| Date | October 1, 2006 |
| Hosts | Staten Island Bicycling Association |
| Where | Thompson Park, Jamesburg, NJ |
| Who (else) | Jane and Paul Fialcowitz, Cheryl Prudhomme and Mark Cook; (others left without riding) |
Anyone can ride a tandem in sunny and dry weather, but only the "Dirty Dogs" venture out when the weather is otherwise. That was the case for the SIBA Pumpkin Patch ride, held at Thompson Park in Jamesburg NJ on Oct. 1st. After spending the night camping with family, we packed up our tent at O dark 30, just as the first raindrops hit it, and made our way north to Jamesburg. Lots of folks were milling about, wondering if they should suit up and get their rides wet. Some did, but I think a lot waited. Not us though, but as Jane pointed out, agreeing to do this is like money in the bank, and every raindrop is interest. We shoved off around 8:30, in full raingalia. It was pouring nicely, the roads were slick,and I was loving every minute of it. Riding in the rain keeps me focused on the task at hand, no sightseeing today. And to add to the excitement, somewhere in the midst of the 28 mile ride, the cassette lock ring came loose, necessitating a quick roadside repair.
But the rain did stop, the sun came out, and we finished just fine. Returning to the parking lot we noticed Mark and Cheryl's car with the distinctive logo, so there was at least one other "Dirty Dog" team out on the course. A wag of the tail to them and any other club members who got to enjoy the excellent day provided by SIBA. The flat roads, overstocked rest stops complete with pumpkin pie, and the dedicated volunteers made for a great ride. Mother Nature made it that much better by keeping the dust down.