Friday Night RBC Social Ride
The Rochester Bicycling Club runs four classes of regular rides, one of which is the Social Ride. These are relaxed, conversational pace—but still moving right along—with the emphasis on the social aspects of club riding. Usually including or followed by food.
This is the first one of the social rides I could make this season. It started at 6pm at Mendon Ponds Park and we rode the RBC map #19, Mendon-Honeoye Falls. It’s a nice little 20-miler through the hills of horse country in the southeast part of the county.
Given the earlier sunsets and the late ride, with tailgating afterward, I took the Portland for all its lights and reflectors. I guess I’ve been neglecting that bike a bit this year. It remains my favorite bike, but I haven’t had it out of the city all season. It was a nice reminder of how well that bike rolls along, and how comfortable it is on longer rides. And it still holds its own—lights, rack, fenders and all—in a peloton full of carbon wonderbikes.
Arriving at the park, it turns out another club was riding from the same starting point. I ended up signing their ride sheet too. I wonder if I get double miles for signing the two ride sheets?
There were several old friends on tonight’s ride, and several faces new to me too.
Note to Mark: Here are the links I suggested:
- Club Hypoxia
- Bicycle Colorado
- The book, Road Biking Colorado, The Statewide Guide, by Michael Seeberg
- BikeJournal.com
Twenty miles of conversation was hardly enough. With the sun setting over the Hundred Acre Pond, our group sat down for a little recovery feast.
We may have been out in horse country, but the park boasts a huge population of deer. Here are three of them.
The ride home was my first long ride after dark since we changed the clocks back in March. I continue to be impressed by the Schmidt Edelux supplemented by the pair of DiNottes. Other club members continue to be impressed by the DiNotte taillight, one even pulling alongside and shouting his approval from his car window.
