Alloway-Bridgeton loop ride 2026.03.11

My first outside bike time in two months, due to the snow that just would not go away. Rick called for a 40-mile ride with the usual suspects, and I declared myself "in" but opted for doing a shorter, 28-mile version, intending to split off from the others. In the end, all four of us set out to do that version except it became 32 miles due to a Bridge Out detour. 

It was a bit dicey for a mile or so on a stretch of state two-lane heavy with trucks moving at speed thru a village with virtually no shoulder. Watch your six, as they say, which is what I did using my helmet mirror and bellowing out from the sweep position, Truck Back! Then a few blocks on the four-lane main drag past the county court house also kept our heads in the game.

The last leg, five miles on Telegraph Road, found us riding thru a drizzle, which turned into a shower while we were loading our bikes back into our vehicles at the Alloway Lake boat launch parking lot. A good safe time was had by all.

Map, route profile and pics here:

Alloway-Bridgeton loop · Ride with GPS

Meander from the Manumuskin 2026.01.08

I rode out of Port Elizabeth (way 'down Jersey' along Delsea Drive below Millville) with three club buddies, one of whom lives there along the Manumuskin River (maybe more of a creek at that point) which, a couple miles downstream, feeds into the Maurice River not far from the Delaware Bay. Over the last few months we've been getting out for a ride together every 3 or 4 weeks. Good bunch.

Once again, I split off from them about 18 miles out to shorten my route to 32 miles (they were doing 46).  Nice day for a ride with the boys; however even just 5 mph NW headwinds solo on 10 miles of NJ-49 felt like no fun. 

Map, pics and route profile here:

Meander from the Manumuskin · Ride with GPS

Still Pedaling

 But just not on the long rides, 100k or more, monthly year-round. 

Other than the very occasional 35-45 miler with some buddies, my jam these days is local rides on various bikes - to diner breakfasts, to visit a buddy, to the store, to bar trivia on Tuesday evening (with a nice nite ride home on mostly quiet dark streets). And I still rehab the occasional donated bike for the county bike-share program.

I will not come close to my previous yearly mileages, but I am pedaling a bike 3-4 times a week, living the good life.

Adventure Cycling piece

My post on Patrick O'Grady's MadDogMedia.com blog today commenting on his July 10, 2025 Burning Down the House piece.

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Thanks for the link to the financial statements, PO'G. Interesting that the auditors did not issue a "going concern" opinion, the kiss of death where creditors are concerned, but the downward trend is apparent; the (non-profit) business is not sustainable long-term.

ACA is an organization that time and technology have made obsolete. Those (fewer?) people who are bike-touring are no longer willing to pay for membership, paper maps and print magazines.

I like Ms Jenks (love her HubBub mirrors), but her BRAIN recommendation that ACA find a way to inspire younger generations of touring cyclists lacks any real specific guidance on how that can be done. Many recreational and social non-profit organizations are withering away as we boomers do the same. The next generations are not joiners.

Adventure Cycling was a fine thing while it lasted, but now we are witnessing the folding of the tent. So long, old friend.

Broke the String

I did not do much riding in October and November 2024, except for my monthly 100ks. I had several chances to ride a 100k in early December, but passed, for a couple reasons.

Then I got Covid (first time) mid-month, which kept me congested for over two weeks. When that had passed, I had one last chance to ride a 100k permanent with decent winter weather on the last day of the month (and year). But it no longer seemed important to me. Got the idea that I wouldn't continue my streak in the new year, so I just let it end after 47 months. Wasn't such a big deal not to complete another P-12. Not sure why; I just wasn't feeling it. I intend to continue riding, but not as frequently or for distance.

So now I have more time for running; I plan to get the frequency back up to three times a week (only 2.22 miles each). It is a more complete exercise (fully aerobic and weight-bearing), it keeps me closer to home, and it does not take up a half-day or more each time.

Over and out?

Meander 2024.11.03

 I wanted to return to Central Jersey and ride the Meander to Milford 100k Permanent again ever since riding it 18 months ago with buddy Rick, when we both thought it worthy of a repeat visit. So there I was, driving north on the Interstate highway Sunday, heading back up to Hopewell NJ. This was my opportunity with a good weather forecast and light winds (but no Rick available, alas). However, the forecast did show that the feels-like temperature at the 7am desired start time would only be in the mid-30s F, later getting up to around 60. I knew I could properly layer up and peel down for that kind of temp swing. But about 20 minutes into my drive, I realized I forgot to pack my windbreaker jacket and my RUSA vest. *urk* Not wanting to turn back, I figured I would give it a go without those items and ride myself warm in the early part of the route, which involved plenty of hill-climbing. I had packed a couple pairs of gloves and at the last moment included a balaclava, fortunately. Plus I had a plastic bag which I could put over my chest under my jersey as a wind barrier. And I figured that I could always turn around and ride back to the start if it turned out to be just too uncomfortable. Onward.

In Hopewell I found a spot to park where it seemed unlikely I'd have my rig towed (often a concern). I geared up and rode to the nearby start point, turned on the Garmin, loaded the route and headed out, finding a welcome porta-pot in the first mile (always a plus). The early hill-climbing did get my mind off the cold, as hoped, so I was able to enjoy the great autumn scenery of Mercer (and later Hunterdon) County as I pedaled thru the countryside. Early on, tho, I had a most difficult time trying to shift out of the big chainring. When I finally was able to get into the small chainring, I decided to just leave it there all day. I needed the low-end gearing for this ride, and I didn't want to chance not having it at crucial times. 

Nearing the halfway point, I saw Bridge Out Ahead signs. Not knowing if or how that might affect me, I pedaled on, hoping for the best. When I got to the bridge site, I saw my route was blocked and there was no way for me to ride or hike-a-bike thru the area. (There was even a separate sign, No Pedestrians No Bicycles.) That meant turning around and climbing back over the ridge I had just cleared. On Google maps I saw it would be maybe an additional 5-mile re-route, and I started back the way I had just come. Eventually I made my way to the Control at around the mid-point of the ride, but was way late in getting there (I am not a fast rider; I ride like a 75 year-old.). It had taken me about 4 hours, which meant I had just 2 hours 40 minutes to complete the second half of the ride, which would be just as hilly as the first half. Discouraged, I decided to just take a straight, 10-mile easy route on a wide-shouldered state two-lane road following the Delaware River downstream to Lambertville, where I would re-assess my situation. When I got there (with lots of tourist traffic on the narrow busy streets on a glorious fall Sunday), I had the option to pick up the prescribed route for the rest of my return, but again, I was running out of time and would have had many hills to face. Not happening. So I chose the county two-lane road that headed directly back to Hopewell, thinking, Okay, it's not in the cards for me to properly complete this Permanent route today, so I'll just chalk it up to experience and enjoy the rest of it.

Then, during the final 10-mile leg, it occurred to me that I had passed by the 2 intermediate Controls, as necessary, and would likely have the required minimum distance, so if I could finish within the 6:40 time limit, I could claim RUSA credit for the ride after all. I had no idea how far it was to the Hopewell finish, but I just pedaled up and down as best I could to give myself a chance. Lo and behold, I found myself entering the handsome downtown with about 5 minutes remaining to get back to the start. It turned out that when I got there with a couple minutes to spare, I was just short of the 62.7 miles of the official route. So I rode past the start a couple blocks, then hung a U-turn, came back to the start and hit the button on the Garmin to end the ride - with 1 minute to spare. Sweet.

Coda: For this flatlander, the 3600' of climbing was a lot. I was able to keep the Cramp Monster at bay riding in first gear frequently, with liberal use of SaltStick capsules and Clif Bloks with added sodium. Sixteen ounces of Ensure nutrition shake in a water bottle and two two-packs of fig bars rounded out the nutritional intake that got me thru. (I ate none of the many osage oranges that hazardously littered the road shoulders in a number of places.) Two porta-pot visits and two stealth pees took care of that end of things. All in all, it was a nice bicycle mini-adventure.

Ride map, profile, pictures here: Meander · Ride with GPS

The Last Go-Round?

I worked the South Jersey Wheelmen's Jersey Devil Metric Century out of Parvin State Park on Saturday 9.21.24, the 45th edition of the club's Devil ride, a full century ride until about 3 years ago. 

The mid-September weather was really fine. I have ridden or worked this rain-or-shine event, always held on the third Saturday of the month, since around 2010, and there has not been a bad-weather day in that stretch. (A Covid-19 no-ride day in 2020, yes.)

Four Boy Scouts and two adult leaders showed up and signed up again this year, after spending the night in the nearby park campsites. The kids are working on a cycling merit badge, so we can be proud of assisting with that.

Still, attendance was down again year-over-year. I wondered if we would be putting on this event, the sole survivor of our club's three open-to-the-public rides, again next year, considering the longtime-trending-downward participation.

A lot goes into putting on such an event, in both time and money. Months in advance, insurance binders and state-park permits have to be obtained (and paid for), along with approval from the Quinton volunteer firemen to use their firehall as a food and comfort station.  Also leading up to the day-of is food procurement and prep, lining up who is responsible for what (parking, registration, food set-up, driving a SAG vehicle, manning the Quinton food stop). In the week or so before the ride, road-marking is done. This year a few of us went out on a pre-ride of the two courses (63- or 32-miles) on the Sunday before the public ride, looking for new road-work detours while testing the cue sheet and Ride with GPS file, plus double-checking the road markings. (And still, on ride day we found that some 3 miles of new chip-seal was laid down in the interim!)

All the volunteered time and effort gives our club an annual focus, maybe even the main reason for SJW to exist. It brings together a current core group of about 15 members (out of only 44 total, another downward-trending number) for a common purpose of putting on a good show for the riding public to enjoy, the last of its kind in the area. Even if the dollars don't work out, it may be enough in that it pays dividends in terms of club esprit de corps.

Jersey Devil Metric Century pre-ride

On Sunday 9.15.24, on the Spesh Roubaix, with four South Jersey Wheelmen friends I pre-rode the course that will be used Saturday 9.21.24 for our club's 40th+ annual Jersey Devil Metric Century open-to-the-public ride out of Parvin State Park in Pittsgrove Township, near Vineland NJ.

I wanted to ride at 8am Saturday, to encounter the exact traffic conditions that the public will face in the upcoming ride, but the schedules of my buddies didn't coincide. For one thing, some club members used Saturday to spray-paint road markings in preparation for the event. Rather than ride alone, I opted to ride with company on Sunday. And with only about 1600' of elevation, I had a good ride doing the 63-mile version with one buddy, while the others chose the 32-mile version. We had some 10mph headwinds on the return portion, but not too bad. I felt strong enough that it was not a slog, and the cramp monster did not rear its ugly head (until the 50-minute drive home on the expressway...).

For the public ride, I will be working registration and then driving my RAV as a SAG vehicle, combing the course to help out riders and food-stop workers as needed. Like our club membership (now down to 44), the number of ride participants goes down every year, but we remaining Wheelmen and women still enjoy working together to put on such an event, the last of its type in the area. With the reduced participation, it is possible that this is the final year we put on this ride. However, we said that last year too.

Fun with bikes.

SJ Wheelmen pre-ride · Ride with GPS

Pre-ride New Jersey Randonneurs Cape May brevet

With Rick L on 5.26.24, I rode the 200k Northern loop of the upcoming Cape May 600k.

We picked a good traffic day, a Sunday in the middle of a three-day weekend. Warm and summer-like, with little wind.

Went thru Princeton both outbound and inbound. Big doings there, apparently too late for commencement weekend, tho.

Saw lots of mountain laurel and phlox (an old fave); smelled honeysuckle, creosote and roadkill.
Rode thru some very scenic town and country areas of Mercer, Hunterdon and Warren Counties. Lots of one-lane bridges. And lots of hills...
Climbed more than ever before; had to constantly fight off the Cramp Monster. I was overmatched.
Nice day for a walk, and I took at least ten of them, uphill.

Appears all my walking up climbs threw off the mileage and elevation shown on RwGPS (link at bottom). Course is rated at 124.3 miles and 6665' of climbing.

Rick was good about it, and waited up ahead for me numerous times. He may have saved the day by giving me a Drake's Funny Bone.

On the Spesh Roubaix, which, as it turns out, performs well in first gear.

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Pre-Ride NJ Randonneurs 200k · Ride with GPS

Down Jersey (windy) Hundy

I decided to attempt a full-century rando ride in early April, as part of my streak of monthly P-12 (100km+) rides and also to gauge if I was up to attempting a pre-ride of my buddy Rick's upcoming 200k (125 mile) brevet for NJ Randonneurs. I had already commited to working one of the controls for the brevet, and it is usual practice for volunteers to pre-ride the course a week or two before the event and get RUSA credit for riding the brevet.

Lately I've gone back to riding the long rides on Sundays (as I used to do pre-retirement when I worked on weekdays); I like not having to deal with rush hours, school buses and dump trucks. Wanting to get this first ride done early in the month, I went ahead with planning to ride the Down Jersey Hundy on the first Sunday even tho the weather forecast showed I would be going into 12 mph headwinds for hours during the mid-to-later stages of the course. But those winds made the ride unenjoyable. "Got 'er done. But it weren't fun."

Thought I felt a flat while riding in the City of Bridgeton, the most urban part of the course. Sure enough. Pulled over and saw that I was in front of the Salvation Army building, so I decided to hike-a-bike onto their grounds to make my repair. I have a soft spot for the place, since I write the annual donation check from my bike club to their food pantry (open twice a week, with morning and afternoon sessions both days - the need is great, apparently). 

I could not find the source of the leak, but I didn't feel any problem inside the tire, so I went ahead and put in a new tube, aired it up with my frame pump and avoided using the CO2 cartridges I carry with me. The pump got things up to riding hardness without too much effort. Thumbs up, Lezyne. I had shifted into the smallest cog to facilitate removal of the rear wheel for the repair, but forgot to shift to an easier gear before pulling away afterward. And of course the first block was a steep uphill, so I really had to grind it out (too difficult to shift while struggling). *urk*

The trickiest traffic part of this course is where major roads (turnpike, interstate etc) come together right by the Delaware Memorial Bridge. It is a real nexus. As I had done before, I thought it best to yield to a big truck coming uphill rather than assert my right of way to cross the off-ramp Yield area. It is not easy for those big rigs to stop and start on an incline. I waved the semi on while coming to a halt safely in the middle of some road striping, waited until it was clear, then continued across the ramp mouth. Sharing the road. I think the trucker appreciated it.

Random thoughts:

1) I started putting my phone in a handlebar mount, as opposed to carrying it in a pocket. I like the new arrangement. On this ride, I responded to a couple texts en route, using the microphone voice-to-text feature to carry on one brief conversation while riding along. Also, now I can see who is calling me, in order to answer immediately if an emergency arises.

2) Saw that what was a Gloucester County peach orchard last year is now a cleared field with some piles of trees to be disposed of. I guess peaches are not as profitable as other crops. I heard that in Hammonton, peach trees are being removed to make room for still more blueberry bushes.

3) Thinking I needed to pay more attention to fueling, I ate a lot more on this ride, including 2 Lara bars, a handful of Clif Blocks, a Clif Shot Double Espresso (no longer sold!), a bottle of Ensure Plus, and 4 SaltStick capsules. And near the end, I treated myself to more caffeine and sugar - a Diet Coke and two Reese cups from the Circle K on the circle on US-130 in Carneys Point.

4) It's curious that the various platforms show a wide range of elevations for this route. Ride with GPS mapping shows it as 1589', while my Garmin file uploaded from this ride shows it as 2149' on RwGPS, but 1801' on Strava! Guess it is not an exact science.

5) Unless I can build up my bike fitness using the trainer in the basement, I don't think I will be attempting any more full-century rides this year. It appears I don't have the leg strength I had as recently as last year, alas.

Ride map, elevation profile and pics here:

Down Jersey Hundy · Ride with GPS

Burden Hill, 2023 Year in Review

I let this ride go until late in the month, 12.26.2023, and with Rixter, rode the Burden Hill 100k RUSA permanent route, completing my third P-12.

It's a good feeling, the P-12, keeping my consecutive-month streak alive at 36. 

Without really setting any goals beyond most miles ever, I accomplished a lot this year, including most miles ever, drawing up and getting approved by RUSA three new permanent routes (Burden Hill being one), riding two 200ks, two full centuries, five time trials (with varying results), one NJ Randonneurs' brevet populaire (Juneteenth 117k) and two bike-overnites (one using my tent at Bass River State Forest). I added a new old bike, a 2008 Trek Madone 5.5, purchased from a club buddy who purchased it from another club buddy who had bought it new. Plus I finally learned how to clear my nose while riding without a hanky. 

Map, route profile and pics here:

Burden Hill · Ride with GPS

Running Down

 I took up running eleven years ago because I wanted some regular aerobic, weight-bearing exercise to complement my cycling. Cycling is not weight-bearing, and does not help to stave off osteoporosis.

The past couple years I've been doing two 5k runs. In preparation for those, I start adding distance to my typically twice-weekly 2.22-mile runs around my neighborhood over the course of the four weeks prior, ramping up to close to 3.1 miles by the end.

In July, I ran the Pineland Striders' Independence Day 5k, and was surprised to finish 40 seconds slower than 2022.

This week, I ran the Audubon Veterans Day 5k, and was even more surprised to finish 2 minutes, 41 seconds slower than last year!

I am not sure why I am running so much slower, but I have to face the idea that age is catching up with me. And quickly. Damn.

My age-percentage is still well above 50, but when I look at the finish-line video, I see an old man trundling along. Others have commented on it as well.

Going forward, I think I will continue my neighborhood runs, and only do the Veterans Day run each November. It is local, and supports American Legion scholarships to Audubon High School seniors. And this way, I can continue to monitor my decline.

Crank Recall Blues

 I learned on bikeforums.net that Shimano issued a CPSC recall for some cranks that were prone to cracking. The 1997 date of the recall didn't seem to have a cutoff period, as someone posting on the bf site just had the recall done, and at no cost to him. Pretty good of them, considering it is now 16 years later.

The forum had plenty of info, so I knew what part numbers were affected. I checked the bikes in my shed, and sure enough, my 1996 GT Outpost (rigid fork MTB with the cro-mo 'triple-triangle' frame) had a crank that fit the bill. The bike had been my work commuter 2 days a week, but I retired 7 years ago, so it has seen only limited use since then. With its racks and 26 x 1.95 tires, it is jeep-like and makes a decent grocery-getter, but I already have 2 of those, with 700c tires for more speed and longer distance. I had it in mind possibly to sell the GT, and since there were plenty of instances of cranks failing, some of which caused injury, I figured I might as well make it right for the next owner.

I contacted my local REI store, figuring my being a member might facilitate things. The guy said to bring the bike in, and they would look into the matter. The tech at the counter during drop-off, tho, said the recall may have ended due to the number of years that had passed. When I protested that someone just had the recall honored a month before, the tech said he was "just trying to manage expectations." Fair enough. He put a $60 charge on the work order, but said that might be picked up by Shimano.

About a week later, I got a call from another tech, telling me Shimano approved the work and was sending new parts - chainrings/cranks, bottom bracket, front derailleur and chain (I'd heard they frequently replaced all those parts for compatibility sake). My charge was now to be $80 (which I did not protest, figuring I could get into that later), and the REI shop should finish the job and call me in a week or so.

I called Shimano, and was told that they supply the parts and include an undisclosed (I asked) allowance to the shop for return shipping (Shimano wanted to see the old parts and take them out of circulation, I think). But Shimano does not cover the labor. That was between me and my shop.

A week or so later, I was told my bike was ready, and the charge was now $139 plus tax. Per the invoice, it broke down this way:

Crankset + Bottom Bracket install $60

Derailleur install $28

Chain install $20

Der cable install $28

It shows on the invoice that I did get the shop member labor rate, $100/hr. This is supposed to be 20% off the non-member cost, which I guess must be $125/hr. Bike shops need to turn a profit, and I'd like to see this one especially survive (tho I do my own work), so I can't begrudge them the invoice amount. It's just that I went into this thinking I'd get it all done free, as some others have. Oh well.

The invoice also pointed out other claimed deficiencies with the bike, including "tires are dry-rotted" (which they aren't) and "cassette is worn and should be replaced." Seeing as how it now had a new chain and probably the original cassette, this last item wasn't surprising. Glad the shop didn't take it upon themselves to go ahead and do that work; I bought the part online ($22) and did my own install.

So now I have sunk $167 into a bike I bought for $125 off Craigslist in 2011 and wasn't using anymore. It's a good bike with a mostly new drivetrain, but I doubt I could sell it and recoup my recent reinvestment.

Still, it makes a good story for bike nuts. 

Oyster Creek Permanent Ride 4.27.2023

With Rick, I rode another one of his perms. He had to keep his 200km monthly streak alive to earn his R-12, and he was running out of month and rideable weather. Rick has had some physical issues, having to cut short a recent attempt at a 300km ride, and he wanted some company for this ride. I was wondering recently if I could still handle the distance, not having ridden 200km in over a year. So it came together, and really went okay.

We met and started riding mid-course in Hammonton NJ, roughly an equally distant drive for each of us. We started out in the chilly rain; not a downpour, but enough to make us hope it would end soon.  Thankfully, after an hour or so, it did.

I guess the rain washed off the lube, as my chain got chattery about halfway thru the ride. Knowing the weather forecast, for the first time I had packed some Finish Line Wet lube just in case. It came in handy. I applied it outside of Bud's Market (a control) in Alloway while enjoying a little time out of the saddle at about 90 miles in. While stopped there, I also enjoyed my first taste of Gerber's organic pureed baby food in a pouch, something I had seen recommended in a comment in a Road Bike Rider newsletter. I immediately wished I had packed a second pouch, it was that good and went down that easily. Along those same lines, I read where many riders like a Snickers for fuel, but not wanting to deal with peanut pieces in my teeth, about 50 miles in I opted for my first (Share Size) Milky Way in umpteen years, maybe since I was a trick-or-treater. Mmmm.

Fauna-wise, I saw a blue heron flying very close by, plus guinea hens, horses, cows, goats, sheep and donkeys, turtles (alive and dead), red-winged blackbirds, a duck family of 5 on a pond, and vultures tearing into a road-killed deer.

Flora-wise, I saw lots of pines (of course), plenty of Atlantic white cedar, blooming dogwood, wisteria, and lilacs (including some bushes planted in rows (?)), plus lots of blueberry fields, all with the bushes in bloom. I hope to be picking some by July 1.

As it turned out, Rick was his usual strong-riding self. He even chased after a trio of young bucks out on a training ride, and, even with his fendered bike sporting a big handlebar bag, damn near caught them before they turned off.

Me, I was happy not to have to resort to ibuprofen or additional caffeine; I just made sure to dose myself every 25 miles with a couple SaltStick capsules to fend off my old nemisis, the cramp monster. The ride went well enough that I plan to attempt another 200km in the near future.

I didn't care enough for this route to want to do it again, mainly due to traffic / shoulder concerns. However, Rick is working on creating another 200km permanent, in deep South Jersey, so I may be doing that one in the next few months.

On the 2013 Specialized Roubaix, my rando rig.

Route elevation, profile and pics here:

Oyster Creek 200km Permanent Route - A bike ride in Hammonton, NJ (ridewithgps.com)

Runnemede-Bridgeton-Runnemede randonneur ride 3.12.23

I rode a RUSA randonneur permanent route yesterday to get my monthly 100k+ ride in for the (27th straight) month. I picked a day with the forecast showing low winds (4-6 mph), which helped, as this route goes thru a lot of open farm country on NJ 77. Wind-chills were about 25F to start, but rose to close to 40F. Not bad.

One plus about riding solo, I can stop to take pictures whenever I want, so I do.

A couple miles into the ride, I realized I left my Clif bar in the glove box of my RAV. Riding solo, and without a good lock to use while I went inside a Wawa or some such, when I a saw sleepy little convenience store with just one car pulling away, I thought that would be a safe place to leave my bike unattended and pop in for some sustenance. A good excuse to buy a Reese's, I reasoned.

Saw about 20 turkeys together in a field, with a few of them showing their tail-feathers in all their glory. Must be mating season.

Had a yappie dog hanging out a car's back window yapping at me as I was going by close, negotiating a tricky traffic spot of bad road surface. I yelled at him, Shaddup! Just shaddup! The cur yapped even faster, but at least I stuck up for myself.

Had to pop 200mg of ibuprofen when my left knee started protesting, but it was enough to get me thru.
A good day on the bike.

Map, route profile and pics here:

Runnemede-Bridgeton-Runnemede - A bike ride in Runnemede, NJ (ridewithgps.com)

Gibbstown-Springtown URR rando ride again

Rode a rando route solo yesterday (26th straight month), Gibbstown-Springtown Underground Railroad, and happened to pick a day when the wind really favored me; it was mild in my face going South in the first half, then picked up a bit to become a nice tailwind on my return.

Still, I struggled, with my legs protesting the effort, which surprised me, as I had gotten a lot of miles in during January. Maybe it was the amount of up and down today, or the fact that I didn't get a lot of sleep last nite. Or maybe it was my lowered tire pressures, as I was trying 65/55psi, rr/fr. Dunno, but coming back thru Swedesboro with less than 7 miles to go, I did an unusual thing: I stopped for a big slice of pizza at Mama Francesca's. It was great, I ate it standing up and I felt revived.

I saw an eagle in a tree watching over a distant pasture along Kings Highway. Thought I captured it in a picture, but I must've aimed at the wrong tree.

Heard a big bunch of blackbirds carrying on near the Salem County landfill on McKillup Road. They were trash-talking, I guess.

At home later, I got a call from riding buddy Geo, who said he saw me riding as he drove by. Cool. As it turns out, the last time I rode this route, it was with Geo!

Map, route profile and pics here:

Gibbstown-Springtown rando ride - A bike ride in Gloucester County, NJ (ridewithgps.com)

Atco Gravel Dabble 100k permanent

For this month's 100k permanent, I decided to ride buddy and frequent co-rider Rick's new-ish route without letting him know. I figured it would surprise him. And I wanted the flexibility of doing an early start without having to coordinate with anyone else, so I drove my car to Atco NJ a little before sunrise, and commenced to ride solo.

My younger brother let me park at his house, and I joined the course en route at roughly the midpoint less than a mile away in downtown small-town Atco.

At the start the temp was 32F, and felt like 26F due to 6mph winds. After my halfway point in Vineland, it was 41/36F, winds 7mph. It was cold enough.

I had a little fun with Rick, texting him a couple pics of where I was early on, knowing he would recognize his route and realize I was riding it.

I liked the course, especially early on a Sunday with little traffic on some nice country roads. It is one I would ride again.

Before halfway thru, I felt my thigh muscles protesting again, like they did during last month's 100k. Hmmm. Not riding enough?

The course has 'gravel' in the name, and there is a good 1.5 mile stretch of gravel road, complete with some full-road puddles after the previous day's rain. But it was no real problem, and a nice change of pace. Around that same section of the route I sensed a bit of a 'tobacco road' vibe. 'Nuff said.

My front derailleur was a bit balky early, then flat-out wouldn't shift to the big chainring. I futzed with it roadside for 15 minutes, to no avail; the cable adjuster and the ferrule/cable housing wouldn't move independently of each other to hold an adjustment. I found I was able to perform 'manual' shifts while riding along by reaching under the downtube and pulling the cable. Then I mostly tried to leave it in the big ring. Thank goodness I have 10 cogs in the rear to give me some range, and the route is in South Jersey flatlands.

Later in the ride I stopped to pee at a construction site porta-pot, and surprisingly, while walking alongside the bike I sank in wet sand, as did my bike wheels. It wasn't really convenient to clean the bike off, so I had crunchy rim brakes for a while. I tried to ride going easy on the brakes, and I finished fine. 

A good day on the bike, and my 12th month, completing my second RUSA P-12.

Route map, profile and pics here: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/108924802

Sharing the Road and the Four-Foot Law

Recently New Jersey passed a law making it mandatory for motor vehicles to give bicyclists at least four feet of room where possible. Great. 

However, I often see cyclists on a clean 6-foot or wider shoulder riding all the way left, close to the shoulder line. Why?  To be in compliance, cars then need to go over their left-hand lane line / center line (and maybe rumble strips) unnecessarily, because the four feet of clearance can come from the cyclists if they are considerate riders. 

I drive a car and ride a bike. "Share the road" should work both ways.
Can we all get along?

Riding Sweep

I just returned from a four-day getaway bike trip with 4 club buddies to Bethany Beach, Delaware. We rode from our hotel there and, one day, from Trap Pond State Park in the lower middle of the state. That route went thru Laurel and briefly into Maryland. It utilized the long-established (1700s) Woodland Ferry across the Nanticoke River and was the most scenic, rural ride of our trip. See link.

I found myself doing what I often do these days, riding sweep. I like bringing up the rear because I am safety-conscious:
I ride with a helmet mirror which my peripheral vision helps me check frequently;
I have a bright LED rear blinky (at times a front one, too);
and I have a trained loud voice which I use to yell "Car back!"  If I have to yell it more than once, for guys with bad hearing or whatever reason, I don't hesitate to do so.

There are ride captains. I think of myself as a ride rear admiral.
Let's all complete our rides safely, and live to ride another day.

 https://ridewithgps.com/trips/107509803

Gibbstown-Springtown NJ 107km randonneur ride 7.10.2022

 I rode with rando George B on this Underground Railroad route (#4391) on a nice summer Sunday.
George is a stronger rider, so I was riding above my normal pace, getting a bit of a workout and keeping up my Saltstick capsules intake to avoid cramping.

Lots of nice country along this route. We enjoyed seeing an eagle take flight from the ground along McKillup road.

George has done a lot of randonneuring, and tells good stories, such as riding thru the night until he started hallucinating other riders coming up behind him.
Or when he thought he had gone over the time limit on a ride, and, riding along at a leisurely pace, was surprised to find people cheering him across the finish line with only seconds to spare.
And the route where his nature break is usually bothered by attacks of green-head flies.
And there was the time he was cold from riding, and at a bar full of bikers ordered hot tea.
Good times. Thank heavens for rando-nesia. 

Now 7/12ths of the way to my second P-12.  On the Spesh Roubaix. 

Pics and route profile here:  https://ridewithgps.com/trips/96111012