John’s Ramblings

Terri and I led a Newcomer’s bicycle ride through the Kent Valley on Sunday. These rides are designed to give folks their first taste of riding in a group, and how to stay safe doing so.

We had a pretty good turnout by the 9:30 start time, with well over a dozen folks, mostly new faces. The route is almost completely flat, 23 miles in length with an extended rest stop at mile 13, Kent Station.

Because of the ride being billed as “newcomers”, we sometimes get folks that aren’t quite prepared for the task at hand. We had some mechanical issues with one person’s bike because her front fender wouldn’t stay attached to the front fork. I MacGyver’ed her fender with a rubber band procured from another rider. She ended up turning around a few miles later, since she was also allergic to the sun and the day was sunny and hot.

The last major complication was a 15+ mph headwind that we had to ride into on the way back north on the Interurban Trail. Two of our party had ridden very little this year (10 miles and 0 miles, respectively). The pull into the wind was grueling for these two, and you end up having to stop more frequently and talk them through the last few miles. It takes time, but it is rewarding to get everyone through, and to see the faint smile of accomplishment come through the fatigue at the finish line.

23.7 miles on the day, 2,038 YTD.

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