Last night the town of Florham Park sent us off in style with a BBQ followed by a candlelight vigil. For a description and great pictures, take a look at the Cross Country rider's blog.
This morning's ride started off with breakfast in the park, in the dark. We rolled out of Florham Park around 7:30 and headed toward New York City. Our route took us through Jersey City and over the Hackensack River. On December 25, 2005, Jersey City Police Officers Robert Nguyen and Shawn Carson were killed when they drove off the bridge in foggy conditions. The bridge span had been opened to let a barge pass, but the warning lights and safety bar did not activate. We paused briefly at the bridge to honor their memories before traveling on.
We rode through the Holland Tunnel into New York City and then to Ground Zero. The Port Authority Police hosted a memorial ceremony and we were given time to reflect on the tragedy and loss at the site. The whoopin' & hollerin' of the first trip through the tunnel was absent on the return trip.
We paused for lunch before continuing on to Edison New Jersey for the night. We covered 62 miles at a not-to-blistering pace of 10.4 mph. Lots of pothole dodging and braking for the inevitable slowing and quickening of a group of 400 cyclists who've never ridden together before. From the experienced folks I've talked to, the ride will get faster and smoother.
1 comment:
It sounds like your ride is going to be pretty profound. I hope you and all the riders are safe.
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