Introducing...Henri

Today was another great day to ride with the temps in the 50s and plenty of sunshine. We were both excited to get out on the trail with the new Peugeot (Henri) so we left early. We set off in the opposite direction of our usual route and stopped only once to get some pictures of the bikes.

Peugeot "Henri" on his first ride.

Henri & Bernard--Handsome Devils!

We then headed back past the trail entrance and headed towards the lake again, both planning on going only as far as the gazebo. There we stopped again for more pictures and water and a short rest.

Lake Crabtree from the gazebo.

Henri and Bernard taking a rest.

At this point the end of the trail was not much further so we decided to try and make it to the end. We made it with no problem, but shortly after starting back Llama's chain jumped off track and we had to stop. Part of the chain was jammed into the guard but it took only a few minutes to get it back on. My first roadside mini-repair! At this end of the trail there is a bit of a hill and going down it made me want to take my bike in to James to get it "set up" as he calls it. This would include fixing the rear wheel & spokes, updating the brake lines and fixing the pedals. Right now, my braking ability is very limited and I want it corrected so I can be a bit more daring on these little hills.

We stopped again for more pictures at the bottom of the hill as I think this is the most beautiful part of the trial. It passes not 3 feet from the lake at one point and is flat and only a foot or two above the water level.

Henri & Bernard--outdoor enthusiasts.

Black Creek Greenway.

My favorite shot, this is where the trail is closest to the lake.

Again as we neared the end of our ride, my thighs were getting pretty worn out. Usually the only way to alleviate the pain is to take my feet off the pedals and actually stretch my legs out. We've realized this direction of the path has a very slight uphill grade, but being a newbie and so far out of shape (I think my current shape is "blob") it really finishes off my muscles. The last part of the trail heads uphill into a park and I have no shame about getting off the bike and huffing my way up on foot. We think this is actually the hardest part of the whole ride--the walk uphill to the truck. A quick stop for Starbucks finished off our outing and it was pretty wonderful overall. I went a lot further today, and took breaks whenever I needed to so I wasn't in pain. Slow and steady makes the whole ride more pleasant...