Riders 9, Dogs 0: Ride to Harmony, Thursday, July 23

by Tom Reynolds

At the start of our 26 mile ride out Victor Pike, to Harmony, to Ison, Leonard Springs, and home, we were treated to the welcome sight of Stan back on his bike after too long an absence. He's a fast healer! We all look forward to lots of rides with Stan for the remainder of the season.

The ride was both a figurative and a literal dogfight. The figurative dogfight was up the killer hill at the Oolitic quarry. Patrick was first to the top followed by Mike who seems to be getting stronger faster than humanly possible (youth, not a doping scandal). Unfortunately both riders disregarded my instructions at the start not to pass the leader on the big climbs and were therefore relegated to the back, just behind Tammy on her tandem. This made me the "official" winner of the climb!

We regrouped at the intersection of Victor Pike and Rockport Road for the jog up to Harmony. As we left the regroup point the literal dogfights began. We were threatened by the big dog across the road but as usual he stayed on his own property and we all went up the hill to Harmony untouched. We were all feeling good to have the dog threat behind us and no rain on the horizon--attested to by a rider who checked the weather radar via IPhone (and will remain unnamed). In the next 45 minutes we were nearly drowned by a deluge of Biblical proportions and attacked by 8 more dogs. The doggies failed to bring down and devour any riders (even the stragglers at the back of the pack) with the closest call being a big brown and black would-be killer who attacked on the downhill north of Harmony under cover of heavy rain.

Mother Nature, in an apparent act of contrition, brought out the sun to dry us and cheer us as we rode Ison to Leonard Springs and back into town. Thanks to all for a fun and adventurous ride.