We ended up cutting our ride short at just under 20 miles. DH had ridden a hard one yesterday with lots of climbing. I had stayed in yesterday with allergies. The wind in our area was terrible Saturday.

We decided Tracy's route would have been too much for DH after yesterday's tough ride, so after briefly saying hello to her, Jobob, Leebob, PABadger and her friends, we took off north figuring to ride Foothill Blvd. to Alpine and do the Portola Loop. I got a flat about three miles out (stem came loose - a first for me), but I changed out the tube in record time. Crank Bros. Speed Lever rocks!! Even when DH is with me, I change my own flats. By the time we got close to Alpine, DH knew Portola Loop wasn't in the stars, so we just turned around and came back. Not the best ride, not the worst. We sometimes do this same out and back on Friday evenings after work through the summer. There's often a great tailwind on the return trip and it's fun to fly down the road. And with any luck, you don't hit too many red lights along the way.

Tracy, it's a shame things didn't turn out quite as planned, but thanks for organizing the ride. Maybe next time you're in the area we can all try again.