Bicycles Unlimited - A Soggy Beginner Ride

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A Soggy Beginner Ride

Written by Bob Perry

Thursday, 22 July 2010

It was a pretty nice day today and at 6:00 it was still sunny out so I decided to do the beginner ride even though some weather people said we might get a storm. At ride time we had a group of 9 (no Dave) and we headed off to ride through the neighborhood to avoid the construction on Silver Street.

I rode at the front with Roger and Deena as we headed for Leyden Road. We crossed Silver Street and rode down the hill to Leyden Road. I staayed at the back with Bad Bob, Jen and Kelley to coach Kelley on how to descend and get Jen using her gears properly. The four of us hung together until we got to Barton Road where we passed Tom G., and where Bad Bob fell off the pace on the climb. I helped Jen and Kelly with their downhill and shifting skills as we cruised up the rolling hills on Barton Road and pretty soon we were at the end of the road where we caught up with the rest of the riders. At this point it started to rain a bit even thought there were no clouds overhead. Bad Bob came along and the group decided to press onward. We all left together but pretty soon Frank, Roger, Patrick, Bonnie and Deena got a gap on the rest of us and they rode off. Our group pressed onward and we eventually caught up with them on RT. 10. At this point it was looking like there were storms in the area and we could see lightning off in the distance so we decided to take Gill Road. The roads were dry and our group rode together as we watched Deena learn to ride no hands. She did pretty well and soon enough we will see her doing a hand stand on the top tube. We continued down Gill Road and after passing the golf course I could see that the clouds were darkening and getting more numerous. As we got to the end of West Gill Road there was significant lightning off in the distance so we hurried down the hill on Main Road to the traffic lights at RT. 2. We crossed on the green and were just across the Gill-Montague Bridge when the rain began. We quickened our pace after turning off Ave A but by the time we crossed the canal bridge the rain was really coming down. We rode up the Esleeck Hill in a deluge so voluminous that it was difficult to see the ride in front of you. Deena took all this to heart and serenaded the group with and Italian aria on the way up the hill in the pouring rain. We all arrived back at the shop just as the storm started to abate. It was a good ride even though we got wet. The girls stayed around for a flat tire and bike lube clinic after drying off.

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Last Updated ( Friday, 23 July 2010 )

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Bicycles Unlimited carries the largest selection of bicycles and accessories in the valley. Bob oversees a staff of helpful and knowledgeable service and sales people. The shop has rides for every ability level. We will assist newer riders as well as seasoned experts with the skills needed to enjoy riding for many years.

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