locked-out ride

 When we got to the start at Etra Lake Park, not only was the parking lot still locked, but so was the lot for the athletic field on the other side of Disbrow Hill Road.

A certain amount of consternation ensued; there were texts and calls to people who were coming to the ride, and discussions about where else we could park. A passing resident told us that she believed that at least one of the locks was placed by a neighbor, rather than any municipal employee.

(I've since mustered up my inner Karen energy and written to the East Windsor Recreation Department, asking if this locking of the lots when the park was supposed to be open was a new practice, whether there was to be any announcement of the policy change, whether it was, indeed, a neighbor who had placed the locks, and were they in the habit of deputizing locals for what I would have thought would be an official township function. Don't mess with me; I am not prone to violence, but my nagging is very likely worse.)

We decided to repair to the Peddie School athletics lot, and left from there.

Tom had set a route of about 30-35 miles, which is about what I like to do these days. And though he set the pace at a higher rate than I like to go, I knew I could keep it up, and even if I could not, the latter part of the route was over roads near my house, that are part of my regular training rides. (Well, they will be "regular" when the weather gets a little more reasonable, and I can get out. IF the weather gets more reasonable; as I write this, we're being threatened with another deep snowstorm, like the one last month.) (Although, as I write this, temps are nowhere near low enough for the snow to stay. But, like Tristram Shandy, I digress.)

(Imagine that: Jim digressing.) 

I needn't have worried about the pace. One of our number, a usually-strong rider, had brought a gravel bike, and between the wide tires and perhaps his February legs, he went at a pace at which I could be conversational.

We headed south-ish, skirting the Assunpink, and then headed east. It was very pleasant being out with people I've been riding with for so many years (nearly twenty, for some of them).  

 We stopped at the Wawa at 33 and Woodland.

 

On the way back, as I noted, we were on the roads near my home. Tom H, who had convened the ride, mentioned that I could have ridden in, and turned off on the way back. I'd thought of riding in, but didn't think of heading home when we were near the house, and I didn't want to do extra miles... but I might ride in and turn off, if the opportunity arises again (and if I think of it, which I may not.)

I mentioned last week about the depression. It's mostly lifted, although I'm left with some of the sequelae (like the several pounds I'd like to lose so that I don't have to buy all new pants, or live in sweats for the rest of my life). I'm glad to have gotten out. And I'm glad to have the friends I do, to go out with, especially at this cold, isolating time of year.

winter blues ride on valentines day

 

The parking lot at the start. If the roads had looked like that, my part of the ride would have been exceptionally short.

I haven't posted about a ride in a while. A little of that has been due to the cold and snow (this snow has been hanging around over three weeks. It's nearly unprecedented), but I have been on a ride since the last post. I'd planned to write it up the following day, but that night, my wife and I were in an auto collision.Nobody was hurt, and it was not our fault... but the other driver lied to the policeman, and the policeman wrote it up as the other driver's story. I've had depression, and some post-traumatic stress, over that. 

So much so, that The Excellent Wife (TEW) of almost twenty-nine years, on this Valentine's Day, when she heard that Laura OLPH had posted a ride, told me I was going on the ride and we would remember Valentine's Day in some other way (we're working it out). It was to be only thirty miles, and only one demanding hill. And TEW was not to be argued with.

Still, I worried about being able to do it. Between the depression, some weight gain (I'm sure related to the depression), and winter out-of-shape-ness, I was afraid I'd be off the back. And there WAS all that snow. It has cleared off the roads in the lowlands here, but what would the roads look like up in the Sourlands, where we'd be riding?

You've seen the pics at the top of the post. We had about eight cars among the participants, and had to find places where we wouldn't a) get stuck in the ice, and b) present a barrier to someone else if they wanted to get out of the lot without our having to move our car. I decided that if the roads looked anything like that, I'd bail.

 

 We were ten. Laura's blessedly short route was clear (mostly) of ice and snow (there was some melt-and-refreeze that we had to deal with). And the only demanding climb was the one at Stony Brook. We mostly stayed together until we didn't -- we can blame winter legs, and one rider on a fat-tire gravel bike. A rider was new to our group, and I volunteered to sweep, because that "Jim's gotta be a caretaker" thing dies hard, especially when I'm fighting off a bit of depression (have I mentioned that enough yet?)

 

 

We stopped at Boro Bean, after a bit of kerfuffle about the route. We weren't sure the Bean was open (it was)... and we had to get creative about putting the bikes up; nobody had been diligent about clearing the bike racks.

And, of course, nobody was sitting outside at Boro Bean, as the outdoor tables were still nearly seat-deep in snow. 

 And back. I'm glad I went: it turns out I'm in better physical shape than I thought I was, and it was a tonic to get out of the house, do something outdoors (that didn't have to do with moving snow or ice), and see people who I like and who like me. 

Ride page. 

But I'm so done with all this snow and ice. (I'm done with ICE, too, but that will be a blog post that doesn't get shared.)

two things i know

 Two things I know:

1. The good opinion of a fool is not worth having.
2. It is an honor to have certain people as enemies. 

first post of the year

 

First post of the year.

Three weeks ago, I did a ride I didn't post about, because later that day, I was in a collision in the car. Nobody hurt, and the car is to be repaired... but aspects of the collision were such that I was shaken about it at the time, and I've had post-traumatic stress from time to time since.*

*Not PTSD; I would not demean the people who genuinely suffer from this by equating my situation with theirs. But my experience does share some of those features, in type, if not in duration or intensity.

I was anxious about going out on the ride that Tom H emailed about last week (it was last week, even if it was only yesterday, right? Like, today's Sunday, and that's the start of the week). In addition to the twitchiness about the recent collision, there's the fact that I haven't always been able to keep up with this group. But the ride was to be only 35-ish miles, and flat, and I wasn't too disabled after a too-good meal and a demanding theatrical experience yesterday*, so I agreed to go.

*Anna Christie at St Ann's Warehouse in DUMBO. It was worth the trip.

Tom assembled his insane bike posse. 

 

Before we departed, Tom told me that if I'd continued to avoid his rides, he was about to come by the house and get me. The gesture of friendship was warm and reassuring.

You can see the ride page here. The weather (in the low 40's) wasn't as cold as other days we'd been out, and we started with a tailwind. It was pleasant riding with these people, with whom I have decades of riding experiences. 

Conversations started and flagged as we proceeded. Sometimes, talk is replaced simply with presence.

After a few miles, I found that I did better keeping my chain on the small ring and keeping my cadence high; I was better able to manage hills (the little we had), and the headwind when we experienced that. I'm also able to ride comfortably in the drops on both my bikes, and I found that I could go almost a mile-per-hour faster in the drops than on the tops or ramps, making no other changes and with no more noticeable effort. At my age especially, it's good to be flexible.

I was NOT sorry, though, when we passed Etra Park and I figured we were about six miles from the end. This is about the longest distance I want to do when I'm in this condition.

I expect it will be longer in the spring, when the weather is more congenial, and I have (I hope) a bit more fitness. 

deconstructed christmas harmonies

 In previous years, I've posted links to videos of Dodie doing Christmas songs in a minor key. I love them. But it appears she's moved on to other stuff.

But, as if solely to assuage my grief, the internet has come to my rescue. In my thoughtless internet ramblings, I've come across Mary Ann Muglia, a singer and arranger. She arranges Christmas songs, and songs from the Great American Songbook, in wonderful close harmonies of a type that's somewhat out-of-style. They're wonderful, nonetheless.

But better than that: she also posts "harmony breakdowns", where she sings the accompaniment parts first, allowing you to guess where the actual key is going to be. I can't usually get it on the first part, but I can usually get it by halfway through the second. 

I'm pretty sure I'm not making any sense. Here are a couple of examples:

I love them. You will, too.

dfl. better than dnf, I guess

 

Above: Free Wheelers point out one of the "Four Ft Clearance" signs posted at a location suggested by the club. Pic by Martin G.

Laura OLPH listed a ride that was gonna be 35 miles for yesterday, which is about the mileage I want to do these days. I haven't been riding with her and the Hill Slugs, because I haven't been able to keep up with them for the full distance (and they generally go longer than I want to). But because of the shorter distance, even with the hills she likes to do*, I figured I'd tag along for this one.

*I used to be pretty good on a hill, too.

I didn't connect that she was shortening the ride because of the low temps. Holy bananas; it was 28°F (about -2°C) when I left the house, and not much warmer when I parked and started unpacking the car. Peter G has a "Shackleton Index", named for the polar explorer who saved his crew after his ship sank. The Shackleton Index compares how much clothing you have to put on, and how much preparation for the cold weather you have to do, with how long you're going to be able to ride and what you'll get out of it, to derive a value for whether it's actually worth going out for a ride on a cold day. (No, it's not exact, and there's not an actual formula, and yes, individuals will have varying values. Use you imagination, for heavens sake.)

We were nine. Some of us at the start:

 You can see the route on the ride page. Laura thought that the only hill worth mentioning was what she called "the slog on Woodsville Road". There were definitely more hills than that (going up Snydertown, for example). I did pretty well on the hills in the beginning.

As noted at top, we found one of the 4-foot clearance signs at a location suggested by the club. Martin G took the picture at top, and the one below:

Despite the shortness of the ride, we decided to do a quick stop (or what passes for a quick stop in this crew) at Boro Bean:

After the stop, though, I started to wear out. The hills got to me (even the long, slow climb - the kind I usually like - at 518 in Hopewell to Crusher Road), and there was a wind on which I had not counted. I fell back further and further, along with one of the other riders. Laura is always good about having the group wait for stragglers... but nobody likes to be the one holding up the group.

So, dfl. Better than dnf, I guess... And I did get out and do the ride. But I think I'm goin' for shorter, flatter stuff for now. Maybe I'll be in better shape for next summer.

weekend off-road rides

 Above: the author, looking better than I ought. Thanks to Martin G for the photo.

 I have not posted often about rides this fall, mostly because I haven't gone on group rides, and my solo rides don't generally include anything interesting (even to me). 

When it gets this cold, we generally stay off the roads, and ride paths and trails to avoid the wind. (Sometimes, the wind-avoidance is successful.) I got invited on two such rides this Thanksgiving weekend. The first was a ride around the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, led by Tom H. 

 That's not all of the folks who came; we were ten or eleven. The LHT is one of our regular winter rides, although we tend to do it only once per season (or maybe that's just the frequency that I go along). Our path wends through paved trail, clay-surface trail, along local streets, through parking lots and parks, and even through a private school. 

This crew had riders at a range of abilities. Some went off at their own pace; others slowed to ensure that nobody rode alone (partly because the LHT is not ideally marked, and it's easy to get lost). We swapped off on the riding-in-the-back duties.

We left from the Maidenhead Meadows lot (which was PACKED! Evidently, a number of folks had the idea of hiking or running part of the trail on this Thanksgiving Friday). Early in our route, we came upon a boardwalk, of considerable length (and apparently, newly-finished), over some wetlands along the route:

 The surface makes for a pleasant ride, and it protects the fragile surface below. There are other wooden bridges at other points along the route, but nothing as long as this.

 You can see our route on the ride page.

 

---

While we were on that ride (apparently), Laura OLPH apparently got the idea to do a D&R canal towpath ride from Washington's Crossing up to Lumberville and back. She sent out feelers later in the day to gauge interest, and there was enough to run the ride (we had five).

At the start:

 This is a simpler out-and-back route (although we did vary a couple of short sections on the way back, as you can see from the ride page). It felt much colder to me than the previous day (but I also find that, after about six or seven miles, I begin to acclimate to the temperatures). 

Some of our number stopped at the Prallsville Mills.

 I'd misread the planned length of the trip, and was grateful when we got to the store at Lumberton.

On the way back, crossing the bridge, we saw a huge flag. Martin G thought to stop for pictures, and I decided he had a good idea.

 Also on the way back, we found this abandoned railroad car, apparently a favorite stop for the local taggers.

 Martin G got this one, with my back in the foreground:

 And to end, one more from Martin G. I don't post pictures of myself in this blog, but when Martin gets these shots, I make a point of including them.

 Thanks, Martin.