Members: Me, Myself and I
Guests: The voices in my head (singing the song that was playing on my car stereo when I arrived at Wayson's Corner)
Ride leader: Debby Bowman
Route: 30.5 miles as cued, 28.1 as ridden, about 1300 feet of climbing, https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17938168
Average speed: 13.7 mph at the back, 13.7 mph at the front.
Weather: Not bad for winter. Temps rising from 48 to 54 during the ride, no wind, gray clouds but the sun did manage to come out and cast a few shadows during the last 10 miles.
Mishaps and mechanicals: None
Farm animal roll call: Horses, sheep, a couple of cows.
New saddle test verdict: Not sure yet.
Every time I plan to lead a ride, I expect no one else to show up. I usually have a backup plan in mind, such as a shortcut or extra food and drinks so I won't have to go into a store and leave my bike unattended at the break. Today was the first time I actually had to put my backup plan into effect.
The day started with a trip to the LBS to have a new saddle put on the bike -- a Bontrager Yatra to replace the Affinity which is showing signs of wear. So today was the first test ride in the 30-day comfort guarantee period. With the new saddle ready to go I headed to Wayson's Corner. At 1:00 sharp I stuck a couple of cue sheets under the windshield wiper of my car's rear window and rolled out. I had two possible short cuts in mind and decided to take the first one right at the start. The route was a counter-clockwise loop starting with a trip down Pindell and Lower Pindell Rd to Fisher's Station and Bay Front, but I opted to turn left from Plummer to Wrighton Rd instead of going straight onto Pindell. This sent me through the part of Bay Front Rd where road work is currently going on, so I knew I might have to turn around and backtrack if conditions were bad. They turned out to be passable, with a brief closure of the shoulder which would have been okay were it not for the two impatient drivers behind me who were extremely eager to get on Route 4 going north. But hey, if it makes you feel better to lean on your horn, go ahead, I can take it.
After that the ride was downright uneventful. I took Bay Front east to Rt 2, where I turned left, stopped at St James Church to read a historical marker, then took a right onto Old Ridge Path Lane and Nutwell Rd. Then I went north on Nutwell-Sudley/Sudley/Owensville-Sudley to Harwood Rd and a stop at the convenient store. After a quick snack I decided to add another layer, so I put on the wind vest that I had tucked into my bike bag just in case.
The last part of the ride offered another chance for a small shortcut, but I decided to stay on the planned route. So from Harwood Rd I turned right onto Wayson Rd, then went left on Queen Anne Bridge and left again on Patuxent River Rd, then right on Sands, past the two county parks and three trailer parks, and back to Wayson's Corner.
After the ride I was thinking that the new saddle failed the test; in some ways it was more comfortable than the Affinity but in others it was worse. But then I noticed that it was slightly skewed to the left, which might explain the discomfort. So I will straighten it and try it again. (This always seems to happens to new saddles on my bike -- you'd think I'd have learned to pay more attention before trying them out!)
All in all it was a good ride. I'll keep the cue sheets and post it again sometime.
