Fifty Plus (50+) - Post your 2009 PIE RIDE reports here!!!

Last year there was some confusion where to post, if I recall correctly....so I took the liberty.

I'll post my report here later.

Thanks for that as I was looking for it.

Just back and full report will have to go elsewhere.

BUT got to the tour of Britain after parking the car 8 miles away and I was hungry. I had left home at 5am and it was now 8. The Staff at the signing on desk had bought coffee from "Costa Coffee" and they said it was not good and expensive. But we were not far from Charing Cross station and next door to Charing Cross is "Villiers St." One of the noted places in London to find good restaurants and Cafes that are not part of a chain. So I walked there- no-way was I going to ride that bike. 1/2 way up on the right and I saw the cafe I wanted. A Greek patisserie that sold coffee and I asked for a slice of their Apple PIE. Which one?- Apple and cinnamon is the best but there are some others. I Took the Apple and cinnamon. Got back to the bike and It was still warm. The scent of it wafting over my adjacents fellow riders made them hungry and they suddenly dissapeared - only to come back with their pie.

I might like my Cafe on the seafront at Eastbourne But this apple PIE was superb. The fruit was cooked to perfection and the spices mixed into it made it even better- and the Pastry-----

Pic attached but I was a bit busy this morning as I will explain on another post.

Since I live about 15 miles from Marie Callender's, that seemed to be an obvious pie stop. So, off I went for a mid-morning pie run. I ate blueberry pie, of course, since that is the official pie of the day.

And happy Talk Like A Pirate Day, me hearties ...

THE PROBLEM:

Nora wanted to ride with me on the pie ride on a ride we could both do comfortably.

THE SOLUTION

There is a McD's right on the trail - Cherry Pie and Ice Cream!!

http://www.ourwebs.info/pieride20096.jpg

http://www.ourwebs.info/pieride20097.jpg


Our first stop on our pie ride. I rode my heavy "utility road bike" to make it more fair for Nora on her hybrid.

http://www.ourwebs.info/pieride20098.jpg

On the way back - Parker Barker Days - 100's of dogs get to celebrate the pool closing for the season!!

http://www.ourwebs.info/pieride20095.jpg

Our world-class skate park teaching kids a different way of bicycling. Lessons today.

http://www.ourwebs.info/pieride20094.jpg

This guy fell:

http://www.ourwebs.info/pieride20093.jpg

A little football practice. Yes, we have artificial turf on our rec fields:

http://www.ourwebs.info/pieride20092.jpg

And the mileage:

http://www.ourwebs.info/pieride20091.jpg

I managed to get a goat head flat - right through the Armadillos. I had JUST put a new tube in. So, I splurged and walked 2 blocks to the bike shop and had THEM fix it. I never do that, but I am tired of fixing flats! Especially Armadillos - they are killers.

Winslow, AZ Pie Run 2009

Where better to start? :thumb:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_2wPdTJbd6rY/SrUkXTQ4IxI/AAAAAAAAAeI/Kx6UhCZR9vc/s128/DSC00134.JPG

And end (sort of)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_2wPdTJbd6rY/SrUlhiXt6TI/AAAAAAAAAfg/OkVIGhkGQ6E/s128/DSC00138.JPG http://lh5.ggpht.com/_2wPdTJbd6rY/SrUl5ixh8GI/AAAAAAAAAf8/A1Y34mieLtE/s128/DSC00139.JPG

We had to double back to our restaurant (Triple-R) for brunch - They were OUT OF PIE!:eek:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_2wPdTJbd6rY/SrUkmA41DrI/AAAAAAAAAek/WkX3VaazXdI/s128/DSC00136.JPG
Strawberry Jam between slices of Rye Toast was a poor substitute...:notamused:

Nanette assures me there WILL be blueberry pie when she returns from Flagstaff!:love:

I rode 82 miles and climbed 9300' (9000' in 57 miles) with NealH today. I had a chicken salad sandwich, first solid food of the day after the ride, but no pie (yet). 6:10 ride time.

Went to Ft DeSoto Park and came out to the Gulf Coast to find a good bakery - Came to a great Italian Bakery La Casa del Pane and had a portion of some great Strawberry Cream Pie. Just the camera was left in the car. :-( perhaps I'll fair a bit better in 2010.

had a portion of some great Strawberry Cream Pie. Just the camera was left in the car. :-( perhaps I'll fair a bit better in 2010.


If its that good- go back tomorrow and get pics- No excuses accepted.

We did our Pie Ride along the canal they call 'Erie",
I didn't ride alone, I rode with my Deary.
All along the towpath we were quite the team,
Our reward, Hot Dutch Apple Pie A'La Mode smothered in fresh Whipped Cream.

The bike prior to the ride...
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_2759D.jpg


The bike at the restaurant....
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_2761D.jpg


The reward....
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_2760D.jpg


A stop along the way....
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_2762D.jpg


The mileage....
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_2764D.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_2760D.jpg

WOW!! and YUM!

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/nj/hammonton/910125338680149327

MAP OF THIS WORKOUT
iMapMyRide Sep 19, 2009 2:58 PM

Location Hammonton, New Jersey
Route Type bike ride
Distance 15.56 mi.
As the official pie of the Pie Ride is Blueberry and the Blueberry is the official fruit of the state of New Jersey, TheMister and I decided to plan a ride through Hammonton. He used the internet to plot the course. We loaded up the bikes and drove there and decided to drive the course first because neither of us are familiar with the area. As is usually the case when TheMister and I undertake things together, a short dispute ensued regarding the route. It was basically flat roads through the woods that weren't particularly scenic. We compromised on a route that encompassed a winery and some actual blueberry fields.
The stop at the winery was disappointing. We had planned to to have a glass of, what else, blueberry wine, (which I imagine would taste much like cough syrup but I was willing to give it a go.) You could not buy it by the glass. You could taste it if you bought a bottle, but as I am not confident enough in my stability as a rider to have carried the bottle on the rest of the trip,(see photos of platform pedals) we nixed it. I had a photo taken in front of the beautiful winery, however, the photo made me appear as if I had already partaken of several glasses of wine so I nixed that, too.
We continued on the ride, past the blueberry fields and on to the cafe. It was called Penza's Pies and it was a farm market and cafe. I posed with bike in front of a cart of mums and a large sign that boasted that they sold "Bodacious Blueberry Pies". Too nerdy to post. We went in and I was thrilled to see it was really a quaint cafe with a lovely selection of pies. We were quickly told the dining room was closed and we had to eat outside. I'm not sure if it was the bike shorts, the helmet hair, or that they were actually closing, but I was a little put off. Moreover, I saw stacks of china plates and heavy coffee mugs yet we were given paper plates and plastic forks. Not the best presentation and I quickly realized that I could, in no way, compete with Stapfam's '07 pie photo. However, the blueberry crumb pie was incredibly good, as was the coffee. We finished the ride and found a sign that indicates that Hammonton actually is the Blueberry Capital of the world, not the Blueberry Capital of the UNIVERSE as I reported earlier. Sorry for the misinformation. All in all we had a good day and I was glad we did it.

Got the ride in - a nice relaxed 19 mile loop from north to south and back with a little side trip into each of our little coastal valleys. No pie though (I'm actually saving myself for some French pastry tonight with Rosh Hashanah dinner. Don't ask). Besides, if I had to skip either the ride or the pie, it's a no-brainer for me.

Well after walking with Mom and my brother in a Memory Walk to raise money for Alzheimer's research I got home and thought where to ride and get some real pie after last weeks test with the hostess pie. I started riding and stopped at a few places where I could go in and see if they had pie and still keep a eye on my bike. Noone had pie so off I went. I thought about a local golf course tht has a public restaurant that has good reviews and stopped in and sure enough pie!
Lemon Meringue Pie. http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/kr32/001-1.jpg http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/kr32/003-1.jpg
total ride was 38.66 and the weather was beautiful!!! So was the draft beer!

Ok, mission complete. I had some blackberry cobbler for dessert. My daughter had the chocolate silk pie.

Hey, no one told me you could have beer, too!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/TromboneAl/PieRide2009/PieRideRedwoodSign.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/TromboneAl/PieRide2009/PieRidePie.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/TromboneAl/PieRide2009/PieRideLenaEats.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/TromboneAl/PieRide2009/PieRideAlEats.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/TromboneAl/PieRide2009/PieRideOcean.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/TromboneAl/PieRide2009/PieRideHill.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/TromboneAl/PieRide2009/PieRideBigLagoon.jpg

We had guests over this morning, who were late and then stayed late. I was going to put in a 34 mile ride to the M&M Cafe in Monticello, WI. But the guests left so late that I didn't think I could get there before they closed. So I drove 8 miles to the next trail stop and rode from there.

Beautiful ride in mid-70s temps and early fall foliage. Up the long, slight slope to and through the trail tunnel and down to Monticello.

I actually had two pies, a quiche pie for lunch followed by their home-made award-winning Amish Creme pie. It was delicious.

Then back up and through the tunnel again. I think I put in 18-20 miles ... no computer on my Rans Stratus.

Here's the recipe for the Amish Creme pie ... it was published in the April 2003 issue of "Midwest Living" magazine.
http://www.recipezaar.com/Amish-Cream-Pie-58145

I made productive use of our guests late arrival - cleaned & lubed my bike, installed lights & a small bag to hold a cell phone, cash, mini-tool set. etc.

My GF and I rode on the Coronado Strand, and intended to have our pie at the Marie Callendar's on Coronado Island, but we missed it. So we're having pie for desert tonight after a dinner at the City Deli. We got in about 15.5 miles on a beautiful sunny day with views the San Diego skyline.

As you can see, I was impatient for the PIE! :lol:

Got in a nice 35 miler today but had to go the grocery store to get pie which I will be enjoying now.

I had training in St. Pete early this week so wife went with me and we got in a couple of nice rides at Passagrille Beach where we stayed for two nights. We had key lime pie Monday night at Sea Critters and on Tuesday evening we had key lime pie at the Hurricane restaurant. Both were delicious. We went for a nice ride this evening on the Withlacoochee trail but decided we already had enough pie this week.

Rode 26.7mi., a tune up for Bridge to Bridge tomorrow, weather permitting. Came home to freshly baked cinnamon rolls, MADE FROM SCRATCH, by my two daughters. It was their first attempt, and pretty darn good! Not pie, but I ate one none the less:thumb:

The Ozark Roadies observed the official holiday as well, and we rode a new route for the group.

We started at the Visitor Center at Hobbs State Park, which is several miles east of the population centers of northwest Arkansas. I meant to shoot a pic of the visitor center and failed to do so. It is a fairly new structure and is impressive. If you're in this neck of the woods, you should go and see it.

Here we are gathering in the parking lot before the ride. There were 14 of us today. We had a rider from Mountain Home join us today. That's quite a drive.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0468.jpg

Unfortunately, the weather was less than desirable... overcast, which turned into a steady drizzle.:( Given the sorry weather, I didn't do a lot of shooting today.

We rode east from the visitor center on Highway 12 to Clifty, AR, where we took Highway 127 and looped back around to Highway 12.

Following our return to the center, we went to the War Eagle Mill for lunch. Some of us rode our bikes to the Mill, and some took their vehicles.

This is an old photo of the Mill. There is an underflow waterwheel in the War Eagle Creek on the side of the mill which drives a stone grist mill. The restaurant is on the third floor. As I understand it, there has been a mill in this location since around the 1860s.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/HPIM0152a.jpg

Here is our group chowing down at the Bean Palace on the third floor of the mill. The fare included smoked turkey sandwiches, ham sandwiches, cole slaw, beans and cornbread, and of course, PIE.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0469.jpg

And here it is... blackberry cobbler and coffee.... mmm good!
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0470-1.jpg

And here are ArkansasGal and your humble reporter in the process of consuming said cobbler.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0472.jpg

After lunch, we rode a couple of miles south of the mill and up a couple of hills to check out the view from above the War Eagle valley. About half way up and just slightly to the left of the pine tree on the right hand side of the photo is a little tan spot. That's a cow in the pasture waaaaay down there in the valley.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0476.jpg

After viewing the panorama, we rode back to the visitor center and called it a day. Here are my buddy Jeff and me about half way back to the center. The Hobbs park features road cycling, mountain biking, hiking, fishing in nearby Beaver Lake, hunting, and a rifle range. What's not to like!
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0478.jpg

Total mileage for the day was 33 miles. With the exception of the sorry weather, it was a good ride. We welcomed some new riders to our group, saw some beautiful Ozark scenery, and ate pie!

we went for a nice ride this evening on the withlacoochee trail but decided we already had enough pie this week.

Sacrilege!!!

Stone him!!!

Tomorrow is my pie ride day - will get'er done then. But just so you cut me some slack - here is what I did today. Today was my annual CPR training course, I did it up in the Adirondacks. I also finally completed my assault on Peaked Peak - I have tried to climb this mountain 4 times but either due to late starts or companions that could not do the climb - it was aborted. Today I was alone, got an early enough start (12:30 PM - after the class and a quick lunch). Here are some of the pics. The hike took 4 1/2 hours.

The hike starts on 13th lake in the Adirondack park - an absolutely beautiful spot. What you don't see in the picture is a loon that was lurking in the background - I was trying to get a shot of her.
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m396/cyclinfool_photos/IMG_1056.jpg
After about an hour of hiking you can finally see the top of peaked mountian
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m396/cyclinfool_photos/IMG_1081-1.jpg
As you hike a bit further you get to Peaked pond which is high up but in a valley between the peaks
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m396/cyclinfool_photos/IMG_1079.jpg
You then scramble to the top of the peak, which involves a lot of rock climbing, searching for hand and foot holds, etc. When at the very top you find the survey mark:
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m396/cyclinfool_photos/IMG_1076-1.jpg
And the views are incredible. Here is the view down to peaked pond
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m396/cyclinfool_photos/IMG_1078-1.jpg
And the view of the terrain you just hiked over
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m396/cyclinfool_photos/IMG_1077.jpg
If you see a patch of blue in between the folds on the mountain - that is 13th lake, where the hike started. You had to pass the marshes and beaver ponds you see in the picture and hike beside a rushing stream up the mountains - which has very nice waterfalls and pools. On the hike up I saw hawks, chip munks, signs of bears, beaver dams (and freshly fallen trees - by busy beavers). I love to tak pictures of mushrooms/fungi and I got some rather unique colors on some of these as well.

Tomorrow will be the pie ride - I promise.

Now would this be a nice location for a 50+ gathering?

Now would this be a nice location for a 50+ gathering?

As a kid, we took one of my all time favorite vacations at 7th Lake. Are you familiar with it?

I rode too long of a ride today, so I got myself 2 pieces of pie!

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/2pies.jpg

On the left, coconut cream pie, and apple to the right.

My ride, 91.91 miles, from Hutchinson to Stafford, KS, then back. Most of the ride was on KS HWY 50, which has nice, wide smooth shoulders...until you cross over into Stafford county. The shoulders are (much) less than perfect over there.

I have a lot more pics that I'll add later. I'm just too tired to resize another picture right now.

Oh yeah, the coconut cream pie was fantastic. The apple was pretty good too.

(edited to add...)

OK, here's the whole story.

I started riding about 9AM. On the way out of Hutch, I returned a couple of DVDs and went through the bank drive thru to get some cash.

I crossed the Arkansas river and entered South Hutchinson (that's the name of the town. It's not the south end of Hutchinson. It's a separate town called South Hutchinson) I thought I'd be slick and take a different route so I wouldn't have to go on the hwy entry ramp. My bright idea didn't work out, because the road changed from pavement, to packed gravel, to loose sand, at which point I turned around and headed for the on ramp. But I did see this interesting site on my detour...

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/shutchstop1.jpg

Hutch and South Hutch were built on the salt industry. Here's what lies underneath us. I think the deposit is some 500 feet thick in places, and covers many square miles of area.

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/shutchstop2.jpg

Leaving South Hutch, I headed onto Hwy 50 towards Pleasantview, an Amish community. Here's where I eventually ended up getting pie'd.

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/dutchkitch3.jpg

Heading west again, I thought this site was cool enough to waste some digital space on. Glad I took the picture. Along with salt industry, there's agriculture and oil too.

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/oilwells4.jpg

There's a long bridge with narrow shoulders on HWY 50 I detoured around, and when I rejoined 50, I saw these wildflowers. This pic is taken looking at HWY 50 heading east.

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/flowers5.jpg

The shoulders on 50 are smooth and wide. Until you cross the line into Stafford county. They get pretty rough there, and I think that's why I'm hurting today. I was doing good until all the bumps and cracks and vibrations shook me up.

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/smoothshoulder6.jpg

After a little over 3 hours of riding I made it to Stafford KS. I pulled into the truck stop and grabbed a liter of sweet tea (for the caffeine and sugar) and a liter of Powerade. And a package of 20 or so fig newtons. I drank all the tea and some of the Powerade, and ate half of the Newtons. There are tables inside, in front of the windows where I sat, watched my bike, ate, drank, and recovered. This was my turn around point, 47 miles ridden so far.

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/halfway7.jpg

I took the rest of my Powerade and added it to the water in my bottle. When I started rolling my bike, I found this little surprise.

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/flat8.jpg

I'd picked up a piece of wire from a tire's steel belt. I was going to patch the hole, but decided to just use my new tube. Fixing the flat was good practice, and extended my break a little. It's all good.

Here's a view of the Stafford grain elevator, directly to the west of the truck stop. The birds must have found some spilled grain there, cause they were thick.

http://www.smoker-cooking.com/images/stafford9.jpg

The ride back to Hutch was uneventful. When I hit mile 70 or thereabouts, I hit the wall. I lost my mental edge (like I have any to start with!), became just a bit wobbly on the bike, and was hurting all over. From then on, it was just one pedal stroke after another. It wasn't because I was dehydrated-I drank enough throughout the ride that I had to take several "pit" stops along the way. And I ate plenty along the way-3 pieces of whole grain bread with honey, a pint of OJ, my truck stop goodies, and I had a good breakfast before I started. I guess 70 miles (or 5hours) is the limit of my comfort zone when it comes to riding.

I felt so rough that I passed the pie place on purpose. I just didn't feel up to stopping again. I just wanted to be home.

Finally, I made it home, stretched, and changed clothes. After a rest, I drove to the Dutch Kitchen to get my well deserved slices of pie. Next time, I'm just going to get a whole coconut cream pie. I'm drooling right now remembering how good it was.

For a late dinner, I nuked a chicken pot pie -
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_2wPdTJbd6rY/SrWmIZSeWnI/AAAAAAAAAiI/vHvqLWWHxfM/s512/DSC00140.JPG


My bride spent the afternoon and most of the evening in Flag with our daughter and granddaughters. When she came home she brought me a whole triple-berry pie from Village Inn.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_2wPdTJbd6rY/SrWlch9Fb_I/AAAAAAAAAhs/jaTz6N9JoDk/s640/DSC00142.JPG


I exercised great restraint and had only one slice - it was delicious.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_2wPdTJbd6rY/SrWj273y_nI/AAAAAAAAAhM/n2c1r6yhDU0/s640/DSC00143.JPG


Better late than never.

Due to other plans we had at 11:00, we had time for a very short ride. We chose our favorite short-ride route, to Thompson Creek Trail in Claremont. The trail was very busy this morning with walkers, runners and the occasional cyclist -- probably trying to get their exercise done before the predicted hot temperatures...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d738b3127ccef872a7c1202e00000030O08Eas2TVu4cg9vPgQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/


http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d738b3127ccef872c470603600000040O08Eas2TVu4cg9vPgQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

At the end of the trail, we rode a bit up Mt. Baldy Road.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d738b3127ccef8738b7d00c800000040O08Eas2TVu4cg9vPgQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

I passed a tiny snake and turned around to take a picture...
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d738b3127ccef872e081e1e500000030O08Eas2TVu4cg9vPgQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

.... then continued up the hill a short distance before turning around to head for pie. This view looks west; the haze in the distance is smoke from the infamous Station Fire which is now almost fully contained. (UPDATE: Last night's 11:00 pm news reported that high temperatures and Santa Ana winds are postponing full containment until Tuesday.)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d738b3127ccef873684bc12700000040O08Eas2TVu4cg9vPgQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

From there, we rode to our intended destination for pie, Marie Callenders. But alas, they don't open until 11:00! And so we forged on in our quest for pie. With no time to waste, we stopped at Carrow's. At 9:30 a.m. we were eating APPLE PIE A LA MODE! It had a delicious flavor and a nice flaky crust. Then, I read the Nutritional Information pamphlet Carrow's provides on each table -- 810 calories!!!:eek::eek:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d738b3127ccef873f55581ef00000030O08Eas2TVu4cg9vPgQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

And I enjoyed every fattening bite. :thumb:

In all, we rode 20 miles, half the distance of our typical Saturday ride.

Oh, and TWICE during the ride, someone (both times, a 50+ man... one on a bike and one in a truck) asked about our jerseys. We directed them to this forum.

I rode with a small group in The Historians CheeseSteak Hunt Ride on the Schuylkill River Trail into Philadelphia. These four fine riders and of course me behind the camera.

http://oleyvalley.net/cycling/break.jpg

Lunched at Little John's with everyone having what we came for.

http://oleyvalley.net/cycling/cheesesteak.jpg

Ride was 52 miles round trip. I put in a few extra miles to finish the day at 59 miles. I let my pie sit at home, so upon my return I finished off a quarter of the pie. Didn't take any pie pictures, because I burned the pie. It was edible but not much to look at.

It was raining much of the day today in Seattle. I went for a 15 mile ride this morning in the rain -- except for a few moist commutes, if was the first really rainy ride I've done since May (we had a really dry summer). I was too wet to stop into any place for pie, so I failed in my pie ride requirements.

To make it up to you, I took my daughter to the professional cyclocross races in Redmond, Wa., tonight. In the men's category 3 race, a robot was entered and he kept up with the field for about 3 laps before dropping out.

I'm not exactly sure how this fits into pie day, but here you are anyway:

http://i34.tinypic.com/30ua72u.jpg

I'm so jealous of the beautiful rides documented here! I combined my PIE ride with numerous bike-related errands in and around beautiful downtown Burbank. First, I shopped a few yard sales and scored a 1997 Jamis Cross Country for $25 to fix up for a friend of my son.

Having summoned said son & friend to retrieve the bike I went on my way to exchange a new tube for my daughter's bike for one with the right kind of valve (oops). And then it was time for blueberry PIE at Paty's in Toluca Lake where I could sit outside with my bicycle. Here's my bike, my PIE and my foot to show I was really there:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2451/3935722521_160b5a601c.jpg

Paty's is across the street from Marie Callendar's, evidently a 50+ favorite source of PIE. As you can see, they were having a special on drinks and PIE.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3935722465_f5ac65758c.jpg

Closer inspection, however, reveals that the special applied neither to real drinks nor to real PIE!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3418/3936538948_77c43144cc_o.jpg

After that it was off to another bike shop for locks for all these bikes and then home. 26 miles and not a single pirate.

As a kid, we took one of my all time favorite vacations at 7th Lake. Are you familiar with it?

I know where it is and it is one of the areas I want to hike/canoe as my daughter gets a little older and I can take her back packing. I am hopeing I can get her warmed up to camping. My wife and older daughter think that camping is when you stay at a Super 8.

I cheated!

As some of you are aware, I have a daughter who has recently moved to Seattle. The sale of her St Louis house has not gone well. Among other things she hired our grandson to do some interior painting and a few other tasks before the house closes. Through inexperience and lack of communication some of these jobs were not done properly.

I did some work on the house on Friday which caused a setback in my elbow recovery process. Saturday Mrs. Grouch and I drove over to the house prepared to touch up the interior painting with the help of maybe one other person - and I'm pretty limited as to what I can do. Fear not! Six additional helpers showed up to save the day. Four were tandem bicycle people we have known for ages. Two were relatives of our son-in-law. We finished everything in about 2 1/2 hours of pretty concentrated effort and I'm confident the house will pass it's walk-through today. I was utterly overwhelmed!

I took Mrs. Grouch to TGI Friday's for lunch. The best I could do was a shared a piece of Chocolate Peanutbutter Cream pie. It was actually pretty good. We're planning to watch the Ram's game today with the tandem folks today. We'll bring a Manino's pie to share. That'll have to do.

It was raining much of the day today in Seattle. I went for a 15 mile ride this morning in the rain -- except for a few moist commutes, if was the first really rainy ride I've done since May (we had a really dry summer). I was too wet to stop into any place for pie, so I failed in my pie ride requirements.

To make it up to you, I took my daughter to the professional cyclocross races in Redmond, Wa., tonight. In the men's category 3 race, a robot was entered and he kept up with the field for about 3 laps before dropping out.

I'm not exactly sure how this fits into pie day, but here you are anyway:

http://i34.tinypic.com/30ua72u.jpg

LOL This is precisely the type of lunacy that makes the world spin round in a fun way! There is room here for all of us (especially those with nice muscular legs.)

.........And then it was time for blueberry PIE at Paty's in Toluca Lake where I could sit outside with my bicycle. ....

Over the past year following my dad's sudden passing, I've been accompanying my mom to appointments with a wonderful estate planning attorney in Toluca Lake. The people in that office are truly wonderful, but the subject matter leaves one hungry for a plate of good comfort food.:twitchy: After one of the first appointments, his legal secretary recommended lunch at Paty's, just a short walk away from the office. We haven't had dessert there (yet), but the cakes on display by the register are big and beautiful and baked on the premises. I bet that pie was something special!

My day late pie report is as follows.
I got up early and my riding buddy and I went for a spin at 7:15AM. It was cold (44 degress) and foggy. We had a good ride. I then got home did a few things around the house and the family went out apple picking. When we got home my duaghter (who we got riding about a month ago) and I rode to Friendly's (about 3 miles away) for a smoothie. Then I got home and my wife had the apple pie ready (made with some of the apples we picked - macintosh to be exact). Here it is - it will be consumed after dinner - notice the GPS documenting the 33 mile morning ride, does not include the 6 miles with my daughter.

http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m396/cyclinfool_photos/IMG_1085.jpg

OK, a day late - here it is. I was up until 3 a.m. last night (!) trying to fix a problem with my daughter's computer. Slept in, woke up to a gorgeous day, a nice change after yesterday's soup.

Went for a 44 mile ride in the burbs, tried a new route I'd never done before and ended up on a hellacious one-mile climb I didn't know about. At the end of the climb, I realized I was a bit lost, so I followed the sun back to town.

Later got buzzed by a car that passed me on a winding suburban curve, about six inches off my elbow. Followed the driver home; and surprised him by standing at the end of his driveway getting a shot of his license plate with my cell phone. Had a short but pointed conversation with him, advising him to look up Washington's new "3 foot" law, and suggesting that since I ride that street every day I'd be prepared to call the police next time he buzzes me. What fun!

Baked a frozen strawberry rhubarb pie for my daughter and myself tonight.

Since it was a day late, and I didn't technically eat the pie on the ride, I assembled this "Bicycling Still Life" with stuff lying around my kitchen* for your viewing pleasure:

http://i38.tinypic.com/11c9yzd.jpg

*sharp eyes will notice a new cassette. Wonder what that is for....:innocent:

I had to work on Saturday. Fortunately, my commute is about 20 miles RT.

I went into work early and enjoyed the sun rising and the lack of traffic. I had anticipated a half day of work, but managed to finish my task in a little over an hour. Meandering back, I stopped by the bank to get some cash and eyed the Shipley's Doughnut store, but held off for pie. I enjoyed the part of the ride that goes through Boyle Park and wandered up through the industrial district north of it.

But I couldn't seem to find a pie. All the restaurants I stopped at, only served ice cream for desert. I rolled on, getting a haircut and a new inflatable mattress to sleep on as mine had begun to leak. But no pie.

Then it occurred to me, this is the south, I can do a fried pie. I stopped at the convenience store across the street from my apartment complex. Got a Mindy Lu's Apple Pie (http://www.mindylupies.com/)and took it home. I stood on my balcony and enjoyed my Mindy Lu's pie before rolling the bike into its parking place and completing my ride.

To make it up to you, I took my daughter to the professional cyclocross races in Redmond, Wa., tonight. In the men's category 3 race, a robot was entered and he kept up with the field for about 3 laps before dropping out.

I'm not exactly sure how this fits into pie day, but here you are anyway:

http://i34.tinypic.com/30ua72u.jpg

From the looks of his head, the robot must have thought that pie are square.

But I couldn't seem to find a pie. All the restaurants I stopped at, only served ice cream for desert.

You're at least the second poster who has commented about the unavailability of pie. Do you suppose this could be Obama's fault?

I'm thinking that's another unappatizing Bush legacy. Two years ago Mrs. Grouch and I searched out pie in downtown St Charles during the Tour of Missouri. We were unsuccessful. That was during "W's" term.

You're at least the second poster who has commented about the unavailability of pie. Do you suppose this could be Obama's fault?

I'm thinking that's another unappatizing Bush legacy. Two years ago Mrs. Grouch and I searched out pie in downtown St Charles during the Tour of Missouri. We were unsuccessful. That was during "W's" term.

I heard that they had a run on pies last weekend causing a worldwide shortage, something about a bunch of people on bikes?!?!

You're at least the second poster who has commented about the unavailability of pie. Do you suppose this could be Obama's fault?

I'm thinking that's another unappatizing Bush legacy. Two years ago Mrs. Grouch and I searched out pie in downtown St Charles during the Tour of Missouri. We were unsuccessful. That was during "W's" term.

Isn't it always true that someone else is getting a bigger share of the pie than us?

You're at least the second poster who has commented about the unavailability of pie. Do you suppose this could be Obama's fault?

I'm thinking that's another unappatizing Bush legacy. Two years ago Mrs. Grouch and I searched out pie in downtown St Charles during the Tour of Missouri. We were unsuccessful. That was during "W's" term.

Indeed you may be on to something. I have heard that 2% of the population in the US control 95% of the pies. But not to worry, Barack is putting Billery on it - something about universal Pie coverage. I only hope it doesn't effect the National debt.

Rode 25 miles of rolling hills in Arlington on Saturday morning, then stopped for breakfast, but no pie option at the neighborhood restaurant (Bear Rock Cafe) and I wasn't going to substitute raspberry cheesecake. Then I rode another 25 miles indoors in the afternoon watching my Hoosiers win their third non-conference game. After the game I headed to Harris Teeter and picked up a blueberry pie that I shared with the family. No pictures since the camera wasn't working (a shutter cover problem that I fixed on Sunday morning).

Rode 25 miles of rolling hills in Arlington on Saturday morning, then stopped for breakfast, but no pie option at the neighborhood restaurant (Bear Rock Cafe) and I wasn't going to substitute raspberry cheesecake. Then I rode another 25 miles indoors in the afternoon watching my Hoosiers win their third non-conference game. After the game I headed to Harris Teeter and picked up a blueberry pie that I shared with the family. No pictures since the camera wasn't working (a shutter cover problem that I fixed on Sunday morning).

You could have saved the pie until the shutter problem was fixed:D:D

I heard that they had a run on pies last weekend causing a worldwide shortage, something about a bunch of people on bikes?!?!

Had the same thing in London so it is worldwide. I managed to get one around 8am- but went back to the same cafe at around 12 and they had sold out.

Have to admit that this may have been my fault. I hunted out the PIE early in the morning and when other riders asked me where I got it from --I told them. Should have sent them to Costa Coffee- but if I had- they wouldn't have talked to me all day.

You could have saved the pie until the shutter problem was fixed:D:D

I don't know, I've never been one for delayed gratification. Besides, I had already waited from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm! :innocent:

On Saturday morning 9/19/09 Team Slo Spokes rode out from St Pete FL in search of the perfect PIE. We headed west on 54th Avenue South to 31st Street South where we turned North towards the Pinellas Trail intersection. We didn’t find any place that looked like they served the sweet fruit wrapped in a flaky crust that we were in search of, so we turned West then North on the trail and pressed on. The sun and temperature were heading in the same direction (up) as we passed Seminole, Largo, Bellaire, Clearwater and on to Dunedin without achieving our goal, but we were driven by our quest.

In the little town of Dunedin we made a team decision to turn West again as our H2O was getting low and warm. We made a right turn on Main Street and headed to where Slo Spoke Tina works, to refill our empty water bottles. A short distance out of Dunedin on SR 580 we passed a restaurant called The Country Boy Resturant. Now with a name like that you know they have to serve PIE. After getting our water supply refreshed we retraced our tracks to The Country Boy Diner and as luck would have it they not only served PIE but were still serving breakfast.

After blueberry pancakes, bacon and biscuits and gravy and fresh iced tea, we went for the gold. FRESH APPLE PIE. With our tummies now at full capacity it was time to head for home still some 30 mile away to the South and in to the wind. We stopped in the town of Largo at Taylor Park and ate the Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies that we had been holding in reserve in case the real PIE could not be found (a good backup plan is always a must).

Four great things happened today (1) I rode with my daughter (2) We rode 65+ miles (3) We had PIE on the annual PIE ride day (4) I surpassed the 8000 mile mark (5000 this year).

All is well in Slo Spoke Jim's world….

http://i34.tinypic.com/30ua72u.jpg

Kinda puts a different twist to the old "Boxers or Briefs" queary, doesn't it?

My wife and I drove up to Cape Cod from our home in NJ. We had been on the Cape riding once before and it is one of my new favorite places to ride - and worth the drive. So we set out to visit with my good friend Tom to celebrate the Pie Ride. I had called him in advance and explained about our responsibility to ride and eat pie and he was "willing" to go along with the ride. I hope now I start to feel like a member of this forum and a sense of belonging....when do I get my tattoo?

Our rides resting up
http://www.otiose.com/1.jpg

We did have to stop once and gaze...
http://www.otiose.com/2.jpg

So we stopped and bought an apple/cranberry pie
http://www.otiose.com/3.jpg

We are serious about this ride
http://www.otiose.com/4.jpg

Back on the road
http://www.otiose.com/5.jpg

By the way, I learned something on this ride I never knew - pie tastes SO much better if you eat it when you have ridden first. Who knew.

OK, a day late - here it is. I was up until 3 a.m. last night (!) trying to fix a problem with my daughter's computer. Slept in, woke up to a gorgeous day, a nice change after yesterday's soup.

Went for a 44 mile ride in the burbs, tried a new route I'd never done before and ended up on a hellacious one-mile climb I didn't know about. At the end of the climb, I realized I was a bit lost, so I followed the sun back to town.

Later got buzzed by a car that passed me on a winding suburban curve, about six inches off my elbow. Followed the driver home; and surprised him by standing at the end of his driveway getting a shot of his license plate with my cell phone. Had a short but pointed conversation with him, advising him to look up Washington's new "3 foot" law, and suggesting that since I ride that street every day I'd be prepared to call the police next time he buzzes me. What fun!

Baked a frozen strawberry rhubarb pie for my daughter and myself tonight.

Since it was a day late, and I didn't technically eat the pie on the ride, I assembled this "Bicycling Still Life" with stuff lying around my kitchen* for your viewing pleasure:

http://i38.tinypic.com/11c9yzd.jpg

*sharp eyes will notice a new cassette. Wonder what that is for....:innocent:


Now that is some serious photography.:roflmao2::roflmao2:
:cheers: to yaaaaaaaaa