ride with kims a different way

So it's not enough, I suppose, that I'm saddled with an anxiety disorder; for the past two weeks or so I've had a wicked back pain problem (it seems to be passing now, but I'm wearing a back brace as I type this, and I was walking with a cane last night). Biking is one of the few things I can do that doesn't make the pain worse (probably because I'm sitting down), but I still demurred when Snakehead emailed about needing a challenge before his daughter kicks his ass at Bike Virginia next week; despite the fact that I like to challenge myself with Snakehead Ed, I was afraid of exacerbating the back problem. I told him I'd probably just show up for the Kim's ride at 8am.

Which I did. I had a bit of bike-computer lockup, and lost the first couple miles on the computer (but I got 'em in my legs, which is the important part), but when I got to the shop, the folks I call the Kimbo's were starting to assemble.

Yay! Miguel is back!He was wearing long sleeves and tights after a recent sunburn; he didn't want a repeat/

That's an unrecognizable picture (due to my cheesy camera) above of John and Ryan.

... and Dave came out again. (I hope he's not neglectin' his paternal duties, or any such.)

There was some talk of a change in route (someone didn't want to face the climb at Coppermine), but we started out in the usual direction, and picked up the fast Rutgers boys at the Olde Towne lot in Johnson Park. Snakehead and some of his compatriots were there. 

We went through Bound Brook, and got spread out heading down to the park. I hung back with Francisco and his group, and by the time we got to the assembly point at the other side of Colonial Park, the others were rarin' to go.

But it wasn't until we stopped at Blackwells Mills that the route changes got set. 

Snakehead and his crew went on to Princeton; I went with the Kimbos across the Griggstown Causeway, then back up to Blackwells Mills, up into Somerset and back to the shop. (The Rutgers boys call the causeway at Blackwells Mills, "First Bridge", and the Griggstown Causeway is "Second Bridge". This added to my confusion. Although I'm lost all the time, this is one of the few places I usually ride where I know the road names.)

We got spread out again, partly due to my confusion about who was going where. We headed across at Griggstown, then up River Road, where there was as much traffic as I remember.  As Francisco, Miguel, and I got back onto Blackwells Mills, we saw a few of the others waiting for us (there was a gentle use of the term "slowpokes", as I remember). We headed up into Somerset (more new territory for me; I got lost again), and I almost missed the turn to get back to the shop.

The back pain wasn't a problem on this ride, and I turned in some pretty quick speeds (although I remember thinking, "I'm too old for this", as three young riders whipped past me when I moved aside to let the paceline go through). I like going out with this group... even though the ride is over by about 10:15, I get a full workout in early in the day. And it leaves the rest of the day for a leisurely ride to the CVS for a back brace, and a date with The Excellent Wife (TEW) at O Wow Cow.

You definitely want to check out O Wow Cow.

Oh, yeah. Ride page. Note the missing 2+ miles at the start. And the average should have been higher, but I was whipped by the time I was riding home.