A real summer day

I was on an unexpected backroad and thinking of Kansas and Missouri - because I'm reading all the blogs of the current crop of XC'rs - when I came upon this scene. Sure enough it is still New Jersey but if you look real close and squint your eyes just a bit you can imagine those amber waves of grain and....Well anyhow, the clouds are pretty and it's still a nice little pastoral scene, albeit in New Jersey not Kansas. I did have my share of mini-adventures today but it was a good ride. I was maybe 8 miles out when I reached for a water bottle and realized there was nothing in the two racks. I decided very quickly to retrace my steps and go back home using the recovery route as a kind of training ride - full out for eight miles. Well maybe not full full out but I did push it and felt good for the effort. The bottles were, of course, right where I left them in the garage next to the pump. So back on my way and this maybe 14 miles out and I ran into a road paving operation and a detour up the back road where I found the little scene above....Lots of traffic for a little country road with no shoulders but no problems. Another maybe 6 miles and I ran into another road project with two lanes becoming one and lots of traffic backed up in both directions. This was a little bit more hairy to get through but I turned off at the first opportunity and decided I would think through my entire route home and stay away from the construction folks. So I pretty much stayed on the country roads, followed a couple of little streams that I like - passed a trout fisherman and large blue heron, also fishing I would guess - and managed to get in a little climbing as well. It should also be noted that the temps hit 90 today - first day that I've been out in that kind of heat but lots of liquids and I actually kind of enjoyed it....And finally, on the last few miles heading home I made a left turn and felt a kind of soft slide in the rear tire...stopped to look and sure enough, a very soft but still ride-able tire. The remaining four miles or so were done very carefully but the tire retained enough air to get me home although it is very flat as I write this. Actually this is the first flat I've had with the new bike and certainly the first since almost a year ago - I will be refreshing my skills tomorrow but is always better to change a tire in the garage than on the road.

So for the day, 64 miles, 2700 feet of climbing, and a little over four hours on the bike...a good day in spite of the minor annoyances....And they are talking rain tomorrow and Sunday so I may get a forced recovery day or two.