Ride Reports May 2008

Pick Your Distance
March 29, 2008 by Mike Procario

It was still pretty chilly when I got to Lewistown Elementary for start of the Pick Your Distance Ride on March 29. We had Pedaler regulars, George Ruszat, Chuck Wilson, Catherine Badger, Jon Disbennet, and the rapidly becoming a regular Peggy Parker. Everyone was happy to see George back after a long layoff. We also had a potential new member, John Henderson, and two beginning cyclists who will remain nameless. The ride is meant for beginners, but I fear the cold kept some away.

The ride starts with a loop around Lewistown, Fish Hatchery to Leatherman to Angleberger. I stayed up front with John H who was setting the pace but had not taken a cue sheet. George and Catherine were riding sweep. The nameless ones had some problems with the hill on Angleberger by the church due to some equipment problems, and by the time they got back to Hessong Bridge, they had decided to call it quits due to that and the cold.

It turned out that a number of people had trouble deciding how warm to dress. John H had on shorts. Jon D had fingerless gloves. I had learned my lesson on the Lily Pons Ride, and I had shoe covers and my winter gloves in addition to my tights, and several layers of shirts. I even had spare gloves with fingers to lend to Jon D.

While we waited for the nameless ones I let John H go on ahead. After we had regrouped, we headed off after him but did not find him. We regrouped again at Wilhide by the ostriches, and John H appeared. He had gone up to Frederick Road and decided he had gone too far and turned back to look for us. When we reached Blacks Mill Rd, I decided the group was up to a bit more distance than planned and maybe another hill, so I left the cue sheet and took Layman to Hessong Bridge. When we got back to Lewistown, John H took off for another engagement although he could clearly have handled the second loop. We continued for the second loop of the ride and ended up doing 16 miles instead of the advertised 13 miles.

Smithsburg - Mercersburg
April 13, 2008 by Bill Smith

Cool. Warm. Cloudy. Sun. Wet. Dry. Headwinds. Tailwinds.

I could end the ride report right there. But that would be no fun at all. This ride was mentioned in the Hagerstown Herald-Mail (newspaper) last week - and, with the weather as it was (gloomy), attracted only one rider from that area. Tim Flynn joined Chris Borkman and I (Tung, oh Tung, wherefore art thou Tung?) for the 75-miler from Smithsburg to Mercersburg and back.

It was a bit chilly and misting as we departed at about 9:30 into to northwest headwinds. The clouds forebode what looked to be a wet, dreary and perhaps chilly day of riding ahead. But we went anyway. Chris and Tim, the optimists in the group, rode their light bikes with minimal rain gear. I rode my fendered milk truck and brought my rack trunk loaded to the brim with clothes suitable for a wet ride. I was determined to finish this ride in order to prepare for Friday's Spring Century.

We rode a fairly comfortable 32 miles into Mercersburg, up and down a few hills, into and out of a couple of light showers. On the outskirts of town we ran into John Johnson, the creator of this route, in his Sunday Best. John played the organ for two churches this morning. He drove back home and changed into his cycling duds and met us at the Main Street Cafe and Pizza in town for lunch. Offerings were plenty - including the Sunday Lunch Buffet, which we wisely chose to pass up. We ate well, and three (of the now four) of us took advantage of the "Free Dessert" deal they had going today.

John rode with us for the next fifteen miles or so, then headed back to his Mercersburg home. We were treated to a wonderful tailwind for the last 35 miles of the ride, which certainly helped us get over the numerous little steep climbs that John was kind enough to insert into our return trip. Thanks, buddy.

This ride just begs for a secondary start in Thurmont to add two mountain climbs and make it into a century. Maybe later this year.

Lights & Pizza
April 2008 by Bill Smith

We had some beautifully warm weather on our Lights & Pizza rides in April. Attendees this month include Catherine Badger, Chris Borkman, Randy Buxbaum, Terry Eskuchen, Brian Foster, Craig Pollack, Mike Procario, Corey Rabideau, Doug Tipperman, Chuck Wilson, Vicki Smith and Bill Smith.

We’ve stayed in the valleys and out of the hills this month. This marks the end of these rides until October. Join us for the Utica District Park rides on Wednesdays beginning in May.

Spring Century & Metric
April 18, 2008 by Bill Smith

Never, ever have we had such good weather for a spring century ride! Six of us (Chris Borkman, Bob Koning, Tung Do, Simon Frechette, Jeff Johnson and I) left Rose Hill Plaza at 8 am, some of us wearing tights and jackets, some of us only in shorts and short sleeves. We had to stop once or twice for school buses; we also had an interesting exchange with some tree-cutting laborers on Willowbrook Rd. After an obligatory, traditional, Jeff Johnson flat-tire changing stop, we reached Emmitsburg in no time.

Awaiting us there for the metric century ride were Catherine Badger, Betsy Lapadula, Frank Scotto and Chuck Wilson.

We rode in solid, tight formation all the way to our drink stop in McSherrystown, then on to Littlestown where we were met for lunch at the Subway by Vicki Smith. After lunch we broke apart a little bit, as Chuck Wilson encountered a serious pothole on MD97 near Union Mills which flatted his front tire and dented his rim. Later he successfully battled with a rear flat tire on Stone Rd. Bob, Tung and Simon went on to finish the century themselves while the rest of us hung back.

We enjoyed the weather, the route, the cycling and the companionship. I imagine it was more enjoyable this time around, as opposed to last September's windy ride.