Had been off the bike for a week or so battling the crud, finally got out Saturday for a nice 20 miles.. great day on the bike, not quite a "no chain day", but really good!

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I was the event photographer . . .
 

. . . for the annual Farmer’s Daughter Gravel Grinder in Chatham, NY, where almost 1100 riders went out to attack the classic 63-mile “Daughter” course and the new course for this year, the “Farmer’s Granddaughter” that shortened the fun to 43 miles and also removed the gnarly single track sections the FDGG is famous for. This event is always a load of fun, as it keeps the informal, friendly social vibe that seems to be getting lost in the gravel cycling world these days. Plus it was organizer Andy Ruiz' 60th birthday, and certain unnamed persons (his wife!) had set up a curiously zebra-striped(!) "participant" to serenade him with a customized version of "Born to be Wild." The countryside around Chatham, New York, is so scenic it almost hurts the eyes, and the day’s weather with partly cloudy skies and temperatures from the mid-60’s into the low 70’s was absolutely perfect for riding northern Columbia County’s scores of miles of dirt roads. I navigated the course in my car, where I got to greet many friends as I slowly moved past the groups of riders to get to my next photo spot. It was a real treat to see how many riders were smiling, having fun, and enjoying themselves even on the steepest climbs, though a few jokingly begged me for a “sticky bottle” as they gutted out the climbs. The rest stops were well-stocked as they always are, and the post-ride party features lots of laughter, storytelling, and enjoyment of the catered Mexican style lunch and free droughts from the area’s own award-winning Chatham Brewery. It was a long day, but well worth the work to visit and shoot in some familiar places, plus embrace the challenge of finding new angles to shoot and new ways to shoot familiar places. Someday I guess I’ll ride it on a real bicycle! A great day! (Photos with Nikon D850 with 17-35mm and 24-70mm zooms, plus Nikon D500 with 70200mm and 150-600mm zooms.)

BBD

Nice pics, Dave! It's fascinating to see what people ride and wear and their reactions to the stress of the ride. Thanks for sharing some pics of biking humanity and the scenery from the route.

Nice photos! Switching from FF to crop and back and forth was annoying to me but you seemed to have managed. These are nice.

Dave your photos are always the icing on the cupcake after these events.:banana:

Glad you all like them!
 

It's always nice to know I can help add to the positive experience!

:banana::banana::banana:

No problem for me . . .
 

I use the 24-70 on the D850 (or a 17-35mm if I need super wide angle) and the 70-200 on the D500 DX camera becomes a 105-300mm. So I've got pretty much everything covered with two bodies. Plus the D850 with the wide-angle is a 45mp file, so if I need to crop down from the wide angle it still keeps the quality.

BBD

some gravel

had a great ride today with the local club

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Planet of the Apes
 

Was the coastal route to San Francisco in the era before highway 1...

Early a.m. DeKerf ride so could get back home to watch Monte Grappa in the Giro. Love this bike, 10s Record is the best.

more details on the route please.....

backside of Mt. Hamilton
 

still green and surprisingly cold for end of May
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Fleet Week & Memorial Weekend in Long Beach, CA
 

The stated wait to get into the USS Iowa was 3 hours. It was a gorgeous day for riding.

Piseco outlet! Gorgeous day!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...49908639f3.jpg

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