TERAD Antics

That was a fun early season TERAD! Large group for our weekly rendezvous with pain including most of the cast of unusual characters. We headed out under sunny skies and just about perfect weather for this ride on the Super Figure 8 Loop. The pace was quite docile as the guys seemed content to keep things in the high teens to around 20mph for the first half of the TERAD. Even the Petite Loop de Crit saw mostly moderate pace where one can usually expect a trip into Anaroebia.

However, once across 9th Avenue and onto Fairchild it appeared things were about ripe for some picking. But, just as we were cranking it up, we came around the curve and noticed the entire roadway blocked because of a house fire. (Where's Sgt. Huffman when you need him? For those of you unawares, we came across a house fire a couple years ago, and our own Chris Huffman, jumped off his machine and ran into the burning home to rescue two people and several pets! I just love that guy, don't you!!!) Once back on course, after our lengthy detour, the boys at the front had the hammer down. But, we were all back together at the Creighton Crossing (CC) and around the park loop.

Onto Burgess, 3P, Vortex, Coolio and Left Lane opened up the carboraters to see if they were running the right mixture. High 20s have been the norm for Burgess and this TERAD was no exception. We cruised around to Langley and across Mayo's Triangle. (Aptly named after the Bad Mayonnaise has made it a "Bad" habit of rolling through the signal lights that have turned a crimson like color. I think I just figured out that whole "Roll Tide" thing.) Now across Tippin and onto Langley itself, things really started to heat up!

As we passed Pensacourt, Gianni Bugno had the bit between the teeth on his steel 1963 Colnago. I always marvel at how Gianni can put a hurtin' on the peloton all the while riding a machine with technology developed in the 1960s. The man is a beast! Just as the leaders passed the school, the Vortex, out of nowhere and without the slightest bit of provocation, takes a flyer. What was the boy thinking?! There was tons of horsepower in the peloton just sitting and waiting to pounce. It wasn't long before Coolio, 3P and a few others reeled him in.

We made the turn onto Spanish and all seemed content to wait for Maygarden to develop any attacks. Just then, sensing the peloton was lagging, the Vortex launches another vicious attack, (that lasted about 300 meters) leaving all but Hurt Locker wondering. The two bandits were together as they turned onto Maygarden when Johnny Brizzard (Rockets, not JB Senior) caught them just outside of 2k to go and only Hurt Locker could go with him. Vortex gave up the ghost...go figure.

The pace quickened, as it always does on the TERAD, WERAD or any other RAD that ends on Maygarden. There were several futile attacks and lead changes but JB Rockets would have none of the shenanigans, jumping out of the saddle with 300 meters to go and easily cruising to his first TERAD victory of the 2012 season. Congrats Johnny!

In the post ride interviews at the Kiss and Cry Area; JB Senior was asked about his blocking technique from 300 meters back. He responded, "I had a rider up front, so I couldn't attack. Besides, the Vortex makes a good hole in the wind, so I rode in with him." When the Vortex was asked to respond to the comments made by JB Senior, he asked, "Was Coolio wearing those new red shoes?" Coolio replied, "What was Left Lane whining about?" When Left Lane was asked what he was whining about, he said, "Wonder why Murph got dropped?"

Ahhh, I just love this group, don't you?!

See you tonight at WSRE Parking Lot for the WFW ride at 5pm. And, as always, I will...

See you out on the road,
Bob