We’re spending several days at the Stockton Inn in Stockton NJ to bike. We thought it’d be a great idea to ride the hilly areas of Stockton and get used to the idea of riding several days in a row. The first night we checked in, we had some drinks at the bar and met one of the owners. A biker himself, he suggested a route for us to take the next day. His route kicked our butts. We went up Fretz Mill Road (really bad idea!). After the first stage, we were both huffing and puffing. We managed to finish a second a stage of the climb and decided we needed to rest. We walked the bike a bit before riding again. It was a long day but we finally managed to complete the ride. The next few days should be fun.

Riding in Stockton the past few days has been good for us. We did some riding on flat roads but it mostly rolling hills to hilly. It was good practice for what’s ahead of us in July.

April 4 Today is our last day in Stockton. We’ve decided to head to Califon and ride with the DOGS (Doubles of the Garden State). We joined this tandem club last year and have been riding with them as often as we can. Well, when Dan and I showed up to meet the other riders for breakfast, the ride had been canceled. Since we had no internet connection in Stockton, we didn’t know. The ride leaders planned to go hiking but mapped out a short bike route for us to take. We did about 15 miles and got back just before the rain started. We completed our goal of riding 5 consecutive days! Now we’ve just got to up the miles.

April 5 I started a spin class today. I’m hoping it will give me the extra strength to push through the hills and help add some speed to our team.

April 7 We managed to get in a 10 mile ride after Dan came home from work.

April 11 Today was our first ride with the Princeton Freewheelers. It was a chilly day and only 4 of showed up to ride. After a rest stop at the 25 mile point, it started to rain a little. We decided to cut the 50 mile ride to 40 and get back as soon as possible before it really came down. Well, things were going fine until Dan and I slid on some railroad tracks and crashed. It was not a pretty sight. Both of us were a scraped up a bit but overall we were fine. I rode home using one arm because my left arm hurt too much to hold the handlebars.

April 13 Dan took the bike into the shop this week. After the crash, it certainly needed a checkup. Besides, we had to get our Anchor House checklist completed.

April 17 We bought a new car today. I’ve been wanting an SUV for a while and now seemed like the right time. Most importantly, the bike is able to fit inside (with the front tire removed) the new Honda Pilot. It’s a great car.

April 24 Dan and I rode with our tandem club today. It was a nice 30 mile ride through the hills of Somerset. We were certainly challenged. After the ride, our hosts Mark and Cheryl treated the group to a wonderful grilled feast at the home.

April 25 Today was the first mandatory training ride with Anchor House for all new riders. It was supposed to be a 50 mile ride. Of course, the ride course was longer than stated and it was a 51 mile ride. We missed a turn early in the ride and we ended up riding 55 miles. Even though it was a "flat" ride, we were both quite tired at the end of the ride.