The Perfect Al-dente Monday Night Noodle Ride

Kickstands Up: 630pm Columbia Square (Delta & Columbia Parkway)

The Ride: an hour or so into downtown, Covington, Newport and back.

Speed: Noodle

Here’s the recipe for the perfect al-dente noodle ride: 1 small ring, two cups of coasting, a pinch of parks, 1 purple bridge, a couple flakes of friends, and a circumnavigation of Paul Brown Stadium-lightly spun.  Blend together at low speed. 

Just like cooking mac & cheese from a box, the noodle ride is easy in theory, but harder than you think to pull off.  Both are incredible with cocktail wieners.  Respecting the noodle is of the utmost importance.  It’s a spirit, an upside down ride where being off-the-front is promptly heckled, an exercise in non-exercise.  Ride whatever bike you want, dazzle us with your grocery cruiser and short shorts.  Coasting is encouraged, as is the use of unnecessary racing equipment like disc wheels, bib numbers and shoe covers.  Also highly encouraged is flair, such as a devil horns on your helmet.  However, whistles, and other instruments of mass annoyance, are strictly prohibited.

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The noodle ride is about recovering from a race or a weekend of long and/or fast rides.  It's about noticing the things you miss when trying to keep your heart from coming out your mouth on other group rides.  It’s your sprinters grupetto just barely making the time cut.  Spin your legs out.  Have an actual conversation that goes beyond "hey dude" with your riding partners.  Notice the sculptures in the park, the gargoyle on the downtown building and how refreshed you feel when you get home.

The Noodle:

West on Riverside Drive/Pete Rose Way

Lt on Mehring Way

Counterclockwise around PBS

South on Suspension Bridge Sidewalk

Sidewalk to East on 2^nd St Covington

Counterclockwise through Covington’s Riverside Neighborhood/Park

Lt on Gerard

Lt on 4^th St Bridge to Newport’s 5^th St

Lt on Monmouth

Rt on 3^rd in front of Newport on Levy

Lt on Purple Bridge

Lt U-turn into Sawyer Pt Park/ Through Stonehenge

/Friendship Park

Rt on Riverside

Rt on St Peters (Schmidt Fields Park)

Lt on Delta to Columbia Square