Day 16 riding ... and day off

Surfside, SC to Charleston, SC
Staying at Trinity United Methodist Church
96 miles today, average 16.6 mph
Flat again
Reunion ...

First, the important stuff.
***We stopped at Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop and they didn’t have malt, so again I had to settle for a shake. Good consistency, good flavor, not as thick as it should be, but, NO MALT? The employee said they do not have enough call for it!?! But, this is a major ice cream chain!! Hummph! Only a rating of 6 when it should have been a 7 or more.

Another great day of riding. The ‘kids’ made my day by waiting and calling for me to lead the paceline again, when I was waiting for them to get going again so I could fall in behind. So off we go again for our third day of about 95 miles in a row.

I led the group out of the city until the traffic thinned and the frequent side roads disappeared. Then I was able to set a steady pace, and it was safe for a paceline to function. I had Carmen right behind me, and Kelsey (Kiwi) third behind me, so I decided to peel off instead of leading all the way for this first 25 miles. Carmen did a great job of pulling, even increasing the pace, and she pulled for a good while. Then Christian was next, and he pulled and soon pealed off so that Kelsey could lead. Kiwi also did a terrific job of pulling, maintaining a nice steady pace for the rest of us. A good experience for a couple of new riders who seemed pleased with the opportunity.

The rest of the day I was riding up front with Alex, Maranda, and Christian. They were kind enough to set a pace that I could maintain. I was dropped for a few miles, until they had to stop to check that it was the correct place to turn, so I caught up again and they let me stay with them. After the last van stop Maranda stayed back to ride with others, and it was just Alex, Christian, and me. About 8 miles out or so, they dropped me again, so I rode to the church by myself, up and over the third longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere, the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge.

And here we all are, relaxing in Charleston.

My knee has been better since I got my saddle back where it should be. Still bothersome, but better. A nice benefit of the location we are staying is a bike shop right across the street, so a number of the riders were able to take advantage of some needed repairs and supplies. The shop did not have Butt Butter, and I am just about out. Another bike shop visit is planned for the afternoon, so i'm hopeful I can replenish there.

We all ate out at a local restaurant that was recommended by a couple I was talking to in the bike store. Only a block away from the church, and we were early for dinner, so we beat having to wait in line. Good southern food for hungry riders: okra, fried green tomatoes that I actually tried, (the movie of same name was much better than the actual tomatoes), corn bread, etc.

The best surprise was after dinner! Hailey was joining us, and my good buddy Anne Troyer drove her here. What a terrific surprise. A very nice reunion because Anne and Alyssa are best friends, and we all went out for banana pudding and good times. Too bad Anne can't stay to ride with us, but Hailey will be with us for the next week, so the nails will soon be happening. Too bad Brian had to leave, I think he was "man enough" to do the nail paint as well.

So today's Sunday, an off day, and it started out beautifully for me with lots of "father's day" hugs and wishes. What a blessing these riders are! And, all these riders have only about 60 miles to ride on Monday. I love it, ONLY a 60-mile day.

Peace ...