LOF Lake to another Lake Ride

The weather was not cooperative on Sunday, June 28th, for the third annual LOF Adaptive Water Skiing Charity Ride.  I poured from 2 to 5 AM Sunday morning and the wet conditions scarred many people off.  I had been asked earlier to lead a group of hand cyclists on a 50K ride but none of them showed up so I waited around at the start point and then took off at 9:30 on the 75K ride to Long Meadow Pond.  Fortunately, I loaded the track in my Garmin the night before so I was prepared.

On Westwoods Road in Woodbury I had my first flat while riding.  I have had my tubes go flat right after a ride, or after a day or two, but this was my first, out in the middle of no where flat tire!  It took all of 5 minutes to fix thanks to CO2!  Boy, do I love C02 inflators now.

Food stop before the 75K and 100K routes split off from one another.  Had an orange, a banana, and got my water topped off and chatted with the Wolf's of Newtown.  The 75K route splits off up the road from the rest stop and immediately starts to climb West Mountain Road, which starts out at a 13% grade.  While slowing ascending the hill I said hello to a woman walking down who offered my free food and water further up the road!

While the weather was overcast it was a little cool and really pleasant for riding.  I have never ridden through is part of Litchfield County before.  The climbing was great and the descents even better.  

I am loving the new glasses!

On the south west side of Morris, CT I was supposed to take a right but the road had been recently chip sealed and didn't want to take my skinnies down a gravel road so I detoured around.

I confirmed a dirt road on my Tri State Gravle map, too, but I wasn't going to ride it.  Eventually, I came out south of Bantam Lake and then headed south.  At the turn onto Rt 61, it started to rain and foturnately, I had my rain slicker with me so I put it on.

When I got back to Morris I stopped off at a deli for potato salad, salt and vinegar chips, pickles and a chocolate milk.  All fueled up and ready to ride some more I headed back.  Tried to pick up the course again, only to find more chip seal on that section so I kept detouring until I finally found it again.

It finally stopped raining about 15 miles out from the starting point while I was on Weekeepeemee road.

I got back the Shepaug Dam and I was the last one to return and it started raining again!

The post ride libation was perfect!

Quadbury Gravel Grinder

I set off Saturday, June 27th, to ride what I call the Tr-bury Gravel Grinder which consists of the Larkin Bridle Trail, Middlebury Trolley Trail and the Woodbury Trolley Trail (the last two are the same road bed, just different towns) only I went about it in reverse and I wanted to scope out the route for a ride that I would be leading next day for the LOF Adaptive Waterskiing group.

I headed up Purchase Brook to get in some gravel on Peach Orchard and then head down West Flag Swamp.  I really love riding these two roads and like to ride them in both directions now.

West Flag Swamp is just a gravel road with nothing on it.  There are no houses but there could be some trails coming off it but it's a great gravel road and the decent after Mallory is insane.

After riding the section of road that I would be leading the ride on I headed over to Middle Quarter Road in Woodbury to ride up the Woodbury Trolley Trail only to find the entrance really overgrown and lots of poison ivy everywhere.  I blasted through and then stopped further in and sprayed water on my legs just in case.  

It would appear that this trail isn't seeing much use and that's too bad because it's cool to ride a piece of history, in which passenger and freight trolleys moved up and down this line over a hundred years ago.

This right of way is truly a diamond in the rough. 

After the climb, the bed turns to the north at the old Woodbury Reservoir but there are quite a few trees down along the way.

I got on Rt 64 and passed by the sign.  

That had to have been a hard name to grow up with.

Riding through Middlebury, I basically stayed off the trolley trail except to get around the traffic light at Rt 188 because there were too many walkers on the trail and eventually I got on the Larkin Bridle Trail.  There, too, were a lot of walkers, runners and few bikers.  At one point there was a runner in the middle of the trail and gave warning that I was coming from behind but she had earbuds on and couldn't hear me.  It was hard getting past her and she was surprised when I passed but if you are going to tune out the world on a public trail don't be surprised if something like that happens again!

The wet part at Towantic Road is still pretty awful but what a lot of people down't realize is that if just ride down the center of the trail you will avoid the mud.  There's no way avoiding the water but the middle of the trail is the hardest and you won't sink.

Thinking that I was short on time because my daughter said she wanted to go hiking in the afternoon once I hit Rt 67 I by passed the rest of the trail and rode straight home.

Upon arrival, turns out she was still sleeping have not slept at her sleepover from the night before so I got to enjoy my 8 Barrel IPA from Chatham Brewing.  It was well worth the wait!

New Bike Law in Connecticut effective July 1st, 2015

July 1, 2015 (Hartford, CT) -- Important changes to Connecticut's laws for cyclists take effect  July 1, 2015.  The Bicycle Safety bill, Senate Bill 502 and now Public Act 15-41, was passed in May with broad bipartisan support.  The Governor signed the bill into law on June 1.

The new law eliminates the confusing--and often unsafe--rule requiring cyclists to ride as far to the right as practicable. 

Instead, the law now requires cyclists to ride as close to the right side of the road as is safe, as judged by the cyclist.   Bike Walk Connecticut specifically advocated for that language, which is modeled on a best practice from Colorado as identified by the League of American Bicyclists.

As of July 1, cyclists don't have to ride as close to the right side of the road when:

1. Overtaking or passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction;
2. Preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;
3. Reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or lanes that are too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by side within such lanes;
4. Approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right turn lane, in which case a bicyclist may ride on the left-hand side of such dedicated lane, even if the bicyclist does not intend to turn right;
5. Riding on a roadway designated for one-way traffic, when the bicyclist may ride as near to the left-hand curb or edge of such roadway as judged safe by the bicyclist; or when
6. Riding on parts of roadways separated for the exclusive use of bicycles, including, but not limited to, contra-flow bicycle lanes, left-handed cycle tracks or bicycle lanes on one-way streets and two-way cycle tracks or bicycle lanes.

The new law also allows two-way bicycle lanes, buffered bike lanes, and cycle tracks to be designed in Connecticut and allows drivers to cross the double yellow line to pass slower-moving cyclists and other road users when it's safe to do so.

87 & 86 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

I started out strong on my 2015 Bike Commuting goal, even though I got a late start with the weather. By early April, I had ridden 12 times on the Bianchi San Jose but then came the announcement at work.  The company I was working for had decided that they didn't want to be government regulated any more and that meant that they have to sell off many of it's assets and businesses, one of those being sold is the one that I work for.  This was a crushing blow and really put me in a funk, so much so that I had barely the will to ride any more, let alone to ride to work. 

I managed to ride once, just once in May.  It was still cold enough in the mornings to warrant an extra layer but it was hard mentally to get into the groove to ride.

 

Riding home in the afternoon was a lot warmer so I was able to do so with a lot lighter kit. What I discovered is it's hard to enjoy riding when your future is so uncertain.  It almost seemed like another chore to do and I already had more than enough on my plate, complicated with the fact that I now have to find a new job.

Fast forward another month.  Things at work have gotten a little better and the anxiety has lessened to a certain degree which prompted me to get on the bike again for a commute.    

It really felt great to be riding again and I was admonishing myself the whole ride in that I should have just kept riding despite my career anxieties.  Two things kept me off the bike, one is that with the announcement there seemed to be a push to close many of the things I was working on sooner while there were still resources.  So while many others in the office seemed to be showing up for work for the minimal requirement I was working my ass off.  

On top of work being additionally busy, add looking for a new job, which is a job in itself.  Working a full day and then trying to spend time with the kids after work leaves mornings, which I should be been pedaling to work, sending out networking emails and registering on various company career portals hoping to hear back.  

Having been through a layoff before, with the same company, and then coming back and then having the prospect of another layoff on the horizon really sucks.  That anxiety makes it tough to enjoy the things that you really enjoy but after two months I have come to realization that you can't let it drive you crazy and that you need to find outlets, otherwise it will eat you up.  It ate me up for a month or so, and pushed myself to ride on the weekends just to stay in shape but now I am feeling much better and I am just going to keep riding as much as possible because it feels so much better when I do.

When I got home from my ride, Elliot wanted to do our a little L Tandem to the Lake ride that we do from time to time.  His first day of summer vacation was spent at home with his brother and older sister, who was in charge of the boys all day, and I think he needed to let off a little steam.

I was tired from the ride home because I really pushed myself despite my wonky speed sensor on the Garmin but when my son wants to ride it is my duty to answer the call.  The lake was like glass and the setting sun made it look really nice.  After the boat ramp we rode up Pond Brook Road to his friend's house where he hung out with one of his best friends for a half our and I chatted with his friend's father, who rides, too.  Only right now, he has a herniated disc and will be having surgery and won't be on the bike again for a couple of months.

Tandeming the Hat City Cyclefest

Elliot was a little more enthusiastic about riding the Hat City Cyclefest on June 14th, 2015, because we didn't have to wake up so early since it started in Bethel and was only 15 minutes from the house. No matching jerseys this time because he doesn't like zippered fronts.

We met Will and his daughter Julia at the start point and took off.  The course we were riding was the 23 mile route which headed south into Newtown by way of Route 302 and then over into Redding by way of Hopewell Road and then down one of my favorite roads, Newtown Turnpike.  Then it was back up Route 53, then cut through West Redding and up Long Ridge Rd, wasn't expecting that but it did take us off a busy road, then cut through Bethel and back to start. 

We started out strong but Julia, having ridden mostly in NYC, struggled on the hills.

From time to time we stopped so Will and Julia could catch up

and chatted with some of the other riders along the course

Will took this picture of us waiting for them.

According to Will:

One shouldn't drink too much in Redding Connecticut 

with the new Pee Limit law they passed last month!

Down at the Saugatuck Reservoir we stopped to marvel at full the reservoir was.  I haven't see this much water in the Saugatuck in 20 years!  

Elliot and posed for a Selfie

At the food stop, while waiting for Will and Julia to catch up we noticed that there were other riders from another event traveling along the same route.  Apparently the Bike MS ride from Sherwood Island was using many of the same roads that we were.  They also had a rest stop somewhere on Route 53 but it was up the road further.  Yet, quite a few people stopped here thinking it was for them.

After eating we hung out in the shade waiting for Will and Julia to finish their ride.  Elliot was extremely bored and famished because there wasn't much post ride gnosh that he could eat because of his food allergies.  Next time, I have to remember to bring another chain, some more snacks, and of course something to keep him busy.  Of course we chatted.  We chatted a lot while riding together, too.  I think that is why he likes to ride the tandem because it gives us the opportunity to talk about everything going on in our lives.  He has such a unique perspective on life.