Tom's Heat Wave Raritan Ramble

Neshanic Station Bridge 

30 June 2016

Nine days after its official start, summer made up for its late arrival. Tom didn't want a big crowd nor to get caught in the mid-day, 90-something-degree heat when he invited the usual suspects to an 8:00 a.m. start from the D&R Canal parking lot in Rocky Hill.

Comprising Tom's Insane Bike Posse today were Tom, Jack H, Ricky, Plain Jim, Bob, Pete G, and me.

When I left the house on Miss Piggy at 7:10 a.m. it was only 71 degrees. I'd pumped up my tires the night before. As I made my way up Princeton Pike I noticed that my front tire looked the slightest bit low. I gave it a squeeze at a red light; it felt fine.

It was 77 when I reached Rocky Hill at 7:50 a.m. Pete, Jim, and Bob had also ridden in from home.

"I don't like to tell people what to do," Jack H said, "But."

"There's always a 'but'," Tom said.

Jack continued, "Drink twice as much as you normally would."

Sound advice.

The route Tom chose to get us to and over the Sourland Mountain was, for the most part, shady.

Pete, who leaves for upstate New York tomorrow, begged off early and left us at the top of Hollow Road.

I kept my camera in my pocket until we arrived at Neshanic Station. The best view of the bridge is, I think, from River Road, north of the bridge. We were coming from the south. I took pictures from Elm Street instead.

Most of our climbing was behind us. We were in the rolling hills of the Raritan River valley. After the annoyingly steep but mercifully short hill over the railway was the view I always stop for. I wasn't planning on it this time, but when Tom and I saw the purple flowers we both pulled over.

We stopped at the Wawa on Route 202 and Old York Road. The newer stores no longer have a water option on their soda machines. I made do with ice, not thinking to refill it at the end of our time there so that I could get more water in.

Bob, burdened by family obligations, for which we non-breeders chided him, had to leave us at this point.

"Then there were five," Jim said as we left the parking lot.

Within a few miles my front bottle was nearly empty and my rear one was halfway there. The temperature had gone up another ten degrees. Tom suggested a stop at the northern end of East Mountain Road, where there was a pizza shop.

Which was closed. Jim gave me some water from his bottle.

Fortunately the mini-mart at the gas station at the corner of Mountain View and 206 had plenty of water for sale. "Where are you going?" the clerk asked me.

"Lawrence Township," I said.

I topped off Jim's bottle and mine, and we were back on our way.

Nobody else noticed the turkey vulture perched on the steeple on River Road. Jim stopped with me and Tom waited ahead.  There's a metaphor for right-wing American Christianity in here somewhere.

"Too many power lines," I said. Maybe Jim got better pictures.

Jim left us when we turned onto Willow Road. Tom was counting down the miles. Even though Canal Road was shady we were feeling the heat.

I didn't stay long in the parking lot. With 12 miles to go I'd be at nearly 72 by the time I got home.

On Route 27 between Kingston and the center of Princeton my front tire was making more noise than it should have. There was gunk stuck to it but I didn't want to stop. I was getting tired. My back was beginning to hurt.  I got through the traffic on Nassau Street and turned onto Mercer, back to my regular commuting route.

It should have felt like nothing at that point. The descent down the battlefield hill was easy enough, but the next five miles were work. I was riding into a 93-degree headwind and thinking about orange juice.

When I turned the final corner onto my street is when I noticed that the front tire was definitely low. I was coaching myself to take it easy on the sharp turn into my driveway. The tire wasn't having any of that and I stopped on the curb. It was a well-timed slow leak, and at least it was the front wheel. I'll fix the flat tonight I guess.

Jim has a recovery ride on the calendar for tomorrow. It's the same route as two weeks ago. If I can get out of bed early enough I'll pack Rowlf into the car. Maybe I'll take a nap now. Moxie is asleep on the far end of the sofa. He looks as if he could use some company.