By Allan Edmonds
Over 30 riders gathered at Bryan Park on a perfect May Saturday morning. Mike Finger got us organized on this ride that turned out leaderless because the scheduled leader was out of town for the weekend. We decided on regrouping after crossing 37 and again at the turn from Rockport onto Rockport East, and stopping only at the store in Cincinnati where 54 and 45 intersect.
As usual we naturally fell into riding groups. Around 10 people left the main route for the 30 mile short option. They took Harmony Road off of Rockport, heading north at that point, eventually reaching Vernal Pike.
The rest of us continued on to Cincinnati. As usual more than one person remarked that they hadn’t known there is a Cincinnati, INDIANA. Indeed, it doesn’t rate a name on the map above. And you don’t find much through Google: http://indiana.hometownlocator.com/in/greene/cincinnati.cfm At the park we had discussed the state of Rockport East, which last year was in bad condition. We can report that it is absolutely terrible. Perhaps the worst excuse for a paved road that I have ridden on.
At the stop in Cincinnati we all got a bit nervous about the ominous weather with a little thunder in the distance. One rider used his smartphone to check out the weather map and found an active thunderstorm at Bloomfield, 10 or 15 miles away. We all took off pretty quickly at that point.
Pretty soon the rain came. It was never hard, but we did get wet and uncomfortable. Our little group of 5 never stopped again more than for a few moments of regrouping. After Solsberry the rain was never more than a sprinkle.
Considering that the morning seemed almost perfect it was something of a downer to have the rain. I suppose the temperature was in the upper 50s, which wasn’t too uncomfortable.
We do wonder whether the short route riders made it home without getting wet.