First Warm Spring Ride of 2021

We had one really good day on Tuesday, unfortunately I, like Franco, was working. This morning it’s 25dF with a light snow here in Western Pennsylvania USA. What the old timers call the Onion Snow as it’s time to plant onions. I won’t be planting those as I have a seemingly rare onion allergy. I think I’m also developing an allergy to cold weather!
Best,
John “wheelson”

I swore I wouldn't do it in April but I found myself pedaling away down in the basement again on the old Aerospace GP with a video of biking through the Alsace region of France accompanied by The Ghost of Tom Joad. For hopefully the last time this spring, it felt like winter again. Sigh.

After so many years living in the same neighborhood and riding the same roads, it's always special to try a somewhat new route. Years ago, there was talk about a bike path extending from Jones Beach all the way east to Captree which is the physical end of the barrier island. Politics and budgets were the roadblocks that I never thought I'd see dismantled in my lifetime, but the dream is now a reality as of a few weeks ago. They extended the Phase 1, 3.5 mile path an additional 10 miles! It's now a 13.5 miles path running west to east with water views and beach pulloffs the whole way and I made my unplanned maiden voyage on Friday. It's an almost perfect 50 mile round trip from my house and also includes a 5 mile north-south connecting path. All in all, 37 miles off road is amazing for Long Island, NY. I was fortunate to pick a day with light winds out of the south. Very often the winds come howling out of the west making the return trip a beast. The joke is they'll be easy money to be made setting up a van shuttle at the east end for the unsuspecting families who never experienced 13.5 miles into an unrelenting headwind. Beautiful ride if you respect the elements. Sorry no pics this time as I was racing the clock after a late start, but I'll be back.