Feels like Winter

It feels like winter but biking is still on the agenda.  Two weeks ago David took us on a ride, part of a trio originating in Red House he is conceptualizing, that IF ridden all on the same day would add up to 107 miles; a century plus.   Today's ride (36 miles) took us toward Pamplin with the lolly part of the pop just south of town.  The entire area is great for riding with rolling hills through farmland and little traffic.  Now about that century, I'll be out of town the latter part of ......!

We've been wanting to get Gary and Laurie on a beautiful ride through the orchard country in Nelson County so last Saturday we headed north.  When Gretchen and I first did the ride it was 12 miles but we scouted out  a route that extended it to 20 miles and took in Bland and Leonard's own stomping grounds around Massies Mill and Pharsalia.   Pharsalia was a plantation owned originally by Thomas Massie of whom Bland is a descendent.

This week's ride took the TOF Brothers to Altavista for a 36 mile loop east of town.  Beautiful day to ride with temperatures in the forties, lunch along a briskly flowing Staunton River in Long Island, a great 6 mile roll and of course, a few hills to make it a worthwhile ride.  The boys do scare me.  We have already lowered our cold riding threshold to below 40 degrees this season and David and Gary are talking about riding all winter.  How low will they go?  Will I need down booties, a full face mask, hand warmers?