Today was the first ride I was able to do with Peggy. In addition, it was the first ride I had with my saddle soreness having subsided. There was rain predicted for today. I was unsure how the clouds would hold up when we got out. Turns out that it didn't rain and on the positive side, the clouds covered the direct sunlight. The winds were from the south. I wore the standard kit. We cruised it to the top of the descent. After that we descended at our own pace. We regrouped 3 times. Once on each riser and then the very bottom. After regrouping at the bottom, we headed back and went our own pace again. I felt pretty good. My legs were a bit cold to start. By the time I reached the tough parts, I was sufficiently warmed up. I did good tempo for the majority of the ride and gave a kick over the loop monument. My legs and body responded well today. After reaching the summit, I waited for Peggy and did some short 200-300 laps over the top. This added a couple miles to the total. From there it was all fun and games back to home. Concentration was good, some coaching here and there. Ailments consisted of some mild hand numbness. Balance and form was good. I'm not convinced that lowering the saddle helped any, but I did it for the sole purpose of mitigating the soreness that I get on the left sit bones. My saddle soreness has subsided enough to ride without discomfort. I used a Vaseline patch and that helped alot. It provided a barier to block abrasion and some ointment to keep the sore from chafing on the patch. Right now, I'm using a peroxide patch in the hopes that it will reduce the affected surface area and keep it from getting infected. Gear is working great, no problems there. Other notes, I saw one other cyclist as I was climbing.