Wet and Wild!

That's a fair description of Saturday's ride to Fort Pickens...wet and wild! However, it didn't start out that way, nope, it was actually a nice morning with a few clouds on the horizon over the Gulf. We had quite a large group as we started across 3 Mile Bridge and picked up a few more in Gulf Breeze. The pace was a bit on the frisky side as the boys had evidently been watching Le Tour.

The loop through GB saw Semper Cy on the nose keeping the pace hovering around 20mph. A few others, Left Lane, Ranoldo and Gianni decided to follow his example tickling the low 20s. Once over the Bob (Pyches) Sikes Bridge things were getting a bit serious with Aero Jim Britnell pushing things into the mid 20s. However, word from the back came that Crusher had broken (crushed ) yet another component on his Trek Madone. This time a rear spoke. The peloton waited for several minutes for him at the Holiday Inn, but no Crusher appeared. Vortex headed back on a search and rescue mission, admonishing the peloton to carry on.

Vortex found Crusher on the side of the road trying to fix what was in deed a broken spoke. There was actually a full inch of spoke missing! Never seen that before! Both riders tried in vain to adjust the neighboring spokes so Crusher could continue the ride. However, it was determined that Vortex's spoke wrench was too large for the Crusher's tiny spokes on his fancy carbon rims! (Never seen spokes that small under a big Clydesdale.) Crusher finally decided it was time to head back to the barn and encouraged Vortex to continue on, which he did.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch;

The peloton was hammering towards the infamous Brick Wall Sprint into a nasty headwind. Apparently, Aero Jim had the bit between the teeth and pretty much dropped the group. As the sprint for second came along 17 minutes later, (just kidding) Lawman took it out throwing down a huge surge at the line, beating out all others...uh, nobody else was interested. The peloton regrouped in Fort Pickens awaiting the return of the Vortex and Crusher. (Little did they know Crusher was on his way home and Vortex was doing a solo time trial into that headwind down Fort Pickens Road.

Halfway to the Fort, Vortex, in his own world of pain, sees a lone figure on a bike heading towards him. With eyes blurred and sunglasses smeared he makes out what appears to be the figure of a cyclist suffering like a dog...with a tailwind mind you. As he gets closer he determines it can be none other than the hunched over encrustation of the climbing curmudgeon himself, Coolio! The two pass by like two ships in the night saying nothing but wondering all kinds of things. Whaaat? Why? How? Off he rides as Vortex continues on in search of the peloton.

Just a few meters through the Brick Wall and the peloton appears, already headed for home. A quick U turn and the Vortex is back in the fold for the ride home. Or should it be called race home?! Aero Jim is back on the nose and he's opened up his suitcase of pain and is sharing his dirty laundry with the entire peloton as he keeps it pegged between 28 and 30mph!!! And when it rains, it pours. No, literally...it starts raining. Now the peloton was wet and wild! Aero Jim stayed on the nose all the way until the gate, at which point the pace became much more civil, (mid 20s). We stopped at Tom Thumb for some much needed R&R... and to tell Aero Jim stories.

The pace was moderate on the way home with no real antics to report...well, maybe one. It appears that Gianni and Lawman got kind of tied up together and ended up on the floor...at slow speeds. Actually, I believe Lawman ended up in the grass. It's a bit confusing as to what, in fact, happened. But here's Gianni's report in his own words:

Sorry I missed the end-of-the-ride antics. Had a bit of a mishap coming off the beach. Came through the light by Flounders, had some trouble getting my left shoe clipped in. Suddenly, the heel of my shoe caught in the back wheel and jammed, locking up the wheel. As I came unintentionally skidding to a stop, I still could not get my shoe free, and tipped right over in the middle of the lane. Lawman Dave, narrowly avoiding me from behind, went down in the gutter, rolling off in the grass. Almost felt like I was right there in the Tour, with bikes flying everywhere! We picked ourselves and our trusty steeds up and began assessing the damage. Bodies: minor abrasions; machines: no visible damage; my pride: destroyed. My friend Peter was there with us, and the 3 of us pressed on straight through Gulf Breeze. I think we ended up in front of the group, and just pressed on home. Could have been worse, so I guess it turned ok in the end.

That Gianni, what a character. He was probably trying some Thor Hushovd move changing his shoes on the fly. Well, what should we expect, the whole peloton is full of characters. And tonight's WERAD should be full of something as well. Hopefully you! See you there, and...

See you out on the road,
Bob