Catching up... yay to Emily and Rebecca for getting back out there. I absolutely love that photo, Rebecca. I know folks who really like the Di2 shifters, Crankin, and I hope they work out for you. I've never had anyone behind me on night rides -- I wonder if my rear light is too bright for anyone to follow closely? I have been told that it's very visible from a distance on rainy days.
I got in a few good rides earlier this month. One was a route that I planned and led for the bike club, a mix of favorite roads and a few new ones in rural northern Maryland. The weather was perfect, not at all hot, which is important in farmland where shady trees are few and far between. I also did a couple of night rides in which I experimented with a new route... in the dark, in an area with confusing street names (like 22nd St followed by 22nd Rd) and some missing road signs. So I was happy to only make a few wrong turns, and I knew the general area well enough to never truly get lost. Then we had the annual club picnic, which was fun and on a day with more perfect summer weather, but I think I started out too fast because the torn tendon in my ankle was hurting quite a bit. That was not cool.
Then I found out that I (and all of my co-workers) have been furloughed at work, required to take 2 weeks off between now and Sept 30 due to a funding cut at the end of our client's fiscal year. I was already planning a weekend trip to visit family in NY, so I made it a 6-day trip instead. I figured my ankle would appreciate a few days of rest from bike rides and walking around the office. It was a fun trip, and I was happy to watch the eclipse (~70% totality on Long Island with just a few light clouds) with my parents and nephew.
I will try the new night ride route again in a couple of days, and am planning a ride on Sunday that does not have too many hills. Hopefully my ankle will be okay as long as I ride a moderate pace.
- Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
- Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
- Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle
Gone but not forgotten:
- Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
- Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles