Riders: Brian, Nicole, Will
Tonight’s ride group was very small, consisting of only the most optimistic/wishful bikers. The skies started off a bit cloudy but it was a pleasant 70 degree night. With only a few riders Brian was deemed our ride leader. We decided to try and stick to our normal roads but with no cheat sheet we couldn’t promise where we would end up. With Brian’s confident statement of “you can’t get lost in CT” we were off. It was a pretty easy going ride thru the fairly flat farm roads and we were so determined to get a ride in we gave only a few glances toward the sky. That was until we got about 45 minutes into the ride, at which point I don’t think any of us could keep our eyes off the almost black clouds surrounding us. With nervous glances we decided we were really pushing our luck and decided to start heading back at a quicker pace. The skies grew darker and darker and the winds started to pick up. Halfway back it was almost completely dark and we were at an all out sprint to try and beat the storm. There were a few drops here and there but with Brian encouraging “you can do it” we kept pumping our legs, determined to beat the storm to Vernon Cycle. We were 5-10 minutes short of Walgreens (intersection of Dart Hill + Talcottville Rd) in Vernon when the skies opened up and started pelting us with huge rain drops while lightning filled the skies. Defeated…but now just trying to get back safely, we hopped onto the rail trails to stay clear of cars and to get some protection with the trees. We all finished safe and soaking wet with 18.8 miles tucked under our belts (15.9 mph average). That’s the biking spirit!!! –Nicole
Nerac Earth Cycling 