BikePhilly

I arrived at Eakins Oval a few minutes after 6 AM to help out with registration for today's BikePhilly ride. Above are two pictures of the predawn mobilization and some of the early registrants who started showing up just as the sun began to rise. Unfortunately, though I got there as early as I could, all the chairs were filled and there didn't seem to be much for me to do. I hung around for over an hour, occasionally getting something for somebody, but eventually decided to give it up and left for the line up area pictured below.




The ride out was scary, what with thousands of cyclists slowly, very slowly trying to get going. I met up with Steve Masters and Mindy and a few other Mount Airy folks and rode with some of them at different times throughout the day. That was good because not having Annie home this weekend to ride with was tough. The first 100 yards or so I was walking my bike with one leg, As we turned on to the Parkway things got a little better, but were still pretty cramped through most of the in-town street riding. When we looped back to the Parkway and took off into Fairmont Park things were much better. I'm not sure when we came to what was the third rest stop along the way, pictured below, but it was far enough that we stopped at this one and took a little break.



That's Mindy and her friend Steve below at the rest stop and below that Chaim and Pearl, two students of mine, also at the rest stop.




After the rest we finished what was left of the twenty mile ride. I decided not to do the 35 mile ride for various reasons. I have a busy afternoon, it was unexpectedly hot and humid and my feet swell and hurt in the humidity, but most of all I think, I didn't want to do it alone. So we continued to the finish line celebration where there were some good eats and treats as pictured.





Never did connect with Denine, but saw quite a few people from our community including Alan Sandals, Jason Roe, Deborah Kahn, Laurie Segal and her kids.

All in all a great day, kudos to the Bicycle Coalition and all the volunteers. A fitting end to the "official" biking season.

When it was over I felt like I needed to get in just a few extra miles and so I rode another loop around the river drives bringing my total for the day to 33 miles. It shouldn't be a total loss.