What a joy to pedal through the streets of New York traffic free for a whole day. Unfortunately, this ride involves quite a good deal of waiting. We waited at the start, we waited at several points along the way where bike traffic actually results ingridlock and we waited at the end for the Staten Island Ferry. Luckily, though, the ferry didn't crash into the dock as it did five days later.
We spent the night again this year at my in-laws apartment a few blocks from the ride start and so were able to roll out of bed, grab a little food and roll to the start without getting into the car. Eli was a trooper again this year and despite feeling a bit under the weather, he rode strong and finished the entire 42-mile route without hesitation. He even "climbed" the Varrazano Narrows Bridge at the end with steady determination. Eli had a "new" bike this time around and while it weighed more than twice my steel Bianchi, he was happy with the upgrade. When he finally gets a reasonably weighted road bike in a few years, he won't have any idea what hit him.
Of course, there's no such thing as a perfect day, and this time dad forgot to reapply sunscreen so Eli returned home with a nice little sunburn souvenir to complement his white 2010 5BBT t-shirt. We need to make mom feel needed don't we? Next up for father-son fun: the Bike the River Valley Tour on July 18 or the New York City Century Tour on September 12? Time will tell. Can't push it too hard . . .
