Outside biking

I’m biking a lot trying to maintain fitness and even signed up for the “Blazing Saddles 100 mile” to keep me motivated.  It is not easy to stay motivated doing 2 or 3 hour rides in the basement (although I do get a lot of reading time).  I’ve been getting outside at least once a week, doing some very nice rides in Concord, NH.  I decided on going back out to Plum Island from Amesbury which is a ride I did last December.  Jim Pawlicki answered my email plea for company and we met up at the parking lot for the Eastern Marsh trail.  It was a pleasant morning with a 6:45 am start we’d avoid the heat of the day and also avoid most of the traffic.  Jim had never been to Plum Island so it’d all be new territory to him.  We headed off up and over the Merrimack River via route 1 and then got through downtown Newburyport that was set up for Yankee Homecoming.  It was great to pedal along and catch up on things.  I played the tour guide pointing out some of the interesting things along the way.  It was a nice 20+ mile ride, except for the end of Plum Island which I knew was dirt road but had forgotten how rough and rocky it was.  Fortunately Jim did not puncture a tire as he was on a road bike and had no spare!