Good! I won't have to ride alone!

Upside: we can have pie earlier!

I'll be right there with you. My friends and I intend to take it easy and enjoy the scenery

Yay, Bev! Looking forward to it.

I shall be there too, and taking it easy too.

Do you think it will be as much fun as this bike rally in Holland?

Well, we are all over 50. Think about it. Somethings are far better left to the imagination. The mind is much kinder than reality.

Having said that, I do think we are going to have fun!

I could never ride a bike without padded shorts

Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear…

I hope that man doesn't have a saddle with a hole in it.

Wait a MINUTE! I thought people in Holland wore wooden shoes!

I hadn't looked that closely at the picture the first time!

Well I was trying to figure out how to make it over there - it's only about 4hrs away but my daughter has a concert that weekend and she has been working so hard on her songs. Besides - from the pictures going up lately I think I can miss the naked 50+ bicycle tour.

Well actually, Cyclinfool, it was Ken Brown that brought that action up, so in all likelihood, he'll be the only one "sans vetements". On the upside, that should make it rather easy to recognize him.

I'm only riding naked if everyone else does.

I am sorry, Ken, but I cannot allow myself to succumb to peer pressure. Besides, I just bought new bike shoes and I just don't think they'll match that well with...flesh.

I tried riding naked today to prepare for the experience, but I kept getting stopped by people telling me I needed to iron my wrinkled kit. No respect.

I, too, am preparing for the experience; that is the Finger Lake Ride, not the naked part. I have been making time daily to ride and increasing my mileage.
As I am petrified of the Friday night uphill ride, (I do intend to try it), I figured I had better work on my distance so as not to make an utter fool of myself.

Don't read too much into that old blog post of mine about the Friday night ride. Yes, it's mostly uphill for the first half. Yes, the first hundred yards are steeper than anything else on the ride.

But bear in mind, when I wrote that, I'd been riding a road bike for only 10 weeks. Prior to that I rode a heavy hybrid and actively avoided even freeway overpasses. Plus, I'd only quit smoking seven months before, after having smoked for 35 years.

The second year I missed that ride. Last year I was left wondering why I thought it was so difficult. I carried on actual conversations pedaling up those same hills.

Even so, I found the descents just as enjoyable last year as the first time out.

What that first climb that night taught me was that I really needed to work on climbing. Seeing other people do it with little outward appearance of strain convinced me that I could probably do just as well. Fourteen months later, I climbed Mt. Evans.

I've never been a good climber. A hill that early in a ride is especially tough. After about 10 miles, when I finally get warmed up, my climbing improves some, but not much.

I am with you, Louis, never been good at hills. Will I try it? Five p.m. is usually cocktail hour for me so I have an alternative to consider.

How are we 50+ going to recognize each other, other than the ones who look old or are naked?

I have the same question about finding each other. I 'm having this nightmare of wandering around crying because I can't find the 50+r's and I don't know anyone else!
TSL? Any thoughts?

Louis, I live in South Jersey. There are no hills. I am a nervous wreck. I hope I just don't fall over on my bike.

I have pushed my bike up hills in 5 countries, and am not ashamed. Better than falling over or suffering a heart attack.

Every year at least a dozen people walk that first hill, then start their ride.

The nice thing about the first half being predominantly climbing is that at any point, you can turn around an descend all the way back to camp.

It's flat where I live too.

As for recognizing each other, that is you in the avatar, isn't it?

I'm open to suggestions. I can tell you where I usually stay. There's a loop that most of the bunkhouses are on. If the dining hall is 6 o'clock, the bunkhouse I prefer is at noon.

I was planning to wear my 50+ jersey on Saturday, but I suppose I could wear it on Friday instead.

We can all push our bikes up the hills together

My left leg has never fully recovered from the back injury so after 20 miles it doesn't cooperate on climbs..... I need to stop and rest it before continuing on up the hill