Biking - A relaxed 30 miles with a gelato reward

Some friends were meeting at the Niskayuna Train Station (Lions Park) this morning for what was being a "ride of the tip-over crowd", so-called for the speed of some of the older riders.  The plan was to ride the Mohawk River Bikeway to Jay Street in downtown Schenectady and return, about a 20-mile ride at a "tip-over" pace.  With temps expected to be well into the mid-90s again, a slow morning ride seemed like the right idea, so I decided to join them.  But I would ride from home to Lions Park, a distance of 10 miles, and then peel off and head for home before returning all the way back there with them at the end, for a total of 30 miles.

As it turned out, only four of us showed up, and none of the older slower riders.  But we took it very easy and relaxed anyway, enjoying a gelato at Civitello's in Schenectady's Little Italy before turning around and heading back.  For variety, and to avoid climbing Amen Hill, we cut through Union College and back streets through Schenectady and Niskayuna, rejoining the bike path near KAPL, beyond that climb.  I turned around here and headed for home in Rotterdam, and the others continued back to Lions Park.  It was getting pretty hot by the time we finished, even though it was only noon, with the worst heat still to come, but it had been a nice relaxed ride.