It stopped raining!

This Ride: 26.5 miles
Month: 26.5 miles
2011: 1,510.2 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,629.9 miles

If you came here looking for a ride report for the Horsing Around Sugarloaf 200k you will have to look elsewhere. Friday night, the group looked at the forecast for the ride and wisely decided not to ride. I was the hold out, willing to ride if anyone else was going to go. No one took me up on the offer. I watched the radar for the day. Light rain and 38 degrees would have been the start. At least one major thunderstorm rolled through. It never got above 45 degrees. Several of the riders delayed the ride by a day, riding today. I expect them in soon.

With Friday and Saturday’s rides called by rain, I was itching to get out today.  The weather was gorgeous, and Jeff was willing to ride with me, so we went out shortly after 3:00 pm.  It was breezy, but comfortable.  I had bare arms and some skin on my legs showing.  That felt really good.  We moved south on the crowded B&A Trail, jumped off at Old County Road, and rode the morning route to the end of the trail.  I suggested that THE WALL might be a good choice, and Jeff was up for it.  He showed me his favorite route to THE WALL, where just before the climb you can pick up speed to above 30 mph so that you can coast up to the first turn.  Frankly, this is cheating. Even so, my heart rate spiked at 176 bpm on this 18% grade.

We jumped back on the trail, turned south, and headed for the City Dock in Annapolis.  I was unprepared for the traffic!  Coming down King George street by the Naval Academy Gate, I took the corner at about 15-20 mph and suddenly saw that traffic was backed up.  Hard braking, skidding, side slipping, and steering around the vehicle kept me from crashing but I did stop well past the rear bumper of the car.  Jeff had a good laugh, and the guy in the car may have needed to clean his pants if he was looking in the rear view mirror.

We stopped at Hard Bean.  Jeff offered to buy me coffee, and I nearly took him up on it, but recalled that I’m so old that caffeine after 2:00 pm keeps me up all night.  Matt K stopped by and said hello.  Soon we were pushing off again and made our way back home.  There was no repeat of THE WALL, just a comfortable pace back up the trail and home.  It was really good to get out.