What an interesting few days of cycling this past holiday weekend. Some days we had very large groups and other days just a few showed up. However, all days seem to have it's measure of peloton antics...none more than Saturday, but more on that later.
Thanksgiving morning had the biggest group I have seen for this holiday ride. I think we had around twenty or so. It was advertised as an easy ride around the peloton fave Super Figure 8. We headed out under beautiful skies with the last minute admonition that we are having a "Parade Pace" ride and perhaps we could all stay together for this short 20 miles. Someone yelled out, "Tell that to the 3 wheeler guys!" Well, that must have been prophetic because no sooner had we turned onto Langley then off they went, David "2 Wheels" Mayo and Josh "Danger" Sharpe. A few of the peloton gave chase and so much for a friendly Parade Pace ride.
By the time we arrived at Spanish Trail several of the group were crying foul and "false advertising". Well, it all came back together before Creighton and the whining and barking quieted down as well. I love group rides, don't you? It's like trying to keep a herd of cockroaches going in the same direction.
The group rode together under a civil pace until the turn onto Burgess. The 3 wheelers started it again and half the bunch was off to the races. No one knows why or how or when these things happen, they just do. It usually slows as quickly as it starts only to find some wheezing and others smiling. The turn at the end of Burgess slowed the lead group a bit as they made the turn onto Langley. The group in back were a couple hundred yards back when they decided to take the shortcut...or as they explained later, "the actual route which just happened to be shorter."
The result of all this is that the hammerheads finished just behind the "legal" group at the finish...even though the parade pace peloton never exceeded 15mph or so. This made for some consternation of some at the finish area, but the glee of a few others. I'll leave it to you to decide which. Good fun!
Friday's ride was attended by a scant few as the weather had turned cloudy and a bit cooler. I believe Left Lane, Foxinator and 2 Wheels were the only riders up for the Avoid the Mall Ride. I guess some of the others were enjoying the delights of getting up at 4am for Black Friday. Yours truly shredded a rear tire on the way to Fish and Wildlife and DNS. That tire, by the way, is amazing. I had over 1,700 miles on it and never had one flat...until it gave up the ghost on Friday! I'll buy more of those. Hey guys, who won the Fried Twinkie Sprint?
Saturday's ride was a comedy of errors. Everyone knows about the last minute email and how some didn't get it until they got home hours later. ( We are working on a Cold/Inclement Weather Policy and should have something posted at the bottom of this Blogazoidal in a few days.) However, there was a group that started at 8am and did the UWF/Scenic Hills Loop. I think they had around 6 to 8 riders. I understand they had a good, albeit chilly ride. There were 4 of us that started out at 10am.
The 10am group decided to do the same loop but got no further than Spanish Trail just north of Langley before Chuck "eN Love" Norton flatted. The Rustmeister offered his assistance as 2 Wheels and myself commentated. After a few minutes it appeared we would be on our way. However, after Chuckie reinstalled his wheel on his machine, the Mayor declared that Chuck had a Goose Egg on that repaired tire. This was met with no small amount of snorting and grunting from a now pretty frustrated Chuckie. So, the process started all over again.
Another ten minutes or so and we were on our way...however, not to UWF but rather back to Chuck's house. You see, while we had been waiting in the cold for 20 or so minutes, we got kinda chilled and more than one of us got kinda hungry. Some would say we were "Stoved up!" The Rustmeister asked Chuck to call ahead and place us an order with Sandy as he could, "Bust the knuckle off a turkey leg right now!"
Well, we arrived at the Norton's and Chuck disappeared into his garage and after a number of minutes emerges with a few tools that 2 Wheels needed to do some repair on his machine and the pump Chuck sought to up his level of confidence in the repaired flat. Sandy came out to greet us and after much begging and cajoling from a few of the group for a hot turkey sandwich with some mashed potatoes, dressing and some warm gravy, she returns and offers 2 Wheels a banana...which he quickly devoured.
Back in the saddle we headed downtown, then along Bayfront and back around the Bayou. All told 25 miles in 2.5 hours. Good fun, however it was the longest short ride I have ever ridden!
See you out on the road,
Bob
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