Riders: Keith, Doug B., Doug M., Pete, John Sattar, Janet, Jerry, Mike B., Nate, Jill
This is the 2nd annual ride that Doug B. has hosted out of his home in Lyme. Last year only 3 people rode so I would say that this year there was a stellar turnout! Doug’s house is the perfect venue, nice and shady with the lake close by for cooling off after the ride. The humidity was so thick at 8am that it was difficult to breathe, the roads were still wet and the air was so humid I couldn’t tell if my jersey was instantly soaked from sweat or if it was from the moisture in the air. Many of the Saturday Tolland Bike riders were present and a couple of locals that were probably psyched that they only had a 10 or 15 minute commute (it took me about an hour and 10 minutes, but worth the drive!). The route was fantastic, mostly shaded, scenic and increasingly less humid. About an hour into the ride the humidity started to fade and the roads started drying out. On the first couple of steep hills we had to be careful not to stand because the rear tire would slip out. There were some killer hills though, a handful in the beginning that I remember clearly and one drawn out double tiered hill toward the end. Doug kept apologizing for the hills but I don’t think anyone really minded. Many of the roads I remembered from riding with the Mystic Velo crew on Thursday nights, especially the stretch that goes through Devil’s Hopyard. Riding this early in the morning was much safer and more peaceful than riding after work with the Mystic crew. Other parts of the ride encircled the Stones Ranch property, we rode by the entrance on route 1 and along the property line that abuts the wooded part of the ranch. I got to chat with everyone and thoroughly enjoyed every conversation, the quiet roads, and the camaraderie that only comes when a group of people all get up at the crack of dawn (5:30am for me) to drive somewhere to ride their bikes together. Thank you Doug for hosting! – Jill
Nerac Earth Cycling 