12 miles today, cycling exactly the same time as a friend 100 miles south of me on her new ebike - a
Specialized Vado 3.0 (Class 3). She downloaded this neat app on her phone that tracks her ride real-time, and it will send out a link to her specified contacts so that we know when she's out riding, and where she is every second, shown on a road map. I need to download that app onto my phone.
She went 27 miles, and we emailed each other afterwards, both of us complained about the cold (it was 45°f) with a very stiff headwind which she said her bike completely ignored. Mine ignored it as well. My face didn't, and found itself snuggling down into my neck warmer for all of the ride.
My ride was on the paved road, little traffic and hibernating landscape, a quiet ride... except for a highly annoying intermittent squealing-turning-into-screeching/howling coming from my newly adjusted front disk brake. And that was while simply cycling along, not even employing the brake. Hence the abreviated miles. The bike shop told me to bring it back in tomorrow.
Meanwhile, my friend emailed me afterwards about seeing two of her bike club members enroute during her ride, far in front of her on a hill. So she dialed up the assist and pushed the bike to catch up to them quickly. She said she rode with them for a few minutes and then they came to another hill. About partway up she said she "just couldn’t ride that slow, so left them in the dust." HAH! When they finally reached up with her again they said "is that an electric bike?" She thought "well, duh!"
I can't wait to hear about her first ride with the club on her new ebike. No longer will she be dropped on the No Drop rides. (Kid you not!) I'm really pumped for her. She is LOVING her new ebike and the freedom it brings, not to mention how it puts the fun back into riding.
My midwinter scenery.