steve's ride was just the thing

I wanted to get a group ride in today. I knew if I went out on my own, I'd probably do about 25 miles and be back, which isn't bad, but it isn't really enough. Neither Laura OLPH nor Tom H listed a ride for today. In fact, the only rides listed were the one for the B+ fastboys (oh, heck, no!), Prem's B ride (averaging 16+mph -- maybe in June or July, but not in February; my legs haven't gotten into summer shape yet)... and a C+ ride posted by Steve S.

Now, I normally ride at B pace, and it felt like a concession to drop  level. But, truth to tell, most of the rides I lead come in at a high C+ pace anyway. And I was specifically avoiding a B ride that I felt like was going to be too fast.

So who am I trying to kid?

So i showed up early for Steve's ride, and who was there but Chris C, also normally a B rider. Well, that made me feel better.

There was also Madhu A, who came along on my ride last weekend, Barry Y, and a couple of riders I didn't know, Pete and Bill.

Steve had posted his route, so I knew that the ride would go along some roads that we usually avoid due to traffic... but they were fine today. What was memorable, though, was the headwind. Laura OLPH says that riding into a headwind is good training for riding into headwinds (implying it's not much good for anything else), and we got a bit of that training today. A couple of riders turned back early after deciding that this was a bit more than they could handle.

The rest of us went on. We went along Sloan Ave, close enough to the Grounds for Sculpture to see these guys:

There's stuff I love about NJ.

On to the stop at the Whole Earth Market. I know this as a health-food grocery, but they had food enough to make a stop. A couple of us had real food, but I engaged in my usual empty calories. Coffee wasn't obviously available, but there were some perfectly good Espresso Chocolate Chip cookies that gave me sustenance to get home on.

And back. We went through the Sarnoff compound, and then straight up through Plainsboro back to the Cranbury Village Park start. I made a pilgrimage stop at the repair station.

It's good enough that you can actually do useful work there!

Ride page.

I'm leadin' tomorrow. It'll probably be about the same pace, although a smidge longer. Y'wanna com out?

ride for feb 9 2020

Time to do another ride to the Pig. The way there will look mostly like this route, but the way back won't; I had a credible complaint about Hamilton Ave in Princeton, so we'll try something else. 45-50 miles.

Start at 10am at the Blackwells Mills/Six  Mile Run lot (local address is 625 Canal Road in Franklin, but the map shows better at about 643 Canal Road). There's an iffy prediction of rain that will (I hope) have passed by then.

Usual low-B pace, I expect. I get a range of different abilities coming along these days, so we let the quick ones go off the front, and we wait for the ones in the back, OK?

Princeton Freewheelers club ride; non-members get one free. Link to listing on PFW web page.

as advertised

Back about three weeks ago, I wrote about a ride on which I had adjusted and shortened the route because of the weather prediction; I didn't want my charges out in the rain. Well, today the predictions were less ominous, so I decided to do the route I had planned for that ride.

The weather did cooperate, and seven decided to come out, many of whom had pre-registered. We had Peter G, Tom H, Laura OLPH, Dave H, Prem R, Marco B (who brought a single-speed -- well, I was impressed and a bit shamed!), and a woman, new to me, Madhu A. Madhu had contacted me asking if I thought she could manage this ride, since I keep it low in the B range. I pointed her to some of our recent ride pages, to see the averages and climbs, and apparently she thought she'd be able to keep up. I was sure that if she started to fall back, some of The Usual Suspects, my regulars, would watch out for her.

We needn't have worried. She did fine; at some points she was out ahead, a-prancin' and a-dancin' like my noble Stewball.

We did one of my usual routes that goes end-to-end on East Mountain Avenue. As usual, I was about last.

We stopped at the Thomas Sweet in Montgomery... but Dave H decided that the pizzeria next door was a better offer for him.

The rest of us went for empty calories and caffeine, or the road food we'd brought.

At the Thomas Sweet, at the next table was this knitting and crocheting club. I think having club meetings at the Thomas Sweet is a great idea. I may go back to knitting! (I made that multi-colored neck gaiter some of youse have seen on these rides.)

Prem's winter bike:

Below, Marco's single-speed. You'd never know it from the way he takes the hills. He said there weren't any serious hills on this ride, but between Homestead Road, the hill on East Mountain, and the annoyance on Opossum, I know of riders who would happily take exception.

Ride page. I'm always surprised when I get such a group on a cold day. Maybe youse oughta come out!

we four

Laura OLPH's ride was gonna start from the Pig today, but there wasdrizzle when I got there about half an hour before the ride was to start. Her return text indicated the ride was still on, so I went inside, delighted to find that Stylish Barista Woman was working.

I figured we'd probably stop for coffee afterwards, and was glad to see a large collection of empty calories for our enjoyment.

I got my Americano and went out to get set up.

As I did, Bob N drove up, and then Peter G rolled in. At about 9:30, as expected, Laura rode in... but, unexpectedly, she was alone. So there were just the four of us on this ride.

We did the widdershins Sergeantville route that I liked so much better than the usual route the last time we did it. Even though the day was grey, this time I stopped on Yard Road to get some of the pictures I didn't get last time. Yard Road is one lane (maybe one-and-a-half) through farms; it's hard to believe we're in the most densely-populated state in the Union.

(I call that "Adirondack Sag".)


It just wasn't a day for getting pictures of riders.

We stopped at the Sergeantsville store. Bob N decided that he would get a plate of the dumplings that are one of the house specialties. I had a couple. They're better than I would have thought. Some might not choose 'em for ride food, but on this cold, drizzly day, they weren't a bad choice.

We didn't see a lot of other bikers out; I remember three passing near the Sergeantsville store as we were mounting up to leave, and asking them what kind of crazies would got out on a bike on a day like this.

Then back to the Pig, to see this:

Oh, well. I had other stuff to do today, anyway.

Ride page.

ride for feb 2 2020

A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to do a 36-mile ride over my usual roads, but the snow on the roads made me change the route. Let's try that 36-mile route again this week (probably this one, more or less).

PFW club ride; PFW club rules apply. We usually bring it in at a pace that's so low-B that it looks like a high C+ (need to see the pace table?). Start at 10 at Blackwells Mills/Six Mile Run lot (rain is predicted the day before, so some of the trail riders might not come out if the trail is muddy; there should be parking).

If you pre-register, I can pre-print your info on the ride sheet and all you have to do is sign (am I the only one who hates filling out ride sheets?), and you'll get a notification if I cancel. I don't intend to do that, but who knows?

Hope to see youse. (I had nine last week. I'm as surprised as you!)

a bunch of annoying hills

Rowdy lookin' assemblage, ain't they?

Good heavens, NINE riders came out for my 38-miler out of Blackwells MIls today. Laura OLPH described the route as "a bunch of annoying hills",and I don't dispute her facts (look at the elevation profile on the ride page), although I think the collective noun for "annoying hills" needs to be something other than "bunch". We came up with a few alternatives:

• An affliction of annoying hills;
• An infection of annoying hills; 
• A hassle of annoying hills (thanks to Bob N for that one).

I'm opening the comments to suggestions for the best collective noun for the purpose. The favorite will win a mention in a future post and my admiration, and nothing else.

But nine riders, on a day that didn't top 45°F. Ricky G, Peter G, Tom H, Jack H, Dave H, Laura OLPH, Ira N (a fast boy, new to me), Bob N, and Pete R. I'm honored that they figured my ride was the best option for their day.

(I need to assign a few more nicknames to The Usual Suspects; the simple recitation of names needs some more flavor.)

The new-to-me fellow, Ira N, gets special mention for two reasons: first, he had excellent socks (I collect bike socks, even if only in pictures):

And second, for the arresting aero brakes on his Trek bike. They're reminiscent of the fabled Campagnolo Deltas:

In that picture above, you can see an aero baffle that extends when the fork is turned. But I just think the brakes are gorgeous. On no other bike, perhaps, with the aero feature work the was it does on that Trek, but the brakes are beautiful, even with the road grit on 'em.

I don't think they're TRP T860's; do you?

Now, these folks can complain (I'm sure they will), but I avoided what I consider the most annoying hill by rerouting to avoid that climb up to Mount Rose. The elevation is the same, but the climb is spread over a much longer distance by going up Bayberry rather than Carter. And on Bayberry, you get to see... SHEEP!

Oh, my stars.

Near the golf course:

We stopped at the Boro Bean:

Bike pics:

Peter G had turned off to go home before the stop, and we dawdled too long at the Boro Bean for Ira and Dave, who left before the rest of us. Laura turned off to go home, and whe the rest of us turned up on Hollow Road, Ricky G went straight back on 518 (which is straighter and flatter than my route, but longer). So this was another ride of attrition... but I've already used that title at least once, and the collective for "annoying hills" was too good to miss.

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