no-pace ride

 

The club has rides at different paces, and generally, you pick the ride partly based on how fast they intend to go. But maybe you've got a bike that you love (like Jeff's old 70's Puch, above), that you don't take on regular rides, because the gearing isn't ideal for it. Or you have a friend/spouse/partner who rides at a different pace, but you'd like an opportunity to ride together. Or you just want a break from pace-pushy rides. Or whatever.

A few years ago, I had this idea to do a no-pace ride: I'll post a shorter route, we'll all start together, and you go at your own pace, whether fast or slow. If you're riding with someone, you can stay with them, and if you get ahead or fall behind, no problem. I'd ride at the back and make sure nobody got dropped or too lost, and we'd all eventually make it to the stop, and then make it back to the start location,

I thought my last one was just a year or two ago, but looking into the Plain Jim archives, I see it was four years ago. Well, it's time to resurrect the idea, and I posted one for today. 

I limited it to twenty (there's an unwritten rule about club rides being limited to fifteen, but in view of the special nature of this one, with folks going off the front, I decided to flout* the rule), and it filled. When there was a late cancellation, I had another rider who had already asked to be contacted if space opened up. Apparently, some folks thought it was a good idea.

*"Flout", not "flaunt" the rule. "Flaunt" your "rizz" and "swag". Or your unfortunately outdated education, for example.

At the start:

I stayed at the back of the ride, with the folks who were just easing along, and we picked up a few didn't have the route loaded, and got separated from faster riders. And when folks thought they could catch up to a faster group, off they went.

I had planned a stop at Sweet Gourmet in Montgomery/Rocky Hill, but they were closed for the holiday weekend; instead, riders went to the nearby Terrible Service Bagels, where the service was less terrible than usual because the shop was empty. Perhaps the entire region had taken off for the holiday weekend.

And back. The Excellent Wife (TEW) came along, and had so much fun chatting with the other riders that I don't even get a date credit for this one. She, and several other riders, mentioned what a great time they had today.

The no-pace ride isn't for everybody... but it's just the thing for some of us. I'm going to try to remember to continue scheduling them. Maybe you'll come out? Maybe you can bring that gorgeous-but-neglected bike you've got...