Ride Leader: Judy Mutty
Members: Monique Kinteh
Guests: Kiara Batishe (Monique’s daughter), Linda Conboy, Todd & Deanna Spindler
Route: Indian Head Rail Trail (Theodore Green Blvd. Start)
Weather: Mid 50’s, lots of gray clouds but brightened up as morning wore on
AMS: 8-15
Mechanicals/Mishaps: Flat tire
Report: At the start of what was advertised as a 12 mile ride, Monique asked if it was OK if she went 18-20 as she is getting ready for the SMECO 29 mile ride on June 4; Kiara would join her. The rest of us thought we’d go about 20. At almost 10 miles, Todd suddenly had a tire go flat; looked to be valve stem. Didn’t want to take time to change tube so borrowed my hand pump and he and Deanna decided to head back to the start. Linda and I continued on to the 10 mile point and turned around. A lady stopped us and gave us a phone number and asked that we look for her two dogs who’d taken off. We barely got started when we spotted the dogs! Another biker, ahead of us, pulled over; he’d seen the dogs too. He called the number and we waited until the owner was contacted. The other rider waited on him and Linda and I continued on. We’d gone a couple of miles when I thought I saw our friend Deanna ahead of us. But the guy was not Todd. When we got to them, we found out that the tire wasn’t holding any air and it was 6 miles back to Theodore Green – too long for a walk. So, Todd grabbed Deanna’s bike to go back, get car, and return to pick up Deanna. In the meantime, a good Samaritan stopped. He asked Deanna if she had spare inner tube; she said yes but no tools. He had the tools so replaced the spare and was just finishing up when we rode up. We waited with Deanna for Todd. It occurred to me that Monique and Kiara should be coming back through. We connected by text – they had gone full 13 miles and were on way back. They pulled up to us just as Todd pulled up in the car. What timing!
All were happy and continued on merry ways. All in all, it was great to be out on a clear day with sunshine after the recent nasty spell of weather.
