November Numbers

I just completed my 11th consecutive day of riding. I have 23 days riding and a total of 702 miles for the month of November. It is the most days of riding in one month. I only had 2 other months with more miles, June and July. Thanks to El Nino and Global Warming it was one of the warmest Novembers in 100 years. We had a few cold 30's and a few warm 70's but most often it was in the upper 50's. In addition we had little rain. I am just shy of 6K miles for the year.
Here are some pics from the month.

So Shall I

I caught wind of a group ride along the Henry Hudson Trail in Monmouth County. The organizers were from the Princeton Ski Club who apparently do other activities. It was open to all and rumor had it there might be some recumbent riders also, so I thought why not. It was set for an 11 am start in Freehold and would be an out and back of 10-20 miles. Normally I don't do out and back but I needed a change and thought it could be fun. Of course my plan was to pedal to and from the start to add miles. I arrived 1/2 before the start and was greeted by Charlie another triker.  He drove up from South Jersey. The ride leader Steve, was pedaling a recumbent. The rest of the folks were riding an array of mostly comfort bikes. They were quite friendly and looked forward to an easy ride and a long lunch stop. Things finally got rolling and at the 5 mile mark they took a group conscious to see who wanted to continue further. It was decided to go the extra miles. Again it was asked who wanted to continue another few miles to the end. Half continued on and the rest stayed back. At this point I was losing interest and decided to stop at my old job to say hi which was at the end of the trail.  I thanked those around me for letting me be part of their group and road on. After my short visit with friends I pedaled the 10 miles home for an interesting 30 mile day.

Charlie

Hard Times

These are tough times for me. Short daylight hours and cold northwest winds make getting out and enjoying the ride more challenging. Fist thing I do most mornings is check the weather especially wind velocity . Since weather forecasters don't always get it right I go outside and check for myself. Then it's decision time as to what clothes to wear. When I finally do make it out I have a certain amount of miles in mind and rarely add to that. Not like the Summer months when I might add 20 miles to my ride. It also makes it difficult to jump on my bike for a quick trip to the store. One of my favorite spots to take a break is Rising Sun Lake. It's a beautiful hidden gem and most times I meetup with friendly fisherman and kayakers but as Winter approaches I find myself alone.
The other issue is the decreased activity on my social media cycling groups and forums. Few are diehards like myself and many hang up their bikes till Spring leaving little to talk about.
I am hoping that this years El Nino keeps things on the milder side(so far so good).
I so want to be a "Snowbird", but until then, I have to keep my spirits high and be grateful for any day I can ride.

Today was my typical ride through Millstone with temps in the low 50's, winds up to 20 and bright blue skies.
Surprisingly I added 3 extra miles.

Rising Sun Lake

Why No Posts

I was feeling a bit guilty about not posting lately. A couple reasons come to mind, the first being there is nothing new. We are in the process of downsizing and I have sold all my bikes except my trike. What more can I say about this bike that hasn't been said before. My cycling habits are unchanged. I continue to ride as often as possible and I am just as excited as I was more than 3 decades ago when I rediscovered cycling and later recumbents. Again what more can I say. The only added thought is as I age, cycling for health, not just fun, has become another driving force. I have no trips planned but that can always change. I am considering purchasing some sort of folding bike but I will leave that for another time when it is closer to a reality.
The other reason is I have fallen victim to social media especially Facebook. If you noticed most of my latest posts were short pieces with pics. FB is a great venue to easily express myself and communicate with other like minded cycling enthusiasts in real time. Not only can I share my thoughts and feelings but I get to experience others who share my passion. I belong to more than 7 cycling groups but my favorite is The Recumbent Trike Group. It has a lot of new trike riders who recently experienced that recumbent grin, like the feeling you got when you first learned to ride a 2 wheeler. Not too many know it alls or people telling how it should be done. Just regular folk enjoying the ride. I get to experience new areas and rides through the eyes of others. In addition, riding a trike gives me the ability to post as I pedal. I can share as it happens. Just the other week I posted at a rest stop, got an immediate reply, and for the next 5 miles I was chatting with another recumbent rider in England. How cool is that! Sometimes on long climbs, I find myself surfing or posting and before I know it the hill is over. This might be blasphemy from hard core cyclists but for me it just adds to the enjoyment.
So if you want to know more just follow me on FB or better yet find your favorite group.
Until next time,
KEEP RIDING!!!