I love my road bike. When Jason first bought it for me, I felt terribly awkward and clumsy. With my body positioned so differently, it felt like I hardly had control and I was pretty certain that I might crash. (While never stated outright, we suspect the prior owner was selling the bike due to a tumble.)
Fortunately with time and practice I learned. It has been so fun to become a cyclist and ride with friends. I'm not terribly fast, but I'm consistent and content to pedal for hours. Here I am with my friends Sonja and Julie.
I've even become comfortable enough to ride and take a selfie at the same time! (Albeit rarely.)
Riding the trails with Callie and Talia. We were all training to ride Little Red together.
Making it to the top of Little Mountain is always an accomplishment. According to William Clayton, "The descent is very steep all the way." That explains why the ascent feels so steep as well.
I've learned some hard lessons about the importance of applying sunscreen. I believe this happened back in April and I still have a marked biker short tan line.
I've also learned that a Costa Vida is a remarkable pick-me-up for a sixty mile ride.
Remember how proud I was to ride Little Mountain? Imagine my surprise when I managed to summit Big Mountain as well. Super challenging, but definitely worth it.
At last it was time to ride Little Red. Thanks to Grandma Susie for hosting us all at her house before the event! I recruited quite the crew: Susie, Christy, Brianna, Callie, Talia, and me. Plus, my friends Julie and Sarah were riding as well.
Justin, Ruby and Violet were part of the cheering squad/obligatory pie consumers.
Mamma Mia, it's June 7th and time to Ride Little Red! Those of us planning to ride longer distances got an earlier start. From left to right there's Callie, me, Talia, Amy, Sarah, and Julie
Talia and I tackled the full hundred mile course! This gal inspires me.
As part of the saner crew, Callie waved us good luck. She'd hoped to ride the longer distance with her rented e-bike, but the battery wouldn't last that long.
Here's the next party crew! Callie, Christy, Susie, and Brianna.
Even thought we didn't bike together, Talia and I managed to arrive at lunch at just the same time as Sarah, Julie, and Amy. Brilliant!
The whole family also showed up to cheer Talia and I right around mile 65. This is a critical junction where you can choose whether to bike the whole hundred miles or stop around mile 70. Without Talia's grit and their encouragement, I'm pretty sure that I would have opted for the shorter route back.
Adam, Eli, Papa Kay--thanks for the encouragement! This may be a women's only ride, but we couldn't do it without the support of the guys. (Jason was sending positive vibes from afar too--he was at an AIA conference in Boston.)
The theme for the ride was Mamma Mia, and this century rider was the best dressed by far!
Pulling in at mile 99!
We made it!
Wheely fun!
Will ride for mimosas.
Thanks to all for the fabulous party! Let's do it again next year.
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