Fifty Plus (50+) - Come see photos of my first organized ride!

I had so much fun, I'm still on a high about it. I will be doing this as much as I can. The mileage wasn't anything to brag about, but my top mileage had only been 40 up to this point, and we had one member whose top ride was 15 miles. So it was a respectable beginner ride...but nothing to write home (or to the 50+ forum?) about. For almost everyone who came it was a bunch of first experiences, and I'm glad we all left wanting to do it again.

And yes, I yodeled and weaved as a nod to you guys.... wish you were there, but you would have dropped us in the first mile.

Anyway, way more photos than were really needed, but we were sharing them with each other....

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=344237

Very cool. Good pictures.

Nice pictures.

It's good to see you enjoyed your first organized ride. When do you plan your next one? They can become habit forming:)

That's great! Sounds like you had a blast. Great pic for your avatar.

So that is where you were when I was riding in Red Wing on the 2nd Annual 50+ Ride for Pie Day.

Thanks for sharing, and I am glad a good time was had by all. I tend to participate in disorganized rides. :)

Sounds like a great ride by a great group of people- Well done to all of you.

Thanks for viewing!!!

I seriously would never have considered it if not for reading posts over here and deciding it looked like it was more fun than pain.

People that bike are pretty cool....


It's good to see you enjoyed your first organized ride. When do you plan your next one? They can become habit forming:)

I don't know! I really have to build my miles up to do a longer ride. There was this great moment in the ride... in fact, the one in my avatar, where we were alone, in the woods, on a quiet road, and I felt like we were all adventurers. That we could take a left at the next road and end up some unknown place 300 miles away and it would be wonderful.

Sounds like a very fun time was had by everyone, way to go!!

Wow! How nice!
And apparently a sunrise over water is every bit as beautiful as a sunset over water.
Sweet. I'm very jealous

It almost makes me want to move up north again, thanks for the pics.

Looks like you all had a great time. Thanks for the pics.
We should all post photos of our rides more often, I think.

Nice photos. Looks like a swell time was had!

Young lady! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to ride no hands! Shame on you for setting such a bad example for all those kids who were with you!:D

Cool ride.

Good mileage, good friends, good weather (or so it appears in the pix), good photos, and a good representative from Northwest Arkansas. Doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Congrats on first organized ride. They are fun.

Congratulations to you and your group.:beer:

That is just great! Congratulations.

Well, we could do a 50+ ride around the lake, too, but I think only Tom Bombadil is up here, and he's a long way away from me, too.... (Madison, right?)

I think only Tom Bombadil is up here, and he's a long way away from me, too.... (Madison, right?)
Oddly enough, something about "lucky stars" popped into my head. :D

Well, we could do a 50+ ride around the lake, too, but I think only Tom Bombadil is up here, and he's a long way away from me, too.... (Madison, right?)

Well, this past weekend (i.e. two days ago), I was in Red Wing, Minnesota and I rode the Cannon Valley Trail up to Cannon Falls and had cherry pie there. Well, I was in Cannon Falls on Saturday the 15th, but was in Red Wing from the 13th to the 16th.

According to MSN Maps, Cannon Falls is only 33 miles from St. Paul.

But you weren't in St. Paul, were you?

Wow. Great pictures! Sure looks like fun.

In case you missed my post in the Ride for Pie thread, I really enjoyed my trip to Minnesota. The Cannon Valley Trail was great, and I had a good time in the Red Wing area. Both Thursday and Friday I had dinner in little cafes with live music. Took a nice hike on Friday up on the bluff.

On the way up I stopped at the Lark Toy Company in Kellogg and purchased a wind-up tin robot that now stands on my conference table. Stopped in Wabasha too, one of my favorite little towns and purchased a pair of cycling gloves that have better padding on the thumbs, in hopes that it will moderate the pain from my tendonitis. I didn't know that Wabasha even had a bike shop.

The circle around Lake Pepin, from Wabasha to Red Wing, across the bridge to Wisconsin, down through Stockholm & Nelson and back to Wabasha is one of the prettiest drives around. I'd been trying to get back to that area for the past three years, and things always popped up to stop me. Would love to spend a week up there. But probably won't be back for a while, maybe another 2-3 years. Have other places to visit now. Like perhaps Lanesboro, MN next Spring. And the Olympic Peninsula in Washington coming up in October.

I think we're going to do a Lanesboro Clydes ride in the Spring! If you put on a few pounds over winter, maybe you'll want to join us? Actually, join us anyway.... those guys will drop me like a hot potato. I'm like you... I like to just cruise along and stop at pretty spots.

I'm afraid I don't have to put on any pounds to join the Clydesdales. I am working at getting kicked out of that group.

On my 40 mile ride last Saturday, I made 8 stops. That's a bit on the low side for me.

On my 40 mile ride last Saturday, I made 8 stops. That's a bit on the low side for me.

Yeah, well, I don't even bother to count* all the stops I make. So I'll keep you posted when the ride happens! Then you can decide to either make a point of coming that day or make a point of NOT coming that day...your choice! :D

Post the dates when you have them and I'll see if it fits my schedule. I'm hoping to make a trip to Utah in March, but I doubt you would be scheduling a ride that early. I posted my dates for coming to Red Wing three times, but didn't hear back from anyone in that area. But I didn't really expect to, as I wasn't trying to organize anything.