Acceptable riding weather is becoming dependable and riding season is now in full swing. This weekend I covered about 70 miles including a noteworthy Sunday ride around the Goucester and Rockport MA. It’s too bad this coastal island is such a drive away, because the local route that travels the island’s circumference makes for a great ride on a warm day. The 20 mile loop features a couple sections of rugged, rocky beaches not unlike the Maine coast, and a handful of other sea views. It’s interesting enough to make multiple laps enjoyable for a full day’s ride. The town centers of Rockport and Gloucester are perfect for hopping off for a break and grabbing a bite to eat. This island’s bakeries get my stamp of approval. A cue sheet from “Pocket Rides” pointed out that some additional good views are available on side roads, but be warned the condition of secondary roads in this area may be poor. As an added excitement, dood location is beat out this weekend by the chance to participate in Debbie’s personal weekend record of 57 miles!
An inspection of my rear wheel at the end of the weekend found a broken spoke before it was able to cause a flat. This is the second broken spoke I’ve had on the rear wheel in less than 1000 miles. Does this mean my wheel is reaching the end of it’s service life? Time for a stronger wheelset? For now, I’ll have this one strung back up this week and see what happens next. Since I can steal the identical wheel off the back of my trainer bike while I’m waiting for the repair, this failure won’t prevent any riding at all.