Belmar and Back

I haven't been to Belmar this year so when the Joe's led a ride there this Saturday I decided tag along. The Belmar ride is one of the more popular long distance rides we do. From Etra park it is at least an 70 mile round trip so you have to be prepare a 4 or 5 hours in the saddle. There are lots of variations to the route so it is never the same twice. The weather also plays a role so if you have a stiff west wind or hit and unexpected storm your going to have a tough ride back.

Saturday was a great day weather wise with light winds, sunny skies and relatively cool temperatures. George was planning to turn around when we got to Farmingdale but the riding was easy so he decided to go all the Belmar and back.

Even though it was the holiday weekend it wasn't as crowded as I expected. Yes there weren't any open parking spots and the beaches were full of people but Ocean avenue was rideable. After the stop in Belmar I split from the group and headed to the next town north, Avon, to visit with my niece who was on the beach there.

I only stopped for about a half hour at Avon then made my way back home. The wind was light so I didn't mind not having anybody to block the wind on the way home although it was a bit of a lonely ride. Because I rode from my house to Etra park the whole trip ended up being 80 miles and I was a little tired when I got home. It was my longest ride of the year and I was glad I made the trip since it was probably coolest day we are going to have for a while.