Litchfield to East Windsor

June 1, 2015

Another day. Another rain forecast. But these seem to be more like predictions with about the same reliability!

And it was chilly. 48°F out when we started. So out came the leg warmers, long-sleeved jerseys, and jackets. They say you need to feel a little chill when you start since you'll heat up quick, and that proved true as we tackled two hills into Litchfield. They were relatively steep ones, too.

Today's ride to East Windsor

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Litchfield itself is a quaint little town with sort of a typical New England look to it.

Litchfield's town center across from the town green.

From there it was another five miles or so to Torrington. There was a light drizzle (barely discernible), but the riding was mostly rolling with a wide shoulder. Torrington is larger than Litchfield but about the same character, although they have a rather prominent statue dedicated to their Civil War vets, something you see in almost every small town in the South but less so up North.

The south's statues are always said to be facing away from the north. Well, this one has its back to the south, it seems.

But the most memorable part of Torrington was our exit. After crossing the river, there is this incredibly long hill that would just not stop. Based on the Garmin data (where the vertical is slightly suspect since the accuracy can vary a bit from database to database), we climbed 500 feet with a maximum grade of 28%, averaging 5-7 mph. Tough climb so early in the morning. We rewarded ourselves with a hot chocolate and a maple iced donut at the Dunkin Donuts conveniently located at the top of the hill.

Unfortunately, while we dilly-dallied, the temperature dropped a bit and the rain picked up some. But from here it was mostly downhill to East Windsor. Not entirely, but mostly.

The other issue was my gearing. In retrospect, it had probably started yesterday after the flat tire. But I had dismissed it as needing minor adjusting. But today, after climbing the hill out of Torrington, it seemed best to stop at a shop and have it looked at. I needed to replace the spare tube I had consumed to fix the flat anyway, and my rear brakes were squealing again, made worse by the rain. So lots of reasons to stop at the bike shop in Canton, less than a mile off our route.

So we roared down the hill to Canton, only 12 miles away. We then took a right on River Road and hopped on the Farmington River Trail.

The Farmington River Trail, a rails-to-trails conversion.

From its terminus at Lawton Road, it was a short ride to Benidorm Bikes. They were gracious enough to take a walk-in and check out my bike.

After looking it over, Young, their bike mechanic, told me I had a bent rear derailleur and worn chain (which meant a new rear cassette as well). It was about 1:30, and they were willing to do the work tout suite. So after consulting with Happy and Jerry, back to the shop it went.

I also told them to get on their way! It would take at least an hour to do the repairs, and we were in a somewhat dry spell relative to rain (a barely discernible drizzle again), so no need for them to wait on me. It was only another 20 miles to East Windsor, and I could follow when the bike was ready. I was only concerned about visibility, but I had charged my light system the night before in anticipation of bad weather today . . . and a good part of the ride would continue on trails, so I was confident it would be a breeze.

Young and Blake of *Benidorm Bikes*. Young runs the repair side, and Blake handles the front desk!

Young not only addressed the gear issue but also eliminated my brake squeal and replaced an almost gone brake cable. He finished the repairs close to 3:00, and I was on the road by 3:30. Young, if you are reading this, the bike rode great. Thanks for the great repair job. Blake, I forgot to buy my spare tube! I have another, so I'm good till the next shop. Thanks, guys, for keeping me moving!

So the balance was trail riding and secondary roads. All quiet and solace on the ride to East Windsor. It was mostly flat, and I didn't bother with the light system. I know most people hate riding in the rain, but when it's a light, misty drizzle, I find it enjoyable. So it was a good time.

A covered bridge somewhere near Simsbury.

The trail was so relaxing that I missed my turn and had to detour north and east to recover my route! No real extra miles, though. But I was hungry and made a pit stop for salt and carbs.

Then across the Connecticut River into East Windsor and our hotel for the night.

Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 2,216 miles (3,566 km)

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