72nd ride - 7/27/2015

This morning was the last big ride for me here in Colorado on this trip, so I wanted to do a good one. (Tomorrow I have to return the trike to the Bike Library by 9 a.m., so I'll just ride it the 4+ miles down there.) I rode the Spring Creek Trail east to the point on the far northeast part of the city where it joins the Poudre Trail, and then rode the Poudre up to LeMay, before turning around and returning to Christy's. This allowed me to ride part (though not much) of the Poudre, which I had ridden quite a bit when we were here back in 2013, so it was nice to reacquaint myself with this old friend.

In 2013, my longest ride here was one day when I did 21 miles, and on another day I rode 19.8—but that was a whole different experience, being on a regular bike, than this year's gearless trike. Today I left at 6:15 a.m. and rode 16.3 miles in 2 hours and 1 minute, for my longest ride here this year.

Today's ride featured two challenges. Heading out, I was riding east into an intensely bright sun, which nearly blinded me on several occasions—but fortunately, I was able to keep from ever running into anyone or running off the trail. And coming back, the trail's underpass under Centre Ave. was blocked, due to high water. The marked detour took you up a hill, and around a little circuit—back the underpass, headed the other way! After making this circuit a couple of times, and finding no way out of what computer programmers call an infinite loop, I took Centre south to Rolland Moore, and that west to Shields, south to Swallow, and in to Christy's house (all on walks and bike lanes), encountering nothing but smooth sailing.