Uncharted Territory

Ride #9. Saturday, September 18th. About 7 miles. I asked for fog and I got fog, but not for our ride. We live at 1200 feet or so and the weather down where the American River Bike Trail is was "overcast" and "ceiling 1200 feet. So we were livin' in the clouds this morning. By the time we got to the trail, it was sunny with scattered clouds, mid 70s (F) and perfect cycling weather.

My sweetie, who shall henceforth be known as the King of Flats, got to show off his tire changing skills right in the parking lot. He does not like Presta valves and I don't like Schrader. So guess what kind of valves we each have our our rides? Yep - the kind we don't like. My task when out and about is to get a couple more spare tubes for him. And I figure a couple more for me - I have half again as many wheels as he and maybe this flat thing is contagious...?

We started at the Upper Sunrise area - one of the Sacramento County parks on the American River. I have not been on the ARBT for several years, and never starting from that parking lot. So we took a 1/2 mile side trip and then turned around and found the 'real' trail - zipping downstream for around 3 miles and then turning around and zipping back.

OK - so I was leading on the way out and was zipping and my sweetie was leading on the way back and was not quite so zippy. Hills (ascending) make neither of us very zippy at all and downhills let my inner zippy speedfreak shine. I chickened out and braked for curves at the bottom of hills. Afer all, I would not want to roll my trike where someone might see me! (There's Pride, now where's the Fall?)

We saw plenty of spandex-clad 'roadies' flying by in both directions, a very upright two-wheel 'bent and another 2 wheeler in a (homemade?) velomobile. One fellow operating a hand and foot twowheeler 'bent with the hands only, and a few walkers. We started our trip at a popular put in spot for rafters so there were plenty of bright yellow rafts full of happy people floating down the river. Although the rafters often count as wildlife, I did not see much of the usual sort. I'm sure it was out there, I just was concentrating on staying in my lane and not running over any sticks or twigs so had not time to scan for critters.

My right fender was loose again by the end of the ride - and now that the metric allen keys have reappeared in the toolbox (tidying the garage can be a good thing), I'll see if a longer key makes it easier to tighten things up this time. I'm getting better at shifting before it is almost too late, and my rear derailuer is behaving itself. I didn't spend anytime on the biggest chainring in front so the noise there did not bother me.

oodles of toodles, next ride Monday!