30 Days of Biking - Day 14

It was another gorgeous, cloudless day for a ride, with the temperature reaching the low 60s. I felt my Bike Friday deserved a longer ride than the one I went on last night, so, once again late in the day, we went out for a spin on one of my favorite routes that goes past Spring Lake.

This is what Spring Lake looked like on April 13 a year ago.

I had forgotten how much fun it is to ride my Pocket Rocket. She feels so very light, responsive and fast. Part of the reason for this is the 20" wheels which accelerate more easily than a larger diameter wheel.

The rear wheel has a Sachs 3x7 rear hub, meaning it takes a 7-speed cassette and has 3-speed internal gearing which gives me three gears in the front. So, even though the crankset has just a single chainring and there is no front derailleur, it's as if I had a triple crankset and front derailleur, giving me 21 speeds accessed by fingertip (bar-end) shifters.

Before heading out for a ride, I wrapped the handlebars with fresh "Splash" tape. The "Splash" colors on this particular tape are a mix of blues and purples that match the frame's color scheme quite well.

Like yesterday, the spring peepers were belting out a full-throated chorus in nearly every bog and marsh that I passed. And I finally had my first good sighting of Painted Turtles today, two of them. I love Painted Turtles.