The Weekend of Cool Temps & Some Riding

I showed up with approximately 25 others for the COP Roving Ride out of Pataskala.  Like many (most) days so far this year it was yet again cold, cloudy, windy and the threat of rain.  By the way, I loaned my white, translucent "Showers Pass" jacket to someone late last year and have forgotten to whom I made the loan.  If any of you find that you have a jacket matching this description and can't figure out how you acquired it, it's mine and please return it. 

We departed the parking lot under thick clouds but abruptly, the sun crept through for a millisecond.  Upon seeing this, Corvair said, "Oh, I hope the sun stays out."  Looking skyward, I wondered if she had both oars in the water, so to speak.  We headed east on Blacks and then north on Canyon.  The group gifted me the climb on Canyon so at the top I took advantage of the 2 seconds and changed out of a too hot jacket.  The group approached and kept going.  I coasted down, climbed through the next series of hills and was losing enthusiasm for the ride.  I promised myself, if the group was waiting at James Road I would keep going but if not, I would take that as a sign that I should turn around.  Whew, they did not wait and so I turned around.  Finished with a measly....

....26 miles and discovered someone, Larry P I suspect, had deposited a banana peal on my windshield.  Glad I bugged out as radar showed rain scattered everywhere.  Then I showed up at the River Road Coffee House on Sunday morning for John Martin's ride although many were missing as they were at the New York Gran Fondo.  Still, a good group of Tym & Lisa Tyler, Jeff and Karen Nichols, John, Kym and Anthony Sada and three tri-types.  However, the tri-types were preparing at a speed that suggested they would just as soon prefer we left without them and so we did, 11 minutes after the official departure time.

We rode to Centerburg and back for a none too impressive 51 miles but we all had a good time.  Some day I'll put together a top 10 of best cycling personalities and surely Lisa Tyler would make such a list.  Between the tales of her experience working with United Airlines to her time on the bike, she is one fun person to be around.  Let's see, who else would make such a list...Marty for sure, Kenda Janet of course, Larry P, Ron Budzig...actually, it would take a list of 20-30 to squeeze everyone in there who deserves to be on the list.  Fortunately, those making the other list, the least enjoyable people to hang with while cycling would  be very, very short.  Well, Tuesday is shaping up to be another 100 mile day, split between a morning ride probably to Zanesville and then that fun New Albany ride in the evening.

I think many of us will ride the COP Roving Ride out of Pataskala but the distance is only 57 miles.  I took the liberty of adding to the
official route to create a total distance of 78 miles.  We would stay on the official route, riding with whomever for the first 30 miles
before going off route and heading towards Utica.  Some of us may do another loop to Bladensburg to get 100 miles, something to discuss while we are taking a quick break in Utica.  See you at 9:00am.  Check out the COP web site for additional ride details.  Here is a link to the amended route:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4737208