The First Day
So this post was back-dated because I never had time to write about our first ride. I think that summarizes in part how the first ride went - I didn't have time. Natalie, Kristie, Susie Bee, and I stayed up quite late the night before worrying and anxiously awaiting our first day.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect and I had big fears of riders getting lost and confused in the streets of Providence, and that was basically a good description of what happened. Providence was a big test for directions for the rest of the trip. All the riders ran out of the gate at full speed and in about 5 miles I was struggling to keep up with the pack and I hadn't seen a relevant road sign in 4-5 turns. I eventually made my way to the front, stopped the portion of the group I could see and Tino helped to guide us behind the mall to the bike bath I was originally aiming for. I'm not sure how everyone ended up there, but the group managed to converge from all angles and directions on to the correct road.
My college advisor and professor also accompanied me on the first day to show some support and maybe also join in on the chaos and fun. Professor Brian Brenner and his friend Seth started the their day driving a car to Pomfret and driving their bikes to Providence. They also started their day by driving through some very serious rain. Not to leave me out, they called me while I was hitching the trailer in Providence, to tell me that not only should I worry about 32 riders getting lost and falling off their bikes, I should also worry about drownings and shark attacks.
It took me about an hour to process the weather report before I called him back. The other leaders, Brendan, and I decided to go ahead as planned and deal with the weather as it came. Which, for the most part, turned out to be a good plan, it also was really our only plan because we had to get to our destination that night. We didn't hit too much in the way of rain and by the end of the day the sun was shining bright.
Professor Brenner continued to have an epic day after he showed up to Providence. In addition to being led around by an over-eager group of riders, charging down wrong roads at full speed, he managed to have 3 flats, the trip record for at least the first week, maybe into the second! I was happy to finally be able to help a person who has done absolutely so much for me during my time at Tufts, but I think I would have wished I could have helped in some other way that didn't involved so much bike grease. Maybe he'll let write a recommendation for him some day.
The riders were not deterred though. We stopped at farms, campsites, swimming holes, and anything that looked like it might be able to provide us with some entertainment. I was slightly stressed about bad directions, flat tires, and new riders so mostly I took each stop as time to step back and breathe. The scenery was amazing, the sun and weather was perfect, and the attitude of the group after each little hiccup was always positive, and there is nothing else that I can ask for. I really had a lot of fun and I think it was the perfect way to start a trip.
My college advisor and professor also accompanied me on the first day to show some support and maybe also join in on the chaos and fun. Professor Brian Brenner and his friend Seth started the their day driving a car to Pomfret and driving their bikes to Providence. They also started their day by driving through some very serious rain. Not to leave me out, they called me while I was hitching the trailer in Providence, to tell me that not only should I worry about 32 riders getting lost and falling off their bikes, I should also worry about drownings and shark attacks.
It took me about an hour to process the weather report before I called him back. The other leaders, Brendan, and I decided to go ahead as planned and deal with the weather as it came. Which, for the most part, turned out to be a good plan, it also was really our only plan because we had to get to our destination that night. We didn't hit too much in the way of rain and by the end of the day the sun was shining bright.
Professor Brenner continued to have an epic day after he showed up to Providence. In addition to being led around by an over-eager group of riders, charging down wrong roads at full speed, he managed to have 3 flats, the trip record for at least the first week, maybe into the second! I was happy to finally be able to help a person who has done absolutely so much for me during my time at Tufts, but I think I would have wished I could have helped in some other way that didn't involved so much bike grease. Maybe he'll let write a recommendation for him some day.
The riders were not deterred though. We stopped at farms, campsites, swimming holes, and anything that looked like it might be able to provide us with some entertainment. I was slightly stressed about bad directions, flat tires, and new riders so mostly I took each stop as time to step back and breathe. The scenery was amazing, the sun and weather was perfect, and the attitude of the group after each little hiccup was always positive, and there is nothing else that I can ask for. I really had a lot of fun and I think it was the perfect way to start a trip.
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