I got to go on my first Full Moon Ride tonight! Robin and I loaded up Frankie and Elwood (our Pashleys) and headed downtown to meet up with the group. I can now say that having a C-Train stop two or three blocks away from the house is very convenient.
We met up with Chelsea out front of BikeBike, and got to meet a few new folks.
There were cyclists all over the place. I think I heard that this was the biggest full moon ride so far. Even better, since this was the second full moon in August, it was a very rare Blue Moon ride. Apparently there were so many people, it was like someone had called a meeting for a Critical Mass ride.
We all took to the road and found our way to the path system, winding up at a rather sizeable park with fire pit and BBQ (hibachi?) facilities. It wasn’t the easiest ride in the world, since there were a couple of wooden suspension bridges along the way, but it was manageable. We found a patch of grass near the main group and settled in. Chelsea brought savoury pastries, which was a blessing since I don’t think any of the three of us had eaten much, if anything, prior to the ride.
The ride back was a little more of an “adventure”. Mainly because people didn’t all leave en masse, and as a result we wound up stopping once or twice to consult Google Maps on the mobile phones. We passed a couple of urban rabbits and even a territorial housecat guarding a driveway. Finally we found a path that took us right to the C-train line from the south back to downtown.
The train was having maintenance on the northeast line, so we had to get off before we were even halfway home. We weren’t going to be able to take our bikes on the shuttle buses, so we decided to ride to the next station. Luckily, I knew the area fairly well and we were able to get back to the northbound line just in time for the last train home.
If I learned anything from the experience? I need to ride more. I did a great job at keeping up with people, but there was a part of me that felt like the fat kid on the heavy bike. Yes, my bike is heavy. Having a little more muscle tone and less bodyweight will help me deal with getting her up some of the harder hills. I didn’t have to push my bike up any hills while we were cycling with the group, so I count that a victory. In fact, for quite a lot of the trip, we were up near the front of the group. Considering I haven’t ridden my bike for most of the summer, I’m happy. There’s room for a LOT of improvement, but I didn’t wind up having to hang back.
Apparently next month’s ride is a Tweed Ride (and it’s also our Chelsea’s birthday!). We’ll see if I have the time off work and the wardrobe to join in!
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