Debbie (a different Debbie) led the ride. She and I have ridden together before, but never when she has been leader. Debbie likes to ride ahead, so I knew we'd keep a good pace. Exciting!
We stop regularly to let the riders regroup as there are several different paces happening.
After a bit, we all warmed up and stopped to strip off a few layers.
At the midway point, we stopped at High's to pee. I didn't know there were any High's left around here (or there)!
This ride was solid rolling hills - up and down the whole way. Really beautiful and fun. And we rode fast. Debbie says her target speed is 16mph, so she is perfect for me to ride with - pushing me my hardest to keep up with her racing bike on my heavy but trusty touring model. The average speed didn't really reflect our pace because of all the coasting/waiting/stopping for the rest of the group. But generally, Debbie, me, Laurie, and two other women rode really well together between 15 and 20mph.
We arrived in Galesville to a beautiful blue sky and glassy water.
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| We snap a pic for mom, but I forgot to send it |
When it was over, Laurie and I were hungry so we stopped at Fat Boy's Crab Shack in Gambrills, MD on the way home. It was a teeny but fun little place full of locals watching the Ravens game. I stood out a bit with my tight biking pants, bright blue socks, and Birks. Too bad no pic of that, but here's a blurry image of the shack itself off the website.
Laurie and I both got an IPA and a crab pretzel. That thing was warm and gooey and awesome. The perfect end to a great ride. Will definitely have to go back and do this again.
Speed: 14.5mph
