The weather prediction is showers for this a.m. then scattered showers later today. It is warmer though -- in the mid 40's, and the wind is with us. The current radar doesn't show anything right over us, but then again we don't start riding for two hours so that does not mean anything.
For Aaron -- I checked my chain this morning and it looks like I'll probably change it tonight. I definitely did not get 40% more wear out of the Wipperman chain. I could probably go another day, but I'll have time today and if we get wet it will be gummy anyway. I may be due for another cassette as well, which could account for the shorter chain life. I'll have to check the cassette teeth for wear. I now have about 4000 miles on this cassette. Riding this many miles ages the bike (and the biker !!) quickly.
Last night was our first night in NY -- three more to go in NY, then NH and then MA. Time is flying.
Breakfast will be at 7am today, load at 7:30 then we're off. The tour is scheduled for 10 a.m. -- so if it takes an hour we'll be back on the road around 11am and to our destination at or before 2pm.
I forgot to mention in yesterday's blog that there was some sort of ride going on in Erie PA -- hundreds of riders, all spread out, mostly going the opposite direction. Barb said later that there is always a ride in Erie the weekend before Memorial Day. We was somewhat scornful of the riders because she has seen them go through red lights etc. Since we are following Mike's rules we don't do that -- we will wait patiently even if there is no traffic -- but it is fairly common among bikers to go if it is clear. That of course poses risks -- remember my encounter with the California Highway Patrol.
There was a funny moment with all these riders -- Jud and company (the hammers) were riding along fairly easily in our company when a couple of these riders came along saying "on your left" and passed them. Well -- Jud, being a racer, saw this as a challenge and he and Dave Roark took off and rode the next several miles at 30+ mph blazing past tons of casual cyclists until they got close to the lunch SAG.
I was thinking as I was riding out there that to the other cyclists we looked just like them -- perhaps carrying a little more gear in our pouches and pockets, depending on the rider, but we were riding along like any other cyclist. Little did they know that we had already ridden close to one hundred miles that day and close to 3000 miles on the trip. I would be impressed, were I in their shoes -- not that it matters.
Terrain today will be similar to yesterday for the first part of the ride to Orchard Park -- along Lake Erie -- then we'll be more inland as we go from there to Batavia. I've driven that stretch of I90 from Buffalo to Syracuse so many times on our trips between Toronto and Philadelphia that I know what to expect for today and tomorrow.
Sandy went to an antiques auction with Sheryl in the Hemmingford area yesterday and referred to it as the "cheapest entertainment that I've had in a long time". We came away unscathed (she didn't buy anything).
In a few days real life will converge on me and these blogs will change character. I'll have to rename the blog since it won't be "cycling and other things" anymore as the "other things" will be dominant. I plan to continue the blog -- it is a good way to keep a diary and a good way for our kids to keep track of us. Who knows, someone may find it interesting reading -- it will be more varied, for sure !
Time to get organized ... I have to decide what to wear, which would be easy without the chance of showers. It's too warm for the rain pants ... weather.com is showing 54 degrees.
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Our ride this a.m. to the bicycle museum was cool but ok. It was damp though, almost misty, so that your clothing was damp from the inside out and outside in. Once we got to the museum we had our lunch SAG in their parking lot.
The museum itself was fascinating. I want to go again when I have more time -- both to look as well as to shop. He has an incredible array of bicycles -- probably 10-20 times more than the Smithsonian -- and his knowledge is encyclopedic. It's a small building so everything is jammed together, and with such a large group it was impossible to see everything. The good news is that it is not far off our north/south route, whether to Philly or Florida, since it is in the Buffalo area.
After the museum we had a 40-somthing mile ride to Batavia -- rain, gradually getting colder -- what more can I say. Jerry had two flats today -- once before the museum and once after. Geoff was hurting and decided to ride on his own for the latter part of the day. Somewhere along the route a car went off the road right in front of him -- a single vehicle accident -- really shook him up. As we were entering Batavia the ambulance went by and Jerry and I only found out later about his near miss.
Ride stats -- 3:15 arrival; 89 miles; 5:17 rolling time.
Once at the Days Inn, I had to clean my bike, naturally, with all the rain, mud etc.; clean my clothes -- which I did in the room sink (just the leg warmers, the shoe covers and the jackets; and clean myself -- and then headed off with Sue, Flory, Corky and Sandra to dinner at a local restaurant -- Alex's, if my memory serves correctly. The food was excellent -- we're finally in a part of the country where it is reasonable to order fish -- and I enjoyed my Orange Roughy immensely. I was even lucky enough to be served last after a short wait, and the cook made up for the lapse by also including a skewer of shrimp.
It was great to see everyone and I really appreciate the time that they took to come out here an especially being treated to a nice restaurant. Sandra baked me some oatmeal cookies, which I will NOT share. I need some carry-along snacks. I also got a North Tonawanda t-shirt, which I will add to my collection and wear proudly !!
And then, after getting to my room, the phone rang -- I expected that it was Geoff to give me details about tomorrow, since I missed RAP -- but it was the front desk just checking to ensure that I was in the room because they had a package for me ... what is this ?? Well -- it seems that after I left the lobby, Sue left another surprise -- a goodie bag that I will share with my riding mates. Beer, which I will somehow get to Syracuse and share tomorrow night -- as well as chips, pretzels and a fruit tray. I'll get hold of Barb this evening and get the fruit tray to her and she can open that at the SAG stops tomorrow -- it will be much appreciated.
As I write this I am eating an oatmeal raisin cookie -- did someone tell Sandra that these are my favorites ??
Corky's birthday is on May 29th -- it seems that he, Sandra and I are all just a few months apart. Corky, of course, is much older ... months. Sandra is a month older than me -- that's eons (I'm hoping that she's reading this).
I'm now on my second cookie. I was not at all tempted by the strawberry pie that Sandra got for desert with the intention of sharing ... but oatmeal raisin cookies ?? -- that's another matter altogether !!
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Well, I got hold of Barb when they got back from dinner -- paid her for Sandy's participation in the dinner in Amesbury and gave her the fruit and goodies for the SAG stop tomorrow. However, I found out (I suppose that I should have known this) that they cannot carry alcoholic beverages in the vans -- so, I got on the phone and gathered up as many bikers as I could find and we found a way to deal with the beer. They were very good -- varieties from the Buffalo area -- and much appreciated.
Pictures from today -- three from the biking museum -- two showing some of the evolution of bikes and pedalling technology and one showing another use for a bike -- with a machine gun mounted -- warefare !!
The last picture is from dinner ...
and as I close this blog I have only three cookies left -- guess there won't be much to pack !!
