Uneven Seating

Ended up just being me heading out to Cromwell for Blow Hole State Park instead of a group ride at Penwood. Blow Hole State Park is pretty cool, but a real short ride. There aren't a lot of trail obstacles, and the downhill sections are fast but not steep, except for a few places at the edge of the ridge. The trail is pretty hairy near the edge of the ridge, as some trees on the border of the trail threaten to knock you off down the hill if you aren't careful.

On the downside though, the trails aren't marked at all, making it difficult to translate the map at the parking lot to a mental image. I ended up on some alternative trail entrances from residential areas that I rather would've avoided - though one of them provided some fast downhill thrills on the way back to the main trail. Also, the Park is buggy. Extremely buggy. I ignored the warnings from MTBR / NEMBA and I'm wishing I'd brought spray.

My ride was cut short when the saddle came loose, much like the time at the Reservoir. This time, however, I forgot to bring my multi-tool. I assumed I would not need it and so left it in the bag of my road bike. Learned a lesson there.

Two other bikers told me about two other State Parks on Route 99 in Rocky Hill, near the ferry, which I'll check out when I have a chance. With the saddle issue and the heat, I wasn't in the mood to keep riding.