The Plentiful Vintage

So much to mention, but so little inclination to write about it. Until now...

It has been a lovely long weekend, so much so that I brought the three-speed down from the attic and took it for a ride yesterday afternoon. Or perhaps more of an amble than a ride, at least for parts of it. The three-speed always takes a little getting used to when I first start pedaling. On the Fuji and the Univega there are all those gears that can be used to fine tune one's pedaling experience. The three-speed is also slightly smaller than the others, and the bar has a different shape, so the hands are in a different (more comfortable, actually) position. No toe clips, either, so the feet tend to wander around on the pedals. I started off slow and steady, just enjoying the sunshine and the warmest evening of the year (mid 70's). Eventually I did switch over to ride mode, especially on the inbound laps, which are mostly downhill. Much fun.

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Saturday I did the path end to end, which I don't usually do because I dislike the fish ladder so much. Still haven't figured out where I'm going to ride today. Maybe Quonset.

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When I was in New Jersey last weekend I managed to get in a couple of rides. The first was along a couple of short bike paths, the Morris Traction Line trail, and the Giralda Farms bikeway. A good part of the route parallels the route I used to ride to my grandparents' house in Convent Station. The photo tour of the ride is here.

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The second Jersey ride was with my brother and my nephew starting from their house in Sussex County. Sussex is the hilliest of New Jersey's counties, but somehow my brother managed to find a route that is remarkable flat. The route ran in part along Shades of Death Road, which leny a bit of ominousness to the ride. Not long after, the nephew managed to wipe out on a perfectly flat section of asphalt. Fortunately he was okay, apart from some scrapes on his elbows and knees. Not long after we had a death critter cross the road ahead of us. The critter didn't get especially close to us, but then it didn't need to. It was a black bear. My brother lives way out in the sticks. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), it was gone before I could get out my camera.