Ruth has been asking to do a ride where she gets her own bike, like we did in Davis. We decided that would make a nice capstone for our tour prep.

Rain was in the forecast, which normally doesn’t stop us. Ruth isn’t as well equipped on her bike as she is in the trailer. Luckily, the forecast shifted to put it in the afternoon, after we planned to be back home.

As we were getting ready this morning, Ruth told me that every time we’ve finished practicing for a big bike ride, we should do a ride where she gets her own bike.

We drove to the nearby Coyote Hills regional park, which features a network of paved and unpaved paths overlooking the bay. When we got there we saw signs for a 5k event. Fortunately they were packing it up, so it didn’t block any of our routes for the day.

There was a small amount of climbing, which Ruth had a bit of a hard time with a single speed. When it got too hard, she happily hopped off and walked.

As we headed out to the picnic area out towards the bay, it started to sprinkle a bit. We got to the end, had a snack, and headed back. The rain continued to pick up, but we got to the car before it got unpleasant.

Ruth did an excellent job of maintaining a positive attitude and keeping her line. We gracefully passed, and were passed by, a variety of bikers and hikers.

Just one more week until we start the tour. I feel really well prepared. I’m glad we were able to give Ruth this ride.