Primavera 2013 70 km

Day two of the bikestravaganza went well. This was Primavera, an organized ride put on by the local cycling club. Last time we did the ride it was rainy, windy, cold, and kind of miserable. We didn’t have any rain gear, so the day before we wet to REI and went to town. This time it was hot and sunny.

I took the trailer until the first rest stop, halfway up the big climb. I ended up needing to stop once for breath, but managed to make it. Then Anne took Ruth for the second half of the climb, including the short but steep section known as “The Wall”. She ended up walking part of the way, but even so I didn’t beat her to the top by much.

Then we rode along the far side of the hills east of Fremont, overlooking the Calaveras Reservoir and Valley. It’s crazy that this is just a few miles from home.

We had to bribe Ruth with a cookie in order to get her to put the helmet back on after the second rest stop, but she seemed happy in the trailer. I should have had another cookie too, since I started loosing steam in the last couple of miles. At the finish they had lasagna, hot dogs, and ice cream, so I survived.

Animal sightings: cows (way down in the valley), horses, roosters (heard, but not seen), some wild turkeys, a “sleeping” deer, two dogs (at the rest stops), and a motorcycle gang.

Mechanical problems: None!

Most interesting roadside debris: A biker relaxing on an embankment within the first 10 miles of the ride.