Today I rode with the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club. The route started in Lyons, rode along CO-36 to Lefthand Canyon. From there we climbed 17 miles to Ward and the Peak to Peak highway. There were two options offered — and we created a third. The two official offerings were to ride across the Peak to Peak highway and turn off and go back down South St. Vrain by way of Raymond. The other was to continue on to Estes Park and then back to Lyons via CO-36.

I rode with a real nice guy named Jim. He and I had very similar paces and our approach to the day seemed very similar. We pushed each other in a good way and it was nice to have company on the long climbs! The option we created was a variation on the Estes Park route. We rode north, but with the idea that before we dropped down into Estes Park we’d decide whether we had the time & legs to do that or just turn around and go back to Lyons via CO-7. As it turned out, it was cloudy and pretty chilly and by the time we got to the Wild Basin Lodge we’d had enough. Neither of us regretted turning around. We had a good ride and stayed within ourselves. When we got back, we stopped into Oscar Blues for something warm and a bite to eat (me, not Jim…).

The ride was challenging and lots of fun. The RMCC folks were all very welcoming and I look forward to riding with them again. By then, I should be a member!