Six riders met at Lochside Park with Norm T making yet another "just in time" arrival. Cloudy start and a bit dark** and wet trail. Sun and warmth emerged by mid ride. Tom had a rather hard fall on the Lochside on some wet leaves, two other riders had minor falls trying to stop behind him. It was a combination of trying to give a dog walker a wide berth, wet leaves and a narrow spot on the trail. This was between Heritage Park and McDonalds, just south of the 2 downward dips on the paved trail. This has been a troublesome spot for us and other cyclists despite a nicely paved/ faster surface but has some limited visibility spots as well as narrow on the turns and dips. Tom recovered well (probably will have a sore shoulder) and we proceeded to Melinda's for coffee and warmth sitting outside on the patio. Topics ranged to election results and go forward positions, little warmth for Harper (attached pro/ con article by another ego maniac), more women in cabinet, the pending hurricane in Mexico (today), and more. Ride back was good. Tom was a bit sore but riding full out as always.

** Safety Corner - As the days get darker, cloudier and wetter - the ride organizer would like to encourage all to get and turn on bright front and rear lights on all rides. We can often barely see riders coming on the trails (Lochside today was dark and wet in the trees) if they have no lights. It could make the difference in crash/ no crash!! This would be a good safety practice for all members of The Peloton. Also some riders still do not have rear view mirrors. This takes a lot of the risk out of road riding and trails, I believe. Check here for more safety tips.

Thanks to Norm T. for this blog entry, and safety advice.