Fun & Fitness over 50

Yes, it was just the battery. I mentioned in my last post that the heart monitor was reading erratically, mostly low, mostly zero! After fretting a bit over it, I just went ahead and replaced the battery ($4.95) and went out for a 25 mile ride. That was it. It works like new now. Apparently it had been low for a long time cause I first noticed it on a long hill out of the city (albany) where I should have been doing in the 150 bpms it was reading either zero or very low (30s or 40s) and it was several months ago that I last rode that hill. Apparently, when the battery starts to get even slightly low you have to replace it. I hadn't had it that long (6 mos) but I suppose it depends on how much you use it.
Have only ridden on Sunday and Tuesday so far this week. Since Wed. it has been pouring down rain almost continually. Tomorrow, hopefully, I will get out as Saturday doesn't look too good. I have church men's group at 7am then I am working all day.
I did an old favorite ride on Tuesday; up past Albany Country club to the old army depot and back along Hennesey Road, through Voorheesville, over Swift Rd. past the New Scotland town park, then over Bullock road and home (I realize this means nothing except to locals). It was a great ride. I'm enjoying my progress as well as my HRM working properly. The only thing to note is that my brakes were howling on the steep stops. There is still plenty of "tread" on them but they were kind of glassy and the pads are slightly wider than the rims so they are worn in kind of a U. I started to file one of them down but it was too much work so I put it back on. They're stopping alright, just noisy.
For what it's worth, here's the route for the Tuesday ride: