Thursday Night Ride

Thursdays are my day for long rides. I have time in the evenings for a good 30 miles before it gets dark. Sara is at work late on thursdays so I don't have to feel guilty about leaving her. big plus there. I had been wanting to ride up to Hillsburough River State Park off of 301 so picked yesterday to be as good as any other. I was a wonder ride. I enjoy the less urban side of riding and 301 has a good mix of wide bike lane and wilderness. Starting at Sargent Park, there is a nice little bike trail that lasts a good 5 miles. I runs parrallel to 301 so its more or less just a rest from dodging cars.

So after that I kept on plugging till I got to HRSP. The ranger there was just taking down the flag when I arrived so I said hello and goodbye in one sentence and looped around to head home. I was tempted to stop off at Dead River Preserve for a bit but it was getting pretty dark and I hate to ride at night. I don't own lights for my bike so it could be very dangerous. Got home a little quicker than I had arrived and that was pleasant. I averaged 16.3mph so I guess thats pretty good. Considering there are a few places where I needed to go slow do to sketchy drivers. These longer rides really put my ass through the spin cycle. and on top of that my palms/wrists were giving me trouble too. I often wonder if my bike is a bit small for me. Investing in a new seat and some lights seems top priority for me. But I also would like new bars which means a new lever and grip tape. Everything gets so pricey at this point that I get discouraged. One day. At least for now I am thankful that I can enjoy the fruits of my new lime green wheels. That make the ride that much better.