marty and bobbi

 Ever since I did the Columbia Trail with 'em around last Labor Day, I've been thinking I wanted to go out on a ride with Bobbi B and Marty A again, but life, other commitments, and simple laziness got in the way until this week. I heard that Laura OLPH had signed up for their ride today, and I quick went a registered before I got closed out.

They limit their ride to 15, and it was fully subscribed and at least one asked to be added after the ride was full, so I wasn't the only one who wanted to go. At the start:

Above, Eduardo Z offers Altoids to pretty much everybody. I think he mostly wants that excellent aluminum box.

Bobbi and Marty apparently hold Tom H in high regard (which tickles me; I've ridden hundreds, perhaps thousands, of miles with Tom, and he's not one to lord it over anyone). Bobbi, especially, likes Tom's Road Biking New Jersey book, and has led a number of rides on routes based out of it, as today's route was. (Although having ridden with Tom frequently, I have some doubts about this route's authenticity, as there was not a single road closure or bridge out the whole way.) You can see the ride page here, and yes, we really did bring it in at C+ pace; my average was about 13.6mph.

They do this at a C+ pace (13.0-14.9mph, for my club), and once again, this was just the thing; I can keep up and converse... although I still got a workout, between falling behind after getting pictures for someone (Stacy, check your email), or pulling into the wind on Herbert and Sharon Roads on the way back. But it was a great ride; I had a good time on it.

I didn't get the name of the park where we stopped.

No stop for food on this one, but no matter. 

As happens on faster-rated club rides, we split into a faster and slower group; I held back with the slower group to offer support to Bobbi (Marty and he swap the leading and sweeping responsibilities; Marty was leading today), and because I would hate it if anybody fell off the back of the ride or needed help and I weren't there to offer it...

... and did I mention the headwind on Herbert and Sharon? Oh, I see I did.

One of the ways I know that people liked this ride, and probably like one another, is that at the end, we didn't all hustle to the cars and go home, but stood around chatting a while first. (I schmutzed up the lens cover; those pics didn't come out, alas.)

I shouldn't let four or five months go by before I ride with Bobbi and Marty again.