Tuesday Ride Report--Ain't Love Grand

The happy couple; Andres and Tanya.  Just back from a fabulous, 2 week honeymoon in Europe, they await the arrival of a writer who will interview them for a Pelotonia themed article. From here, I begin my circuitous route of the parking lot, looking for story lines of my own such as....

....ear rings.  Yes, the camera shy Kristie, famous for her baking skills, 5 oven kitchen and Facebook selfies, held still long enough for me to focus on the distinctive ear ring.  Now, I plunge into.....

.....the lone shady spot.  Here, Erik is still talking about the Garrett County Gran Fondo.  You know an event has made an impression on someone when they are still talking about it 4 weeks after the fact. It's probably therapeutic for him but for me, I have placed that box of pain in a compartment deep inside my brain, never to be reopened.

 Good group of 30, practically all compatible in fitness for this group ride.  Quite a few new people too.  We head out old 161, left on 310, right on....you know, the usual route into Alexandria then the Mounts hill climb, a right on a freshly chip n sealed Lobdell where we carefully navigated that and the turn at the bottom onto a normal paved Battee.  The savages were released for the long climb and then.....

....at Louden we regrouped.  Dirty Dan middle left.  Dan was up at 3:00am, flew to DC, gave a presentation at a senior citizen center on the benefits of ED pills, back on the plane and on the bike for our ride.  What a day.  Now, look closely....see the red helmet on the over side of the road?  That's Kristie, laying in poison ivy in search of a unique view of the group.

We got onto Stone Quarry, then Concord then a left on Castle.  Somewhere along that road, people began shouting about gravel and pointing.  Am I the only one who, when a road hazard is pointed, ride right into it? A new guy behind me swerved right and entered a ditch.  I think he stayed upright but we called a halt to the group so he could rejoin.  Above we are pausing but only briefly as we regather and make it to....

....the end of Beaver where we wait for a flat to be fixed.  New guy "Tip" above riding an old Colnogo.  I asked if he is ever called, "Old School."  He's been riding the antique to figure out if he would stick with cycling.  I think he will.  Meantime....

....for unknown reasons, Erik has removed his helmet to fix the flat.  Michael being a nice guy and holding the bike upright.  Erik is able to pump enough air into the current tube to get him back on the bike and then the big payoff.....

....from the trunk of Kristie's car, warm cookies.  Finished with 37 miles and a 19.7 average.