Cold and Wet

Whether we would ride at all this past Saturday morning was in question. The forecast was 50% rain (I try to stay away from wet roads since I broke my femur on one last year) and temps in the low 40s. Nevertheless, it was not raining when I got up at 5 and the weather radar looked good so I met the group out in Fulshear. Jim rode with me and Debbie and Pat and Robert met us at the parking lot in Fulshear.

This was the first real road test for my new Barcroft Oregon. Bill Cook shipped the bike almost ready to ride. All I had to do was attach the handelbars and tighten up the headset and I was ready to roll. Right off the bat I found that the handlebars were too narrow for me. I wrote Bill and he shipped me a set of Volae bars that arrived a couple of days later. I've had the bike about 2 weeks now. I logged 40 miles in the park during the past week to get the seat dialed in, but this was the first real road test. I have no complaints. I thought that maybe the 451 x 1.2" wheels might make for a rough ride, but I hardly noticed the bumps. The bike is very smooth and quiet. I'm still building muscles to pedal on this particular bike, but I can see already that it's going to be really fast. Headwinds are no problem.

The skies threatened rain all morning and there were a few rain drops around mile 11, but we ignored them.

We had an extended break at the half way point because Robert had a flat. While watching him repair it Debbie remarked,"I've never had a flat since I've been riding out here." We all froze and then patiently explained to her that saying such a thing was very bad ju-ju. Naturally she had a blow out about 30 minutes later.

Fortunately, Jim and I had pulled ahead so we were blissfully unaware that everyone else had stopped to help Debbie change her tire. We called back for them at the next break point and learned of the blow out. As we were only 11 miles from the parking lot and the rain was picking up a little, Jim and decided the best thing we could do was push on to the truck in case we needed to come back and pick anyone up.

As we pulled into Fulshear, the rain looked like it might get serious so we pushed on toward the parking lot with numb hands and feet. The skies really opened up just as we got the bikes loaded back in my truck, with everyone else still 10 miles behind us out on the road. We doubled back in the truck for Robert, Debbie and Pat and, in spite of the cold rain that was now falling in earnest, no one wanted a ride to the lot. I learned later that Debbie had used the hand dryer at the Shell Station break point to warm her hands and feet. Jim and I turned on our heated seats and headed home for lunch and a nap.

Thanks to Debbie and Pat for the pictures.