The COGS Went Spinning

First: YEAY! And: WOOOHOOOO!

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I can go on to writing about a great bike ride.

Saturday I went biking with the COGS. This was the ride I thought slightly silly because I would be biking 15 miles to do a 30 mile ride. But, I am nothing if not silly so I hopped on my bike and headed for our meeting point, which was easier said than done it turned out.

Let it be said that I loathe the I-90 trail, Mountain to Sound Greenway. I hate it because it's badly signed and I always get lost at least twice when I attempt to take it. This may or may not be linked to my lack of directional abilities, but I'm only willing to blame share at 30/70 (the 30% being me).

The I-90 Trail

Glorious weather

The I-90 bridge

Probably the only signs on the trail - NOT helpful

Per usual, I took the wrong turn three times but eventually made my way across the water. The weather was glorious, a bit cold, but perfect for biking. I encountered many a +Josh Ross look alikes but all were nice and polite like.

The directions to the meeting point were a little vague so I ended up waiting in the wrong parking lot. We were supposed to meet up at 10 am and take off at 10:15, but when 10 rolled around and I didn't see any other people on bike I decided to head to the other parking lot where our meeting point also could be. Turned out that was it.

There were 11 of us in the group and all of them were worse than me as far as giving signals and knowing how to ride in a line. They were braking left and right and turning willy nilly without letting the people behind know what they were up to. Oh well, I adjusted my riding accordingly and the ride went off without any incidents.

The ride was called Bellevue and Beyond, but turned out to be to Bellevue only where we stopped for lunch (yes, my favorite thing to do... NOT). The bagel was yummy though and the diet Coke was devine!

The ride started out at the Arboretum, across I-90, then the Mercer Island loop, and from there to Bellevue.

From Washington Park Playfield to Bellevue

The Mercer Island Loop

It was a first for me riding the Mercer Island loop and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Not a lot of traffic because the only people driving on the island are people living there. There were no traffic lights, which made for a great non-stop ride.

I found a couple of riders who rode at my pace and the three of us rode around the island together. I highly recommend doing the loop - if  you can find your way onto the island.

Even though this ride wasn't exactly my cup of tea as far as stopping and going and stopping for food, I'm glad I went. For a couple of reasons. One, I met some pretty cool people - and two, it was a good gauge for how I handle longer rides than the 10 miles I do on my commute.

I found out I do well on climbs but I've forgotten how to hydrate well. All in all I biked 50 miles and next Sunday is Chilly Hilly. I got my bib and my meal ticket and I can't wait!