Masons Beach, by the Chesapeake Bay
Leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Pat Walthers, Erika Kane, Joan Oppel
Guests: none
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50425989 27.8 mi and 1146' of elevation gain, according to my Garmin, but who knows what it was recording in its comatose state. RWGPS thinks it was 29.5 miles.
Weather: A taste of summer, with temperatures ranging from the low 70s at the start to around 82 by early afternoon. Partly cloudy, winds about 6 mph.
AMS: 11.9, according to the Garmin, which had an emotional breakdown at around mile 26 and froze in place, mimicking an earlier freeze before lunch.
Mechanicals/Mishaps: Aside from my Garmin's failure to navigate, none.
Report: A beautiful day for a bike ride. We arrived at South County Cafe at noon and enjoyed an outdoor lunch, then pootled around the back streets of Masons Beach before tackling the climb up to Franklin Gibson and the thrilling swoop back down. The long grades on Bay Front and 80 degree temperatures made the last few miles far more challenging in our unacclimated state -- this is, after all, still April, not July -- than the mere numbers would suggest.
Today's ride was a preview of the Memorial Day all-class ride, and will be one of the routes featured.
