I rode a sanctioned solo 100k ('Populaire') randonneur route this week, the Stagecoach 100k, which begins in Mercer County NJ. The roads and towns were all new to me. Starting in West Windsor, it passed thru Cranbury on the way to the easternmost point, the small town of Farmingdale NJ, then back past Manasquan Reservoir and Turkey Swamp and thru the Assunpink Creek watershed. All these places were just names to me before. Some double-digit headwinds on the return part of the loop (of course) made for a challenge, but it was a good day on the bike riding a nice route (once I got past the morning rush-hour traffic on one particularly busy road, 527A).
Again my recently-purchased Garmin Edge 820 got confused, and I had to accept Turn Off Navigation in order to get rid of the Make U-Turn message. Unlike on the recent 200k, the device did not recognize I was on the correct route so it did not continue to give me turn-by-turn instructions, alas. But it did continue to track my ride and created a nice file to download. And it helped when I came to an unmarked intersection where the cue sheet probably wanted me to turn (based on my total mileage per the separate Cateye computer still mounted to my handlebar). The Garmin confirmed the name of the road to be the road I wanted.
While riding, I was struck by the fact that the several cyclists I saw and acknowledged seemed very cool toward me, as if they didn't see me, or at least, didn't want to acknowledge me and thereby express solidarity. I then wondered if my bright yellow garb (vest and ankle cuffs) and blinky lights front and rear are a turn-off to some other riders, possibly making me a 'Fred.'
It is important to me to be very visible in order to ride safely, especially when riding solo on roads shared with cars, but maybe I am overdoing it in the eyes of others? Should that matter to me?
I do notice more riders seem to be running blinkies these days, especially rear lights. I think that is a great leap forward for cycling safety.
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