Forecasting how big a group may show up at  a ride is part alchemy and part lottery.  Because of today’s BigTen game at Assembly Hall, I expected just a few riders to ride at noon today, which was the tip-off time as well. I was surprised when I arrived at the downtown Bakehouse to see the ‘bike rack’ already full!

I heard a story on the news recently about a vacationer who hitched a ride on a sea turtle and it dragged her out to sea before she realized that she was in danger and let go.  I thought of this almost disastrous outcome as a dozen of us were hurtling down 446 at 30+ mph, wind at our backs and temperatures steadily dropping below freezing.

Today is my birthday.  I have this little ritual, that is now becoming a bit unwieldy as I am on the lee-side of the half-century mark by more than a couple of years.  I ride my age on my birthday.  Maybe it’s counter-intuitive, riding longer, farther as I get older.  But I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember.  Some years, I don’t quite get there for the usual reasons, travel, weather, work.  But today I got it or came pretty close.