in the teeth of the wind

It's been a while since I rode out of Cranbury. but when Tom H advertised a flat, low-B 40-or-so, I figured that would be a good option for the last weekend of the year. Nobody else had a B ride posted from that starting point (the most popular in the Club), so I figured I'd be dragooned into sweeping for the large group that would undoubtedly show up.

Not so much. Tom had four takers (Ricky G, Winter Larry, Eric, and me). Peter F had a larger group in his B+ ride.

It was a windy day. The wind was supposed to be out of the west, so Tom planned a more-or-less north-south route in hopes of keeping us out of the worst of it. It was a strategy that was, at best, somewhat effective.

Wee took off at a good clip heading down to Allentown. And sometimes, teh wind was a treat; we had it at out back on Nurko Road, and I remember thinking (as I do), "This is a tailwind; I am NOT this strong". But as we came about west, as we did on Clarksburg-Robbinsville in the Assunpink, and on Polhemustown, I was feelin' the wind. I was glad for Ricky's pull.

We stopped at Woody's in Allentown,

...where there was this fully-faired recumbent trike, with the subtle color outside.

It was clear, among the patrons at Woody's, who the rider was. We got to chatting with him about bikes and stuff (well, DUH!). He had ridden in from the shore somewhere; he had the usual remarks about faired recumbents (not great on hills, little wind resistance, warmer in the cockpit than you would think).

And then back. Tom did the same thing on this ride that he had done on the last, on which there was also some wind; he took us INTO the wind for a few miles right after the break: on Gordon, and then a little later on Windsor to Church. Tom said we'd be grateful when the wind blew us the last few miles into Cranbury. (Winter Larry heard about this plan, and decided to ride straight back; his decision might have been the better part of valor.) Ricky allowed me to pull for a bit. He knows when I need an ego boost.

The last part of the ride WAS an easy one back to Cranbury. I'm just not sure it was worth the work.

To assuage our ire, though, Tom had brought along some Christmas baked stuff from his house. There is little that is not improved by the judicious application of chocolate, sugar, and empty calories.

Ride page.

Tomorrow, The Excellent Wife (TEW) has planned a date in Philadelphia: to the Rim Cafe for artisanal hot chocolate, and then to various Christmas-y hokinesses to try to drive the last of the Ebenezer Scrooge from my psyche. It sounds great.