Biking - the lunch that wasn't

Somehow, lunch rides have become my favorite kind of local ride. It helps to have a destination in mind to keep me motivated and have someplace to arrive, instead of just a loop for loop's sake. And one of my favorite destinations is Lakeside Farms, near Ballston Lake. So today, I set out on a 30-mile loop with lunch at about the 20-mile point. It was a perfect day for a ride, after a couple of very rainy rest days following Sunday's Ididaride.



Starting at Schenectady County Community College (SCCC), I took back streets through Scotia and began the climb to Charlton via Spring and Swaggertown Roads. Arriving in Charlton, it was a nice downhill section with a tailwind all the way to the east side of Ballston Lake. Another gentle uphill brought me to the lunch spot.

Unfortunately, Lakeside has become extremely popular around the lunch hour. There were at least a dozen people in the ordering line, and I had forgotten my bike lock at home. I really wasn't comfortable spending an hour or more here under those circumstances, so I turned around, got back on the bike, and headed back to SCCC and the car. I considered stopping in Little Italy in Schenectady on the way instead, but that seemed even more foolhardy without a lock. So I got in a nice ride, on a beautiful day, and settled for lunch at home. Maybe sometime I'll try their breakfast instead. And bring the lock.