Ride with BikeCLE

Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the Century Cycles Night Ride on Saturday.  As predicted, the event I was at all day sucked the energy out of me.  By the time we were done, I was ready for a movie and the couch.  At least we cycled to the event.

Anyway, yesterday I had scheduled a ride with Anne and Joe of the Great Lakes Touring Company.  The Mr. and I had breakfast at our favorite place in The Valley and then pedaled over to Indigo Lake to meet them.  The weather was perfect to say the least, and thus the Towpath was packed.  It was wheel to wheel from where we jumped on in The Valley to the lake and beyond.  That is the only problem with the Towpath in the summer.  Its a wonderful resource, but everyone knows it and therefore everyone is using it at the same time.  The constant stop/go thing can get pretty tedious (especially in the Peninsula area) if you want to enjoy a nice continuous ride.

So, we took a nice leisurely pace on the Trail to Peninsula and swung into Fisher's for some ice cream.  We returned the way we came and wrapped up around 2:15pm.  The Mr. and I had enough of the Towpath Congestion and decided to take Riverview back to our vehicle when we were done.  It was nice to cut the time in half, but I missed the shade of the Towpath.

Ok, so back to the Great Lakes Touring Co.  Joe and Anne are really cool people to ride with.  I loved their carefree and #funstrong approach to riding, not the usual hardcore feel the burn of many group rides that I've been to.  Sometimes you want to have a conversation, not a suffer fest.  Their approach truly makes cycling accessible to everyone, one their top goals.  They started doing their tours in Cleveland this past May, they rent their bicycles, and they also participate in the Cleveland Critical Mass.  Their tours go at a leisurely pace and the comfort cruisers are provided.  The tours take place in several locations and typically focus on history.  I'm looking forward to going on one soon, since, well, I love bicycles and history.  For their schedule of events and tour information, visit their website.  I doubt you'll be disappointed.  What their doing is such a wonderful thing for the area and their added advocacy will provide even more positivity to the local bike scene.

Check 'em out!