I'm Dreaming Of A White Bike Ride

I can't/won't record every ride I make or even a small fraction. It would be very redundant.

It was a white couple of days. Now it was really cold and white. An email said there was a group leaving Carrboro so I put a gun to my head and forced myself out onto the road.

I have about 13 to 16 miles to the start if I ride over. I'm riding over. Here I cross the Eno River.

Snow/ice remained where the sun didn't shine so much.

I should have blown this up a little more. There's a llama in the back of the herd with a horse. In front are Shetland Ponies and a donkey or two.

Here's my group coming out now. I was a little late and I think they were too.

These guys are taking a real "winter's pace" today.

The weather has been so cold that many folks are not getting outside and may not be working out inside.

Today, and many others, we're riding a "double paceline".

The problem often with a "double paceline" is that the two front riders pull off both to the left and right. One to the left and the other to the right.

I think both riders should peel off to the left. Otherwise you could have four sets of handle-bars across the one lane. I consider this "bad luck". It's like leaving a bicycle wheel behind your car.

This gent lived in my old hometown of Asheville, NC for five years. I had moved on.

Here we had some hesitation among us. There was a flat tire. Some of us wanted to wait. We could ride up 5 miles and ride back to pick the rider back up. We were out-voted. I went on reluctantly and would have no moral dilemma about shedding the group later. I already had 13 more miles than anyone else.

I really want to start another club or subsidiary of the Major Taylor Club with and emphasis on brotherhood. Today was an iffy situation. It was cold. It would get colder. Perhaps we should go and get the ride done. I don't like to abandon riders with flat tires.

It was an easy pace. I do yearn for the summer and to be one of the real "boys of summer".

I peeled off from the group when the route was taking me too far out of the way from home. My "garbanzos" were too chilly.

I shot a few good pics of some farms but began wishing I was inside.

This is a nice wintry, Christmas scene! Ho, ho ho!

Yes, I stopped to get a picture of this beautiful stream.

May as well get both sides. I really wanted pee as I was looking at this. Another reason I wanted to get home!

I caught sight of some "fugitives" up ahead. So, naturally, I chased!

By their positions on the bikes I could tell they were tri-athletes. Plus they had water-bottles on the backs of their seats. Tri-athloids!

I latched on when they turned onto Ben Johnson.

They were good sports. They smiled for the camera and joked that I did this a lot and would post them in a scrap book when I got home. They likened it to putting a notch on my gun.

They were surprised and delightful. I even got a wave from the caboose or "ticket taker".

I pulled up to this point and knew my favorite spot was coming up. I was able to put a cyclist in the pic. That's what I like.

We're flying toward my home. Hot-dog!

This was a very cold day for riding. I was out for a few hours, 35 miles. It's not much but all one needs in the winter. No this isn't Canada or Alaska. It's cold enough though. Dressing for the cold is so important. Today I felt fine with four, mostly, thin layers. My gloves were not as beefy as most but I felt okay with my hands. My crotch was a little cold and could have stood three thin layers instead of two. I had really thin booties over my shoes but a piece of saran wrap at the toes. Toes were fine.