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Health & Fitness

Finding Adventure on Two Wheels, Fixing Flats and Learning Life's Lessons in Central Connecticut

Our resident cycling blogger finds adventure around every corner during an organized social ride in Central Connecticut.

 

I’ve often found that when I mount my bike, click in and begin the ride, there is always the possibility of adventure which translates into an interesting (or at least mildly entertaining) story.

I had one of those rides recently. Earlier in the week, my husband reminded me that he was off to a Red Sox game Sunday. This would be an all day affair, thus there would be no Sunday ride.

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Normally not a big deal, but now somewhat of a dilemma. Writing this blog, I'm always in need of material and have to get my fanny on a bike and post something that I hope people will read.

Finger drumming on the desk begins. Where do I ride and who with? My first thought was to do a mountain bike ride with a friend I used to ride with -- if she is free.

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Before I call her, I remember that the front brake on my mountain bike is shot and needs to be replaced. More finger drumming ...

Earlier this week, I rode for the first time with Rosemary, a friend of a high school friend. During our ride, she mentioned the Two-Ferry Metric Century that she and her husband were doing.

Cycling Concepts in Rocky Hill organizes this social ride -- 38, 62 or 100 mile routes -- through central Connecticut and over the Connecticut River via the Rocky Hill and Hadlyme Ferries.

The $40 fee included a cue sheet, rest stops, support and a cookout. Unfortunately, because of Tropical Storm Irene and a swollen Connecticut River, the ferries weren’t running, so the rides were remapped.

I registered online, called Rosemary, who was doing the 62-mile route, and said I’d signed up for the 38-miler. We would be able to ride the first 15 miles together.

I don’t often do organized or groups rides. I think of myself as a free spirit, but in fact, I just never got comfortable cycling in a pack or doing the pace line thing.

Quite honestly, because of that, it has been hard finding other women to cycle with who aren’t either training for some race or adverse to hill climbing. When I mountain biked it was simple. I had to ride with men -- not many women rode back in the  late 1980s and early 1990s.

Eventually, I found other women mountain bikers who I rode with often. By the time I came to road cycling, I was 38 and it took a few years to adjust to riding on the road, and then if I didn’t ride a million miles a week (some years I did, some years I didn’t), I just couldn’t keep up.

Over the past few years, I’ve often ridden alone. Nevertheless, this was dubbed a social ride, so I went for the experience and BBQ.

Several years ago I did the Bloomin’ Metric, a huge charity event in Fairfield. It is a bit intense. The ride is a fashion show of cycling clothing and bikes, with riders decked out in the brightest, most obnoxious getups, pedaling the most expensive bikes money can buy.

The food is fair but the SAG support is great. It was an interesting ride, but not my scene.

The Cycling Concepts ride was low key -- about 175 riders. The requisite hammerheads, wide variety of cycling jerseys and high-end bikes were present, but perhaps not being tied to a charity kept it more intimate.

Fifteen miles into the ride I got a rear-tire flat. I hate changing the rear tire; my last attempt had me covered in grease. A wonderful, tall cyclist named Steve stopped and helped.

What was slightly embarrassing was that my CO2 cartridge was mysteriously empty! He used one of his cartridges, popped my tire back on and I was off.  At that point, the routes diverge and I bid farewell to Rosemary, who continued on the 62-mile hilly route.

I noticed that most of the riders were doing the two longer rides and I had a slight pang. When I split off, I was alone most of the ride back. At first I was wishing for some company, but then got into a groove and was able to view my surroundings and finish the ride following the bright orange CC road markers.

Under an azure blue sky, I pedaled through Cromwell, Middletown, Middlefield, Portland and Durham and up some challenging short, steep hills. Not the prettiest ride -- though I did pass many cute churches -- and with a few busy roads, the ride was enjoyable, a good workout and the cookout was outstanding.

I also met some friendly people and learned a few things.

  1. Carry two tubes and CO2 cartridges and a pump.
  2. I am ready for a low-key group ride -- perhaps I’ve been an outlier for too long.
  3. Doing an occasional group ride may improve my skills and introduce me to other men or women riding partners and it may be fun, which is why I got into the sport in the first place.

 

The friendly staff at Cycling Concepts did a great job. Registration was easy, the muscle rub gift was a great choice (and I’m sure needed by the century riders).

The route was good and the food outstanding: Hot dogs, cheeseburgers, fajitas with all the fixings and pumpkin pie.

I talked to the owner who has coordinated this event for eight years, though it began 20 years ago through the now defunct Middlesex Cycling Club. I will be back in 2012 to do the Metric Century.

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