exceptionally sour. TEW, as she often does, managed to mitigate my crankiness and disappointment... but then, the painters were out by about 8pm last night, the clouds parted, birdsong was in the air, and I happily registered for Laura's promised 40-45 miles with some hills.

(I also got a particularly graceless picture of Heddy B; I will spare us both by not posting it.)

Laura decided on her usual route to Sergeantsville, over roads that we've done frequently enough that even I, with my hopeless sense of direction on a bike, more-or-less knew the way when we got to the usual turns. And for this early in the season, all of us seemed to be strong on the climbs.

I loved this ride. This was the real McCoy.

We greeted the girls in Mt Airy:

 

We stopped at the bagel place in Seargentsville instead of the general store. While there, a larger group from the Central Bucks club came in.

After the break, it seemed to get colder (I thought it might be a punishment from the gods of tardiness for taking too long on the break), but then the sun came out again.

About three or four miles from the end, I had a minor bonk; I completed the ride, but not at the pace I had been able to maintain earlier. I'm out of practice with knowing how to eat and to maintain weight; I need more riding to get that down (well, DUH!).

With all the cold, and occasional real-life interferences getting in the way of riding, at long last, I was glad to be able to do this one.

Ride page.