It's been a while since I posted about a ride. It's been a while since I did a group ride.
As I've posted, I haven't either the strength nor the stamina I once did, and while I might be able to get back to that, I'm not sure I'm willing to put in the single-minded focus to get back to that level - I feel like I might have to give up other things that have become important to me. So while my usual crew were planning forty-plus miles with 2300' of climb* at a pace where I was sure I'd be dragging back the group (if I could keep up at all), I found there was another ride with the club that was going a little less distance, with less climb. And folks I like were going along.
*I used to be a good climber. I still am, sometimes. But I don't love the hills the way I once did. (And I'm not good at descents.)
So at stupid:30 this morning, I registered, and showed up at the start. It's close enough that I could have ridden from home, but I over-exerted on a project in the garage yesterday, and decided to allow myself a break. I drove in, stopping for a couple of bagels (carbs for the ride, doncha know).
And I had a great time with these folks. You can see the route and my performance on the ride page. It happens that much of this ride went on roads through the neighborhood we moved to a couple of years ago, so these roads are now on my regular solo training routes (this is a new experience for me; I've been riding in the Sourlands for years, and I'm still lost up there most of the time).
We had riders at a range of experience. For much of the way, I chose to stay in the back with the slower folks, and helped to make sure the group didn't split up too badly. Except for two who chose to go off the front, we kept together at turns, and when there were the occasional requested stops, we went only when everybody was ready.
Jeff P showed off his new wooden bike:
It's laminated cherry, with a ZIPP wheelset, a one-by drivetrain, and the Wheeltop electronic shifters. He put on cable caliper brakes, making the sensible argument that he's been riding bikes with caliper brakes for decades and there's no reason to change now. (Of course, I would find this sensible; my road bike, the Yellow Maserati, sports caliper brakes, and bar-end friction shifters.)
At about 25 miles, we turned west on Federal Road, and started about six miles of straight-into-the-wind, which had picked up out of nowhere; it had not been windy previously. We traded pulls, and at one of the stops, a rider pointed out that the tops of the trees didn't seem to be moving... it was as if the headwind were ginned up only on the road surface itself, solely for our consternation.
It goes that way sometimes.
