Pardon the wet on the lens for the first many pics.
Mike V took nineteen of us on a 73-mile ride from Ringoes to Easton, PA... with about 4000' of climb!
He planned a number of good-idea stops along the way. The first was to this Cervenka Farm in Flemington. I wa sweeping this large group, so pulled in late, to hear a caterwauling and threatening to call the police originating in the office.
The story as I heard it was that a number of riders, not seeing toilets, asked a person who appeared to be staff if it was OK if they relieved themselves on a field; the answer they got was a noncommital assent, and so they did. But apparently a higher-up woman took exception; threatened to call the cops, took my name and the name of club president Ira Saltiel, and kept up the caterwauling and abuse until we finally left. I don't know if we will ever get to the truth of what went on. What I do know is that no cyclist ever needs to buy from, or stop at, Cervenka Farm ever again.
Back on the road:
From there, we went to Mad Lavender farm in Milford, replete with goats, aging hippies, and the music of my high-school years. They were much more welcoming. Mad Lavender offers "An artfully designed venue for celebration modeled for earth-kind consciousness with a zero-waste ideal. An educational environment for sustainable living." (It might make a day trip with TEW.)
Thence to Easton, PA:
We stopped for lunch at a local market.
...and then rolled around to see the statue of Larry Holmes:
And back to Jersey.
The truth is, however, that this was a demanding ride, and not all of the participants were up to it. I swept at Mike's request, and I'm glad I did; there were some who needed the encouragement and the extra eye. There were troublesome hills, and there were other difficulties: we got split up in Easton, and I came down 611 in Pennsylvania for eight miles, sweeping a slow contingent of riders, with a parade of cars behind getting longer and angrier because the first of them was unwilling to pass (several cars swerved around that driver, and passed us, honking and swearing). On the last few hills, it was not clear that the last few riders were going to make it up.
It was also a long day; I had to leave the parking lot immediately to make a commitment I had for the late afternoon. I didn't get to hear about the ride from the other riders.
I had listed a 40-or-so-miler for today. and I have known for DAYS that I had it listed for 8:30 am... only I hadn't; I'd listed for 8am, and my riders were patient and pleasant when I responded to a "where are you" text and rolled in a few minutes late. We went to that Italian Bakery in Raritan. I had hoped to avoid the milled road in Dukes Farm, but two problems arose: first, part of the milling is on Auten BEFORE Dukes Farm, and second, the paths I intended to take were not only closed, but locked behind no-nonsense gates.
After yesterday's ride, I was not fast, but I think that worked out well: Mini B came along, who is not usually up to my B rides. She is not fast up a hill (although she is better than she thinks she is), but she did very well with us on the flats. I am impressed with her, as were Albert P and Eric H, who came along, and Dave H, who not only swept, but provided coaching to Mini (he's talented at that; I love to see him coach newer riders).
I didn't get pictures.
And now I'm beat. I'm glad for a few days of work, so I can recover from the abuse to which I set myself.
