I have decided that bicycle riders are motivated by two basic desires and can be categorized as; (a) go fast types, or (b) find ice cream types. I am unequivocally a member of the later group. Jeanine invited me to join her “go fast” riding group on a 24 mile ride this morning. I opted instead for a 22.6 mile solo ride with stops at not one, but two ice cream shops. Sadly, the first one did not have chocolate almond, my favorite flavor, and the second which does, was not open when I arrived. Pictured above is the altitude profile (one way) of my first real ride with my new bike and on which I learned many important lessons.

• Riding with your mouth closed is highly adviseable unless you enjoy small crunchy protein snacks.
• Sand is a four letter word.
• Best to ride VERY slowly through standing water.
• Unlike trekking, going down hill is better for your knees (and morale) than going up.
• Very wise to uncleat your shoe well before you need your foot.
• As in life, stopping to smell the roses is a good way to ride.

My journey took me into downtown Lexington by way of the Minute Man National Historic Park where I paused to photograph the Captain William Smith House (built circa 1692), a prominent colonial period house with a rare cove cornice, one of only three remaining unrestored examples to be found in Massachusetts.