48 Mile Semi Summer Solstice Ride

The Peggster and Butch, arriving first in the parking lot and taking the only spot that is in the shade and reserved for that night's ride leader.  Peggster broke from custom and actually said something nice to me, complimenting me for the manner in which I sent out two "B" groups.  That was the nicest thing she has ever said to me.

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Someone taped a sign on my car that said "Reliable Ride Leader".  I thought that pretty funny.  Note too Mark C employing the cross over combing style to hide the bald spot.

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The Ancient Mariner and Minnow.  Not sure what Todd is preparing to do  with his hand down his shorts when I snapped this image but it likely involved sending me a not so subtle message.

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Ideal conditions for an evening ride and it brought out 50 people representing a broad range of A, B & C cyclists.  After last weeks mediocre route of 33 miles, I was under some pressure to come up with something a little more epic so selected the "Hopewell Church Route", a 48 mile flatish front half with a hilly back half.  A large A group left the parking lot comprised of Steve O, Mitch, Ryan, Mark C, Walker dude, Da Boss (to whom I finally gave that free bottle of Maker's Mark), Paul Stock, Younger Phenom Nic, Jeremy, Jeff S, Ted M, Grand Poobah, maybe 18-20 in total.  Then I announced there would be a B+ group for those who start with the A group and get blown out in the first few miles or those who should ride with the A group but who like to detonate the B peloton.  Into this group went Dennis, Pepe Lapew, Mark R, Mark V, around 8-10.  Then a real B group and then whatever was left over.   One piece of bad news, one block out, Ted M had a mechanical that forced him to quit the ride.

The A group stayed together all the way into Amanda where a couple of people broke off but the majority headed southeast arriving at Hamburg and turning right on Landis.  Among some of the ways this pot-holed stretch was described to me is, "I thought I saw a Chinaman peering out from one of those holes" and "Those holes were so deep, if a bike fell into one of those you could just ride over the guys helmet".  Once the group got into Hopewell Church Road, the group broke up with Paul, Steve, Mark, Nic and UPS driver dude as a lead group which stayed together to the climb on Slough, where Paul and Steve gapped the group, followed by UPS, then Mark and then Nic.   

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Paul Stock and Steve O were the first place survivors of the route of 48 miles and 2200' of climbing.  Their average was 20.3.  What is interesting with this image is Paul finished with the best of the best of the best of the Tuesday crew (Da Boss hasn't been riding much) yet does not finish with the lead group on Thursday New Albany rides.  

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