TERAD Today!!!

Before we get to the color commentary you all have been looking forward to since noon on Saturday, here is a short reminder of today's big event:

 TERAD TONIGHT AT 5:30PM AT MAYGARDEN AND SUMMIT!!!

Okay, if you are like me, you have been waiting for this day since last November! Well my friends and fellow wheel suckers, (a term of endearment), the day has finally arrived and it's time to come out and play. I look forward to seeing all you COUCs out this evening for what will surely be a romp on the Super Figure 8 Loop with more antics, (and banter if Coolio shows his glazed donut face), than you've witnessed since the last TERAD back in 2012. Yes, my friends it's time for the 2013 TERAD season to begin!!!

As the Bad Mayo himself would declare, "Ladies and gentlemen; Light The Burners!"

Now for your Tuesday morning reading pleasure, a little commentary from the Left Lane: 

After the workout the peloton got on the  "Sort of Around The Bay" (most of the group taking the short route) ride of Saturday, the turnout for the Sunday Convoluted Bad Mayo Ride to the Westside was not very well attended this week.  This had The Left Lane licking his chops, with a good possibility for a third Fried Twinkie victory in a row....a Veritable Turducken...what the hey makes more sense than a Hat Trick (not growing up in the North...not sure of the origin of the term).  The Turducken (3 fouls in one)...or taking the Twinkie three rides in a row has never been accomplished per my review of the sketchy annals of the F&S record books....not even in the heydays of Crusher "Supermarket" Fox and The Vortex had this been accomplished...even though it has been reported that The Foxinator had snacked on Turducken from his special refrigerated jersey during a ride a few years ago.

This Sunday favorite was attended by The Vortex, Big Hoagie, Prenti, The Left Lane , and Chad Ocho???? ( needs a nickname).  Chad had just scored (stole) a new used bike from a military guy moving and needing to get rid of his bike and listing his bike on Craigslist....a Giant full carbon with durace group for $750!!! That's a steal...and I thought I got a good deal on my bike on Craigslist.

We had our usual excellent Sunday ride including the Romp Through the Swamp over the Wooden Wonder with the Left Lane flatting just over the bridge and Hoagie saying "you must of got a splinter".  We did not push the pace very hard and the group was saving it up for the Twinkie run in.  The wind was not favorable at the start but the Left Lane, cruising in the Left Lane to guage the wind, anticipated that as we turned to the final ½ mile or so the wind would shift to a more favorable direction.  With Prenit and Vortex doing leads and some side by side riding most of the way, the group kept a moderate pace.  But just as anticipated by the Left Lane the wind direction became more favorable ad we approached the Bridge run in.  With no one else pressing the lead, Left Lane upshifted and stomped the big gear kicking it up to around 27.  Fooled no one, as usual, with the entire group glued to my wheel and The Vortex and Hoagie Going by as we approached the first turn, and the Crafty Prenti keeping his powder dry and stuck to the Left Lane's wheel.  As the short burst of Vortex petered out and Hoagie pulled up (not wanting to slam it through the right hander) the Left Lane blew by with the Twinkie Bridge Prize in his grasp...or so he thought.....unfortunately with the right hander came the Teeth of around a 15mph Wind and although the LL left it all on the road this day the Patient Prenti used the draft to go by the struggling LL and edge him out at the line!!.  Of course the crowd was hugely disappointed that their favorite's bid for the Turducken was foiled, but being fickle as fans can be, they were reenergized by the rumor circulating that this was the Prenti's second Twinkie in a row having missed the previous two rides and that as soon as next week they would be back tailgating at Twinkie Bridge and rooting on the Prenti to the possibility of the first Turducken in F&S history!!!  Let's hope next time it is not "A Bridge Too Far" as it was this week.

A Great Twinkie sprint and the Peloton headed for the next points paying event....the Barrancas Bridge.  This event would be staged into the wind as well today with the Hoagie partaking in a regimen of  Double Secret hill climbing practice all week in Pace after his bitter disappointment a couple of weeks ago on this climb.  Once again the Left Lane did the lead out early on leading the group about half way up with first Hoagie blowing by and then Vortex hot on his heels and LL next.  The gaps were around 20 yards with Hoagie taking the climb the Vortex and LL. Well a shut out Left Lane not wanting to go home empty handed jumped on the big gear going down hill first reeling in the Vortex and then the Hoagie just before the hill bottom.  Then, not to be outdone, The Vortex poured it on passing the Left Lane just as the Main Street turn loomed....the crowd was going wild as the lead changed hands like "Passaround Patty"!!

Great riding, and with the peloton pretty much spent the rest of the ride was Noodle Time around the Ball Park the Waterfront and up Bayfront to Richey's.

A comment on Equipment:  After burning my Diadoras a couple of weeks ago and not wanting to ruin my feet in the Blue Bullitts my solution to a great shoe was solved by the Great Guys as Cycle Sports (Brian "Stoned" Stone).  I always have a problem with one foot smaller than the other and therefore buying shoes over the internet is always a crap shoot.  Well Brian does not stock the upper level full carbon shoes at the store because most people buy them on line these days(I think you have to buy Specialize Shoes only at Local Bike Stores though).  The Specialized Shoes are pretty much all sized the same, so even if Brian does not have the upper level shoe you want you can try on one of the Specialized Comp models and if you want an upgrade Brian can order the shoe you want and it will most likely fit you properly.  Sure beats the internet buying and returning windmill when a shoe does not fit correctly.  My shoe of choice was the Specialized Pro with full carbon sole....and I am loving it.  Great shoe and Brian got me a nice deal.

The Left Lane

Thanks for the color commentary Left Lane! And I'm sure Stoned is grateful for the "free" marketing. Just a note to the reader of this Blogazoidal; Sunday's rides are usually very moderately paced, if not just an easy spin. However, there wouldn't be much to write about if the sprints were at a blistering 12mph. Therefore, the appearance of the Sunday rides from Left Lane's commentary would give one the opinion that Sunday's are a hammerfest...gratefully they are not.

So, for those of you that have been considering riding on Sunday with us, come on out! You'll find the pace enjoyable and the banter amusing.

See you tonight and as always. I'll...

See you out on the road,

Bob