Epiphany

[nuthatch]

Nuthatch - I'd never done the Naperville Rotary ride before. I saw it on bike journal. It was pretty nice, except for the rain. I was soaked by the time I finished. Some of us took shelter at a rest stop with a small tent, then decided once the lightning stopped to just go. By the time I got back to the start point, the sun came out. Isn't that always the case? Did you get to do any riding?

We heard the thunder at the Newark city park rest stop and the rain started shortly after we left the stop. It rained steadily through the Cross Church rest stop (this was on the way back to the start point), where everyone looked like drowned rats! The rain stopped about 10 miles from the finish.

So, yes, we rode about 90 miles (because we got lost about a mile from the finish!) It was a good ride with very nice people staffing the stops and for a wonderful cause. My only complaint was the distance between stops for the 85 and 102 mile riders. Twenty-five miles between water/potty stops is just too far for me. I really enjoyed the route they picked - I plan to do it again.

Hope you'll be able to make the ride next year with all the appropriate pain medication on board!

[betagirl]

We heard the thunder at the Newark city park rest stop and the rain started shortly after we left the stop. It rained steadily through the Cross Church rest stop (this was on the way back to the start point), where everyone looked like drowned rats! The rain stopped about 10 miles from the finish.

It sounds like we were near each other on the route. I stopped at the church to huddle under that little white canopy tent with about 8 other riders. I was wearing my New Belgian Fat Tire jersey. I wonder if you saw me? I saw lightning on the road twice, once was out of nowhere before the rain started. I was on my way back though I don't know which part of the route I was on really. Probably about 25 miles out. I said to the guy next to me "I don't like the looks of that at all." And he was like yeah we're about to get wet. I stopped to ask a woman who was stopped if she was ok about a mile from the church stop and this weird bolt of lightning or spark or whatever came out of the cellular tower in the field next to us. I was like ok, time to roll. I stood at the church for about 15-20 minutes and we decided to roll in the rain after that. I'd say I was at the church around 12:30 or so.

So, yes, we rode about 90 miles (because we got lost about a mile from the finish!)

Funny, a guy and I got lost coming down that big hill after one of the rest stops on the way out. There was a left turn you had to take and we both blew right by it. Hence my 91 miles

[nuthatch]

It sounds like we were near each other on the route. I stopped at the church to huddle under that little white canopy tent with about 8 other riders. I was wearing my New Belgian Fat Tire jersey. I wonder if you saw me? I saw lightning on the road twice, once was out of nowhere before the rain started. I was on my way back though I don't know which part of the route I was on really. Probably about 25 miles out. I said to the guy next to me "I don't like the looks of that at all." And he was like yeah we're about to get wet. I stopped to ask a woman who was stopped if she was ok about a mile from the church stop and this weird bolt of lightning or spark or whatever came out of the cellular tower in the field next to us. I was like ok, time to roll. I stood at the church for about 15-20 minutes and we decided to roll in the rain after that. I'd say I was at the church around 12:30 or so.



Funny, a guy and I got lost coming down that big hill after one of the rest stops on the way out. There was a left turn you had to take and we both blew right by it. Hence my 91 miles

There were so many housing developer signs it was easy to miss those modest little route markers!

I think we must have just missed you at the church rest stop - you were probably ahead of us. There were only guys there when we stopped and as we left, there was a big group of men and women coming in. Too bad I didn't know to look for your jersey - I was in my BikeJournal jersey, hoping to meet another BJ person but no luck.

That lightning was the one thing that gave me pause - too many empty fields with power pylons or cell towers to draw it down!!

Well, maybe I'll spot you on the next ride. There's always the Harmon Hundred in September and the Pumpkin Pie Ride in October! August is always devoted to watching the pros ride in the Downers Grove and Winfield Crit races.