Hi Guys,

We planned a Skive Ride for Tuesday, first one in a month or so for me. I rode over to the start at HVR since I knew the planned riders were recovering from various ailments. Len showed up first, just back riding after surgery on his left hand a few weeks ago. Tony rolled up next, working his way through the ravages of his chemo treatments. Sheehan broke his ribs on the recent bike fall so he was just getting back on the bike. He arrived grimacing as he tried to grip the handlebars with his left hand. All the bumps could be felt in each of his 6 broken ribs. I was the "healthiest" of the lot as my broken wrist (left) and hand (right) from last year are now back in pre-fall condition.

We decided on an easier classic Skive Ride route without Jesmond Dene Road. We rode up HVR, down Bandy, across 78 and hit Milky Way. We rode up Summit and down toward Citrus with a loop back into Escondido to our planned destination: A Delight of France. The guys all rode strong, especially given the injuries and other body damage. Tony pulled more than I expected; he is strong despite a lower hematocrit and increased white cell count. Tony is almost done with his chemo regimen-congrats to him.

There were plenty of almond croissants ready for us to devour. We drank coffee (or tea), ate our delicious snack and chatted. Sheehan was disappointed that I went back over to the dark side of full employment. My easy, carefree days of part-time and consulting roles are over for now. I start at Applied Proteomics next week, moving from my consulting role to a full-time position. This will limit my Skive Rides but I promise to get back out every once in awhile.

After a relaxing break, we looped back home down Bear Valley, past the mall and over the Lake Hodges pedestrian bridge. I headed back to PQ while the other guys turned left along Pomerado. I got in 50 miles and look forward to getting to a future Skive Ride soon. A few photos of the ride are below.

Rob