We have never, to my recollection, had a WERAD with that few riders! What's up?! The weather was hot, but not awful. Was everybody just busy on the same night? Or were several riding with the Wheelmen on their Wednesday evening ride? (Hey, what do you call a female Wheelman anyway? A Wheelwoman? Wheelperson? I'll have to remember to ask Trish "The Kat" Kuhnell next time I see her. Maybe it's a Wheelmanbabe?! Hmmm...has potential.) Anyway, I'm thinking about rejoining them as well. Why? Because, I want to ride! (And misery loves company!)
Last evening I ran into Gianni Bugno on his way home from work. (We were both on our bikes.) He asked if he could draft me down Summit as he had been fighting that headwind all the way home. As we approached Spanish, the whole of the Wheelmen group was just turning onto Summit from Spanish in the opposite direction. They probably had around 20 riders, good group. After dropping Gianni off, I headed for Firestone and Summit, hoping for a nice size group as well. We had five of us at 5:30pm. Five minutes later as we headed down the road two others showed up. However, we lost Left Lane to a blown spoke in his rear wheel, but picked up Gianni on the back side. Seven riders, that's it.
Now, I know that numbers aren't all that important. However, this year we just haven't had the groups like we did last year. I'm sure there are several factors contributing to this phenomenon. I don't want to over analyze something that may just be a changing in the wind. But, I don't want to continue something that may be dying of natural causes and we should just put a wreath on it and be grateful for the good times.
Firestone and Summit Cycling Group started several years ago because a few riders, including myself were unhappy with the overall attitude of the Wheelmen club towards cyclists of our less than "Hammerhead" abilities and, more importantly, they only offered a weekend ride on Sunday mornings. In fact, I wasn't even part of the original group that started F&S. Those original five riders were, Bobby Cooley, Andy White, Steve Baker, Larry Hicks and Bob Gowing. I began riding with these guys a couple years later at the invite of Bobby Cooley himself. I started writing the ride announcement emails a couple years later, then started this Blogazoidal because the uh, lovely Mrs. Graves wasn't too happy with all the emails clogging her Inbox. However, the group has continued to grow over the years because it met a need that the Wheelmen club just wasn't meeting at the time.
Fast forward five years to today. The Wheelmen have changed for the better. I believe they are genuinely trying to accommodate those riders in the middle to middle-front of the peloton...i.e., most of us. They now have a Wednesday evening ride in our neighborhood...to the consternation of some. Granted, it's no WERAD, however, they have many riders show up every week. And, they are looking for someone or perhaps a group to start a Saturday morning ride. Do they still have a few with that old attitude, perhaps. However, I think they are working to better that image as well. (I'm just offering up some facts here...and some food for thought.)
Now for last evening's WERAD antics: there were none...other than Gianni Bugno pulling the group on Burgess at 25+mph! (I guess he recovered nicely from Saturday's Sufferfest...nothing like a Big Mac, eh Gianni?! If he ever gets an updated machine, we're in trouble.) And, Nate attacking on Maygarden with 1.5k to go. Then the Vortex chasing him down with 700 meters left and finally catching him in the last 50 meters. Quiet ride for the most part.
Hey, Saturday we are headed for the group fave Twisted Hammock! However, because of the heat we will just do the standard Hurst Hammock route without the "Twist". This loop is 50 to 55 miles. We are also offering a shorter route of 40 miles for those who need to be home a bit earlier. Both routes start together at 7am at Firestone and Summit. The shorter route turns off Mobile Hwy onto Eight Mile Creek Road just past Coolio's Corner. Then heads back to Summit via Detroit and Johnson.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there and as always, I'll...
See you out on the road,
Bob
I too have noticed the large Wheelmen group on Wednesday evenings. I like to get in a few miles before the WERAD so I can warm up and therefor hopefully keep up. I usually see them on Spanish and again on Maygarden. They are doing their warmup as a group before the hammer comes down.
ReplyDeleteI too have thought about riding with the Wheelmen on a Wednesday night just to see what it is all about, but I haven't quite done that yet, but I have seen a few of the Firestone group regulars as well as a bunch of Subaru guys in the Wheelmen group. Part of it is timing on my part as the Wheelmen ride starts at 5pm. I would need to start my warm-up ride earlier than I have been.
While I haven't actually ridden the Wheelmen Wednesday night ride, I do know of a few differences. 1) Start time is at 5pm not the 5:30pm that the Firestone ride starts. 2) They are riding some hills on Scenic; the Firstone WERAD doesn't have any hills. 3) I wonder how the Wheelmen ride would work for the hand-cyclists?
One of these Wednesdays I will ride with the Wheelmen group just to see, but I will have to plan ahead in order to make the 5pm start time. Until then I will continue to make the WERAD when I can. With the WERAD, I know what I'm getting into; I know the course; I know there is a good chance I will have to work hard to keep up; I know there is a good chance I can get back home by 7pm. There is fun and a certain level of comfort in knowing those things. And, who knows, maybe someday I'll be able to get that green jersey for the week?
Of course, if the Firestone group decides on a specific Wednesday they want to do the Wheelmen ride then I'm all for that too. I suppose in the end I believe that the WERAD still has its place. No group can be everything for everyone.
Thanks for your thoughts Prentiss. I appreciate how you articulated what I was thinking as well. I guess what I would really want is for all of us to ride together. There is something really fun about heading down the road in a large peloton. Perhaps someday. I too think there is a need for the Firestone group...or at least something similar our group. It is very difficult to meet the needs of every level of rider no matter what the club or group. I guess you find your place and then do that which you do to the best of your abilities. Sounds like a metaphor for life...
ReplyDeleteYour a good friend and I always appreciate your comments. See you soon,
Bob