Just a Hop and Skip Jenny Jump!

With the promise of a good weather forecast, four DOGS teams headed for Kittatinny Park (Goodale entrance) on Sunday morning. As we arrived, it was still overcast and the big decision was whether or not to wear arm warmers. As we pondered this question, the sky started to clear and we had our answer. Off we went on what was advertised as a rolling 40 mile ride. It turned out to be a beautiful day with puffy white clouds in the sky and not a drop of rain. Some of the shadier roads were still damp and our bikes sustained some "wormage" (that stuff is like glue when it dries up!).

The big event of the day happened on Shades of Death road when a sudden slowdown of the group was followed by a loud bang as Team Gifford suffered an explosive decompression of their front tire. Fortunately, their speed was fairly slow and Captain Ed managed to execute a safe stop in spite of the loss of the tire on the rim. After a quick repair and no apparent cause of the blowout, the group continued on. Traffic was light, the scenery was great (there are still some working dairy farms left in this area), and the terrain was perfect for a Sunday afternoon cruise. Our ride also took us past two airports (Newton and Trinca) and we were thrilled to see a Piper Cub fly just over our heads headed into Trinca.

This ride by TeamBreeze was one of the most enjoyable and peaceful rides we have been on recently. The rolling terrain had some moderately short climbs on it, but nothing that would make you wish you had lower gears. After the ride, the group gathered at a picnic table in the park and had the usual chat-fest and lunch. No special arrangements were made for lunch so every team brought their own. All in all, a perfect ride for everyone and if it ever appears on the events schedule again, make sure you don't miss it.

Mileage: 38.8
Average speed: 17 mph
Max speed: 41.5 mph
Temperature: 75 F