First "Summer" Bike Ride!

Panorama of farmland near the end of your ride.

This past Saturday (5/21), we finally got "summer" weather!  It was sunny, 70-ish, and clear skies (which have been clouded with rain or the threat of rain for weeks now).  Jake took me on a short (8.5 mi) ride through the Watkins Glen hills, partially along the old race path.  I had my butt handed to me on a silver platter as at least 2/3 of the ride was uphill.  I'm not very strong yet on hills, so while it was a bit painful, the ride was awesome and felt wonderful to accomplish.  I am so incredibly thankful that my family helped me get my new bike for my birthday.  I have already seen the improvement in my ability to ride.  Being able to tackle the hills felt great, but another test was to ride one of my favorite Corning, NY rides and see how I compared to last-summer-Diana.

Farmhouse/barn in Watkins Glen

River Road is a beautiful, wooded road that meanders along the Chemung river on the opposite side from the highway.  It's not an overly challenging ride, but the 13 miles used to take me at least 30min longer on my old bike, and my average speed was a little better than half of what it was today.  What's more, Jake's great grandfather, John "BTO" Bloise, has a large garden plot where he plants TONS of strawberries and other delicious things.   It looks like his plot is off to a good start this year, so I can't wait until I can grab some good photos

of all the fruits and veggies he grows!