It was a cold gray day in New Jersey, but temps were supposed to be mild, in the 40s. The group decided it would make a good day to ride and we met up at the Duck Pond, our usual meeting place. Upon arrival, I got out of the car and noticed that it felt quite a bit colder than the 39 degrees my car thermometer was reading. The sky was dark, covered by a thick set of clouds, and the air felt damp. Undaunted, I decided to dress in three layers and suited up for the ride. Ed decided the route this time, and selected Boonton as our destination. This would be a 55 mile ride to one of our favorite delis in New Jersey.
As soon as the ride started, the group began to splinter. Ed, our ride leader, is a fast rider, and several of the group hadn't been out riding for weeks. Ed would routinely stop to let others catch up, usually at the top of the climbs. No one was dropped. The deli stop was uneventful as was the debriefing at Dunkin Donuts for coffee after the ride.
As is sometimes the case, one of the riders suggested an alternate route to "avoid the hills". Generally, what this entails is usually substituting one hill for another. I have yet to figure out how to "avoid hills" without traveling hours around the hills, often meeting newer hills in the journey. This was no different. Having been assured it would be "all downhill" if we took North Monroe, we decided to give it a try. Of course, at the point we picked up North Monroe, we had to climb about one mile before we hit that "all downhill" point. Moreover, we had to pass a school that was just letting its students home for the day. Nothing worse than navigating the streets on your bicycle knowing they are filled with mothers racing to pick up their children from school, often while talking on their cell phones. Mothers, what's up with THAT!
