Save the dates of October 23 & 25 for our annual Moonlight Ride to Chapel Hill for dinner at Subway, and then a trip back. The full moon is on the 24th, so hopefully we’ll have clear skies and a great view. Base plan is to ride the 23rd with the 25th as a backup/rain date.
We’ll start at 5:45pm from Rockvale Community Center, and you’ll have two routes to choose from, with the hope that both groups will arrive at Subway about the same time. This isn’t intended to be a fast ride, but recognizing that paces differ, faster riders (17-19mph) should chose the longer route while those looking for a more moderate pace (14-16mph) should choose the shorter route. Whichever group you choose, this is intended as a social end-of-season ride, not a hammer-fest. Please allow some extra spacing in your paceline, especially if you aren’t used to riding at night. A strong headlight and good rear light (set on solid, not on blinking mode) is absolutely required. If you don’t have both, I’ll ask you not to ride with us, and if I forget mine, I won’t ride either. This distance is too long to expect others to be responsible for anyone without lights, and we also need to be able to see each other to stay safe. Please make sure to charge your batteries, and if you have a spare battery, bring it.
Below are the initial plans for routes – they may change. I’ve made part of the route an out/back to avoid the rough roads around Chapel Hill, and I’ve also chosen some main roads with nice shoulders to avoid potholes. Traffic at this time has never been an issue in past years, so I think these roads will work well.