 Well, we gathered behind Starbucks, 12 of us when at 7:50 I rode to the front of the coffee house and saw no other cyclists. Isaac rode by a couple of minutes later and said there was, "A Veloscience group with a map" so it seemed that bunch had their own plans so we shoved off, riding toward the front of Starbucks. But wait, there was Lori N who had helped set up this ride so we pulled in and everyone was there to ride Isaac's ride. Too many to mention here but in total about 31 of us headed out old 161.  The pace was I guess "Moderate+" and we lost a couple of people on the ride in to Johnstown where we managed to avoid several large trucks before....  .....turning onto Concord and heading east. We eventually got on to Sportsman Club, then Dutch Lane and at last, the turn left onto #657 with the Reynolds Road climbs beyond. Sensing an embarrassing performance, I just hung back and rode in the vicinity of Crazy George, Jeff S and Corvair. Arriving in Utica I immediately.....  ....marched into the gas station to grab a Payday and a Monster. Looking around outside, initially it appeared I was the only one with such an unhealthy combination. Above, Ron Buddell appears to have just been punched in the arm as Isaac, with black head cover looks on.  Then I noticed Lori N was quaffing a Red Bull and Andrew Clayton had a Rootbeer so I was in good company. Exiting the market, I had asked Marty what the linger factor was, to which he replied "low". I took that to mean no real urgency but gosh was I wrong. Now, to set the record straight....  ...I was raised in a family of 21 children so at meal time, I learned to eat rapidly. I also can not describe my eating habit as savoring each bite. Far from it. Instead I wolf down every bite. I don't walk around and tell my fellow cyclists, "Oh you must try this. It goes especially well with a '75 Chateau Lafite." I stand, rarely talk and focus on cramming each bite down as fast as possible. Suddenly, Marty calls out "Two minutes to go." and with still half a Payday to go, my spirits sank, secure in the knowledge my appetite would not be fully sated. I walked to the trash can and dumped half a Monster and nearly half a Payday. I just need to start carrying Gels or something (or maybe arriving at the food stop sooner?) to allow for these lightning breaks. Oh well, with stomach growling, we shoved off.  The meat of the route was before us. I got in with the lead group as we powered up Blacksnake, made a right on to Stout, hit the climb hard, coasted to Martinsburg, got on to Hunt, then Graceland Lane and eventually Loches (pronounced "Locks" I am told). Here I drifted back and soon rode past Jon Morgan and a couple of others as they fixed a flat. Arriving in St Louisville, we waited for the flat fixers before proceeding to, ugh, the St. Joseph climb. Our group had fallen to maybe 10 with some having departed the official route earlier or just dropped off the pace. After the climb, we climbed up and then down Chatham, hit Dry Creek, Louden, right on Raccoon Valley and entered Alexanria. Here I dropped from the group, obviously my strength waning from lack of nourishment to wait for Jeff S and Corvair, gathered Gary, Kenda Janet and Paul and headed out with a good group, finishing with the 72 miles and stayed dry. Fun day.  OK, we have a route and organizer, Isaac. 8:00am from in front of the New Albany Starbucks. Here is the link to the route and print your own map: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/8118078
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 Steve Oxley in the foreground with Paul Stock behind, Mark Lemmon back right and Pete Ashmore barely making it in. However, the story does not start here. We have to go back in time, back, back, back....to 4:00pm when I received a call from Steve. He was thinking about attending his first NA ride but wanted to know if it was still plagued by squirrely bike handlers, etc.. I assured him that was the B group, they're crazy but in the A group it is safe and sound. Still on the fence, I added one more incentive, telling him that usually the ride is populated by a few attractive women and since he is single.....  ....no sooner had Steve arrived, opened up the back gate and taken a seat, some of the ladies of Thursday gathered around. Amazing. Dirty Dan standing next to Steve, probably to conduct the interview process.  Then Steve pulls out his smart phone and begins pulling people in to show images of his new grandson. Rick Miller even had time to take a look.  Kim Owens on the left, Benton in white behind. The crowd was beginning to gather around Rick's van for the pre-ride announcements that included a route change, cutting our distance from 55 to 50 miles.  Franz holds a cycling shoe up at the back of this group.  Kristie Nation unfortunately not handing out pre-ride treats. I like the balance I have found on Facebook between Lori N's prolific healthy meal images and Kristie's prolific unhealthy dessert images. My mind hits the "like" on Lori's posts, my stomach hits the "like" on Kristie's.  A smiling Doug McConaha. Still enjoying the benefit of losing 15 pounds and spending a lot of time at the front of the A group putting in healthy pulls.  I began counting as we closed in around Rick and arrived at 68 cyclists with quite a few new faces. A road closure required a modification to the route, cutting it from 55 to 50 miles and so soon we shoved off, 24-26 in the A group as we paused.....  ....at the Central College/#62 intersection, which is also the point at which I took the first image that begins this report. Eventually, our group got across and after a series of turns, began a long, long run north on Miller-Paul. With light winds out of the NE, I was able to settle in to the left of an assortment of cyclists including Ron Budzig, Pete A, Paul Stock, Tym Tyler, etc.. Ken Buddell put in a particularly long, hard pull that had me on the rivet but fortunately the next person up slackened the pace a bit and I survived. We continued north on Longshore before finally breaking the trend and heading east on Hartford Rd. A intersection stop at N. County Line allowed me to look around and see we had lost 9-10 people so our group was down to 13-14 people. Then I heard someone say, "Uh-oh" and turning to the front saw an attack was initiated. Dang, I could respond only weakly which means I was done. Ahead by about 50 yards I saw Ron B and Pete A also spit out the back but I could not bridge to them and so, spent the next 30 miles riding around the hinterlands solo. That sucks. At the drop point, our average was 24.1 mph so pretty speedy but my average dropped precipitously thereafter. I took the B cut-off, made a wrong turn and ended with 47 miles. Meantime, up ahead, the group got whittled down by a few more bodies but those who finished in the front did so with a 22.75 avg over the full 50 miles.  Here is the route for tonight's New Albany ride. Additional details can be found here but note currently the site says the map is for May 21 but it is for tonight's ride:http://www.thecyclingclub.org/club-rides/thursday-evening-ride/ Still have not seen some of the regulars. I did see Kyle Wingler out on his bike so maybe he is preparing for an appearance. Todd Lee says he is watching for the right route and then he will show up and I think this is a route that would appeal to the Grand Poobah of central Ohio cycling.  While the forecast casts doubt on tonight's ride, nonetheless, here is Ric's plan: https://www.facebook.com/groups/53811046325/permalink/10152741086961326/  Pretty good turnout for Tim Faigley's, 84 mile ride deep, deep into Hocking Hills, including Donald Trump errrrr.....  ....Mark Clingan. Or is this The Donald. They were separated at birth and I think only now, I have stumbled across Mark's long, lost brother. Look at the two images again, the blond hair, comb over, facial expressions, they are brothers of another mother or brothers of the same mother.  Larry P gave me an update on Mitch Tallan, He faces a long road to recovery, beginning with 9-10 weeks in a wheelchair while undergoing physical therapy. Behind Larry is Brad Blair who is riding well this year and the guy in the white jersey, Ryan, behind Brad. We rolled out with Larry, Steve Oxley, Dirty Dan, Ryan, Mark V, David Smith and me getting away from the rest of the group. We rode.....  ....33 miles to the Sunaco station on #33, where I was ready for a break but not the others. They made a quick bathroom break and rolled out. I thought I should spread my personality around others, rather than selfishly allow Dirty and Steve to enjoy it to themselves so....  ....they took off, headed for the Opossum Hollow climb. I think that climb may have factored into my decision a little. I waited and waited and then....  .....The Donald rolled in with Brad, Mark V (who had dropped back at some point), Andrew C and Crazy George. The Donald never met a gas station/market at which he would not stop so naturally he disappeared for a long time and then reappeared with an arm load of snacks. Many thousands of calories later, he was ready to go and we headed out, bound for Laurelville where now we stopped for subs at Subway. Many thanks to Mark V for evenly dividing his Subway coupons among us. We left L-ville and 5 miles later entered Tarlton. No one asked The Donald if he wanted to stop because that is a given. Instead we asked if he needed to stop and he gave us the ok to continue. Eventually we rode into Stoutsville and although I could see his mouth quivering with desire for food, he agreed to continue with us and so, we finished with 84 miles and around 4000' of climbing. Big thanks to Tim F who continues to create these rides accompanied by top-notch maps.   Sooooo, statements were made that at first glance, seemed kind of suspicious to me. In Corvair's first post she said her brake locked up on a hill. Naturally, having never applied a brake while going up hill, I was suspicious. Then Corvair added that she "almost ran into the Rossi tandem", which if you are applying the brakes, how do you almost run into another bike? Corvair's statements produced many replies and at some point, someone called me and said they and no one else heard anything from her so they would have no reason to stop. Soooo, the investigators rolled out in search of the truth.  First up, interview the Rossi tandem with David Smith simply an uninterested onlooker. The Rossi's said Corvair was mistaken. She did not almost run into them, they almost ran into her when she suddenly swerved to the side. OK, fine simply a mistake with wording so no big deal yet, again, why would someone apply brakes going uphill? I also talked to the person who was leading the pack at the time, Kevin Hollingshead who never saw a bottle of cologne he would not bathe in. Kevin is known to set a pretty strong pace at the beginning of rides before fading to the C group. He said he was riding hard at the time so could Covair have simply failed to keep pace???? The Rossi's said the incident occurred at about 1 mile from the start so who, other than Grand Poobah, drops at mile 1 so that could not be the issue. Then I drove to Canal Winchester to interview....  ....the owner, manager, Ric Noland, sole proprietor of Cyclists Connection, the shop which performed adjustment to Corvair's bike prior to the ride and more importantly, the person who first happened upon Corvair after she left the B group....hmmmmm....how could Ric be riding alone at that point if the pace had not been high so was it a mechanical that felled Corvair or Kevin, aka Pepe Lapew, riding too hard too early? Ric's response to my many questions was "No comment"......  I gave Ric another chance and threatened to drag him into the restroom for the water torture test but still, his loyalty to a customer being so great he would neither confirm nor deny any of my assertions or reply to any questions. What a standup guy. The investigative team thus ran into a dead end. We must give Corvair the benefit of the doubt that indeed, some how, the brakes locked going up a hill and for that reason and only that reason, she dropped out of the group and failing to shout of a problem, the group continued on. All are innocent of charges. Carry on people.  Cloudy, 55 degrees, winds out of the Artic, I drove through some rain, I decided not to ride. But hey, others were there to ride including making his first Appearance, Danny Alarcon. Just think, a year ago he was riding by himself, trying to get back in shape and now he is dominating the Cat 4 races and catting up to Cat 3 now.  Wow, looky there, Paul Stock comes out too wearing a very retro Savage Hill jacket. I still have one of the jerseys, worn proudly when I finished 9th in a 10 person Cat 5 race through the Hocking Hills. Ahhhh, those weren't the days.  Pete C rolls in and we all had to grab our sunglasses on this cloudy evening suddenly lit up by the glow off his arms and legs.  Rick, in addition to the sign-in duties, frequently can be found performing quick adjustments. Above working on Group Killer's bike but maybe Rick made a mistake and Shannon's brakes locked on him later?  Kyle, arms folded and Danny, appearing to be very cold.  Rick called us together as Marty, listens along with Jeff S, another Jeff behind him, Lori, etc...  Checking back on Danny, he does not appear to be getting any warmer. Wear another layer next time but hope next time it is like this is in October.  How about that? Kristie announced she would have cupcakes at the end but I emailed her and said I would not be at the end so could she bring one at the beginning, and she did!  Check that out! I swear, I only ate the icing.  The A's rolled out and then the B's, check out that jersey on tonight's 54 mile route. The A group had the aforementioned Pete, Danny, Marty, Paul, Shannon, Lori and Will Gleason, Travis, Jeremy, Michael L, Ken Buddell, around 14-15. The ride into Alexandria was predictably fast with everyone hanging on but the Jones Road took out a few, including Paul and later on Stone Quarry, Marty, Will and Ken got away before some regrouping allowed 6 to finish together at the end with an average just under 22. Well, the evidence has been gathered, conclusions made and all will be presented in the Tuesday Canal investigation, later today.  The Tuesday Canal Winchester ride was the topic of a Facebook posting that stirred up a hornet's nest of replies. However, an anonymous source called me today and cast some doubt upon the authenticity of the original story. As only this blog has the resources, time and understanding spouse, I have turned loose the investigative arm of the blog to look into the matter. Even now, my agents have spread through the cycling community to interview and gather evidence. The truth will be pursued no matter where it goes, no matter how high up the food chain, no matter how uninterested you are. More to come......much more...... but also......  ....can the truth be handled?  THE Thursday New Albany route and it is a good one. Clouds and cool temps may curb turn out and me without cool weather clothing, what to do, what to do. For more information, click through to this virus free link:http://www.thecyclingclub.org/club-rides/thursday-evening-ride/  Ric Noland has created a fun and fast route for this evening's Canal ride. Check out the A route here: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7954022 and the B route here: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7954073 and the C route will be something a little shorter, of course.  I'm a bit late getting this out but we gathered in the parking lot behind Veloscience at 8:30am as planned. Sixteen of us including Geoff in the foreground, Buzz and Miles in the midground and Isaac in the background. What we did not know is our group was comprised of some who came out for the Cycling Club ride and some for our ride. Gus Cook came through, gathered Buzz, Geoff and Miles and headed to Utica while the rest of us headed to St Louisville and beyond.  Twelve of us left the parking lot, including the beaming Kenda Janet, following a rolling route to St. Lo where we.....  ....paused to refuel, coasted to the ball field so a few could use the available "Porta Potty" and then kept going under cloudy skies and the threat of rain. We eventually skirted north of Granville rather than stopping there and continued on to Alexandria. From there, Isaac, a very strong Eva and me got away from the group and were closing on New Albany as the skies darkened. We had to stop at the #310/161 light and I uttered the words that should never be spoken, "It looks like we are going to make it in before the rain." Crossing 310, it began to sprinkle and as we neared Kitzmiller, I could see it was already raining hard there. Sure enough, the two met (we and rain) and we received a good soaking only about 2 miles from the finish. Oh well, ended with 70 miles. I skipped the Rockmill Brewery ride, as did many (I was told only 30-40 participated and most of those on the short route) assuming I'd be participating in another good soaking. Late Sunday, grappling with guilt over not riding that day, contacted the only 2 reliably available short notice cyclists I know, Jeff S and Flyin Tuna....  ....and we rode Meredith's 67 mile route, starting in St. Louisville on a very hilly course that contained several roads I had not previously visited. Very good route other than the right turn to Osborn should be passed and just continue to Briarcliff Road. Above we coast toward Perryton, an idyllic country scene. Reaching Bladensburg we checked radar and ugh, too many dark splotches we decided to forego the route and head west on Bell Church. Soon we rode through a heavy downpour that fortunately did not lost too long, just long enough for yet another good soaking. Actually, how I felt after the rain did not differ much from how I felt prior to it, considering the humidity levels and associated perspiration soaked clothing. Actually again, I felt cleansed and enjoyed the remaining miles to the parking lot. Check out Meredith's route here, it's a good one:http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7892530  A cool evening and I don't think we reached the forecast high of 70 as clouds moved in. I searched my house for arm warmers for quite awhile before remembering they are in AZ, DUH! John signs in as the early turnout was very light. I figured with the New York Gran Fondo and a Saturday race, maybe a lot of people would stay home.  Dirty Dan arrived, surprising since Dan called me and told me he was coming. That's a sure sign that he will not be there. He claims he is doing home improvement projects so I approached the van for evidence and sure enough, the inside has a thick coating of mulch, dirt, manure, cow dung, nasty stuff. I made a mental note to offer Dan the use of my Shop-Vac.  They arrived in fits and starts while someone noticed kits having the colors red/black/white were prevalent. I scanned the parking lot and noticed a group several aisles over so....  ....oh, so this is where the fit and fast hang out. Doug McConaha on the left. During the ride, he was at the front and with all his lost weight, he looked like Hendra from behind with kind of the same pedaling motion. Wonder if he can or wants to remain at the lower weight. He says he is drinking a lot of beer.  The Cooks arrive with Gus gaining strength every day. Jillian in the middle.  Ron Budzig on the right who pulled me around for 24 miles later in the day.  As usual, the broad expanse of the parking lot disguises the quantity but once I pleaded with them to gather around, they came and came, over 60. There must be a lot of new people because the high turnout is without quite a few of the regulars from past years. But wait, There, partially hidden from view on the right is Jr Muscle Dude. I think his first time out. I made a few comments and sent out the A group and off we went but as usual...  ....while the start location is great, getting out of the place is a pain. I urged someone to just fling their bodies into traffic so we could go but no takers. Fifteen of us finally made it out to 161, a left on Kitzmiller, a brief pause at the crossing of #62, east on Central College and multiple turns later, a long race to the north via Green Cook. Throughout, it seemed like Pete C and Luke R were taking the strongest/longest pulls during which I struggled. We made a right on Robins and a left on County Line, reached Edwards before another long stretch on Clover Valley. I made a strategic error. I found myself in the 3rd position, directly behind Pete C, pulled inexorably forward but with the red sirens blaring in my skull warning the outcome was not going to be good. Sure enough, Pete took over and by the time he rotated out of line, I was left gasping and quickly overtaken by Doug M and 9 surviving members who quickly and efficiently, left me in the dust. I tuned onto Foundation and there was Ron so we formed up and took turns pulling through the next few turns, now following the B route. Of course, there is still motivation to ride hard and not be overtaken by the B group. Nothing wrong with being overtaken by the B group other than when I am overtaken, I have to endure a mix of taunts, catcalls, mocks, jibes, jeers, insults and just generally tormented for a moment or two by those who take too much pleasure (too numerous to mention here). At the top of Jersey Mill, there was Ken Buddell and better yet, Ken was willing to modify his pace to keep us in the mix! What a guy, a team player. We rolled back to the parking lot (ahead of the B group) and arrived with a 21.2 avg and 44 miles Anyway, soon thereafter, like really soon,.....  Five of the 15 who began the A ride arrived, they called themselves the "Fab Five", Jon M, Luke R, Marty, Pete C and Shawn Aker, finishing with a 22.2 avg and 48 miles.  Should be another good evening for a bike ride and Rick has come up with a good route. Rick, by the way, will not be there but someone super competent will, to sign you in, take your money and offer good advice. For more information, click here and remember, print your own map:http://www.thecyclingclub.org/club-rides/thursday-evening-ride/  I belong to a Grand Canyon Facebook group and on there recently, a woman described how her boyfriend abandoned her while hiking the Hayduke Trail across UT & AZ, while also taking their tent, water, maps, etc... What a piece of work and a couple of days later, the guy became lost, somehow became drunk and what followed was a $10,000 invoice for a rescue while she continued on the trail. Exciting stuff to be sure and today she is closing on the 700 mile trek. Anyway, while following the events, someone recommended this blog in which another woman is doing the same hike and it is very interesting reading with great images. Kind of reminds me of Cheryl Strand's story "Wild" but this woman, Katherine Cook, is much more accomplished and experienced. This link takes you to day 9 of the epic journey but you can backtrack to day 1 from there: https://hayduketrail.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/  The Ric Noland train continues to chug along with another fine A, B & C route, which you can find here: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7851895 http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7851938 http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7851949 The sun sets at 8:37 so choose your route carefully. Ouch, strong winds out of the west.  An idyllic scene in front of Starbucks as we await the arrival of everyone. It is easy to get used to this warm weather but you gotta remember the average high is only 70 so we may have an adjustment in store one of these days. Given our winter we deserve this.  Surprisingly large turnout with plenty of new faces for "Marty's Ride", including Lisa Antolino who is nearing full recovery after a hip replacement. Not unusual to see a smile on her face while in the background, something catches the attention of Mike and Steve.  Ken B on the left, Eleanor Sedluk and unknown woman who was stretching but I was slow to catch so it just looks like she is preparing to sit on the sidewalk. I never said I was a professional photographer. A surprisingly large turnout of 28-29 cyclists.  Ron Budzing on the left checks weather radar. A line of showers is moving in from the west but dissipating as it approaches. We departed under cloudy skies and they remained that way for much of our circuitous journey to Granville.  We were a little late departing, about 8:38, while someone noted it was like trying to herd a group of cats. We started on old 161 but soon got off that and headed north and east at the aforementioned promised moderate pace. We reached Stone Quarry and there Ken, Dave Chesrown and Marty but in a good effort and soon Ron and others did too.  We regrouped at the bottom of SQ. Ken looks to the northwest, anxious to put in another attack on Liberty Church no doubt.  Mike in the foreground, Kim Owens to his left, Chad behind her and there in the back is none other than Flyin Tuna. FT had a senior moment, thinking the ride started at 9 rather than 8:30 so she caught us on the road. Another of our group who did not make it trumped Cindy's moment. He left the house without his bike so returned, then noticed he left the house without his shoes. Ouch. He never did catch up to us.  I was getting hungry when at around mile 45 we reached Granville after some good climbs. Marty kept us on a tight leech and I barely had time to cram a "Payday" in my mouth when I was called to head out. We took a direct route back, finishing with 62 miles and an 18.1 avg. Fun time for sure.
 The venerable TOSRV is this weekend but since some would like an alternative for Saturday, Marty came up with a route out of the New Albany Starbucks (meet in front of it not in the parking lot behind) that starts at 8:30am. This is a middle of the road B pace overall, with some regroupings and some hard riding at times on hills. No maps at the start so print or download your own. Should be a good turnout with Marty, Flyin Tuna, Meredith, Kim Owen and others at the start. Some of us may depart the route at some point to add a few more miles. The route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7799611  One week ago, it was cold, cloudy, windy, not fun. Tonight, it was 86, sunny, a little humid and fun. So hot was it that folks were crowded into the shade thrown off by a few pine trees at the edge of the parking lot.  Luke Russell was part of a small group who rode a tough route in Hocking Hills on Sunday. Prior to the ride, someone put out there an offer for free lunch for anyone who could best Hendra Palisades KOM time up Keifel Road. At 2:58, it would be a challenge but Luke was up for it and the KOM crown now rests on his humble head at 2:50.  Something in this image is not like the others. Jeremy, in red, squeezes in with members of the HH team.  As usual, Rick's van provided some shade too and lots of people gathered there. It did not appear the turnout was that large but I began counting and wow, about 60. Must be an optical illusion caused by the expansive area of the parking lot that makes the numbers seem smaller than they are.  I am redoubling my efforts to include images of the regular Joes and Jimmys who make up the majority of our group (no offense intended if you are in this image and do not think of yourself as a regular Joe or Jimmy. I just have not gotten around to making you a star yet).  Shannon Kurek, (black kit with green accents) who I am giving the nickname "Group Killer" for good reason and based on several years of deserving activities. His friend Mark Lemmon to Shannon's right and with whom I spent much quality time later on the ride. Katherin Graham on the right, Marty on the left. Marty has a good route planned for Saturday and info on that coming soon.  Pete H took a couple of minutes to remind everyone of the "Ride2Recovery Honor Ride" coming in a couple of weeks. You can find more information and register by clicking here: https://ride2recovery.com/honorRide.php  Rick made a couple of remarks and sent the A group out. Having participated in no really intense ride since last year, I was happy to make it out of the parking lot with a rather small group that included Philippe, Marty, Lori N, Luke, Group Killer, Mark L, Ken Buddell, Jason Wilson, Goeric D...only about 12 of us. Where is Jon M, Terri G, Pete C. Craig Rice, etc... We eventually got on to Jug, riding two by two and then the pace quickened and the line stretched to single file. Sticking my head out for a billionth of a second I observed Group Killer doing what he was made to do, hammering at the front on a flat stretch. You never really appreciate how long is Jug until you are clawing to stay on the back for its entirety but I did hang on. OK, in the interest of full disclosure, someone dropped out in front of me and I did not try to close the gap as 310 was rapidly approaching so regrouped at the stop. Turning left and then the quick right we returned to rocket pace on Jug. Lori N, dropped out creating a gap I could not close as Shannon and Marty swarmed around me to rejoin. Mark Lemmon came up and I jumped on his wheel and the two of us reached Alexandria with a 23.2 avg, made the right turn, left on Raccoon and we maintained visual contact with the forward gang until they vanished at the Hardscrabble turn. That is a long, not steep but debilitating climb before reaching Northridge where we turned right and then quickly on to...groan...Stone Quarry. Reaching the dead end, a right put us on Louden and then stayed straight on to Dry Creek and then eventually a right onto New Burg. My legs had felt good and I took some good pulls through there so looked at the clock, the remaining miles, the route profile and abandoned an idea to stay on the A route but did modify, with Mark L's acceptance. Reaching the middle school, we stayed on Burg and rode past the Denison U entrance and the nasty "Campus Twist". I thought we had a chance of catching the group as they descended Thornwood. Ken Buddell came by us and confirmed our worst fears, the A group was already ahead of us and we missed then coming off the hill. Damn. So, Mark and I ham and egged it the rest of the way, ending with 44 miles and a 20.8 avg. The lead A group finished with a 23.2 avg and that is smoking, considering the climbs on the route.  What a fun route that Rick has planned for us tonight that includes the Campus Twist climb through Denison University. 48/43/36 mile routes can all be viewed here:http://www.thecyclingclub.org/club-rides/thursday-evening-ride/ and remember, print your own maps if able. Here is one of those Top 10 lists that claims what are the top 10 Cycling Cities: http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/outdoors-and-adventure/articles/top-10-cycling-cities-in-us  After a good ride Saturday, I headed to Mt Giliad and Splatterpark for the "Big Game" on Sunday, spending quality time with my son as we and around 1000 others ran through the woods shooting at each other with paintball guns. There was some time spent in the container field too and that is a lot of fun. I have too many welts to count, I think more from people "bonus balling" me. That's when after acknowledging you have been hit, you raise your gun and trot away toward the reinsertion point and some deviant takes that opportunity to shoot you again. Bastards.  Monday I got in a quick ride with Muscle Dude Jr, Flyin Tuna and Mark C. John Day (Muscle jr) just got back from riding in the "3 State. 3 Mountain" tour with Steve O. Brave man, wearing his OSU jersey on a route which included part of Alabama. Then Tuesday, I rode to New Albany to hook up with "The Cycling Club" group ride. In addition to Jeff on the left, Ron in the middle left in rode Gus Cook. Gus suffered a serious injury while skiing and had his knee rebuilt, including a hamstring graft. Just now, after 8 weeks of recovery, he is on the cusp of returning to his usual form.  Dang, she is back with more snacks. Kristie brings out what tasted very good and unhealthy but she claimed was a healthy snack. Rick, on the left, cramming 2nds and then 3rds into his mouth.  I think the official gathering place now is in the shadow of a large pine but watch out for cars coming around the corner.  There was a good turnout of around 29-30, including a couple of the H&H guys, Ron Budzig, Gus & Peggy, Marty, Kristie, Jeff, Rick, Ron, John and Anthony Sada, Crazy George, Larry, Axel, etc... Good ride to Alexandria where I cut out to head home and continue to sling mulch around until the 14 yards is finally distributed.  The ride leader was a little tardy in getting this out but here it is for the 6:00pm start to the COP Canal Winchester ride: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7767452  Not a bunch of locals racing Sunday but those that did, did very well including Ken Buddell from Thursday NA ride coming in 2nd in the Cat 4 race and...  Kayla Starr coming in third in the ladies' 1/2/3 race....  Chris Grisvard coming in 2nd in the Master's 55+ and....  How about Meredith coming in 7th in the ladies' Cat 3/4 and 1st among that powerful Lady Gnar Shredders team.  One of the first good days of the new cycling season brought out a surprisingly large number of cyclists, most of whom were from central Ohio's cycling elite with one notable exception (me) but I was invited for my documentarian skill set and camera.  Even cyclists who were not cycling, Eleanor Sedluk in pink, came out to say hello to Peggy Cook and Meredith.  By the time we were ready to roll, there were 28-30 of us, including Eva on the right with Doug Mcconaha, Philippe and Pete C in the middle. The ride was promoted as a moderate paced one and I know, like me you probably roll your eyes whenever someone tries to manage that type of ride but if anyone can, Marty is the man.  We cruised out old 161 at the moderate pace but still dropped a couple of people and so waited at the 310 intersection before making a left and then a right on Jersey Mill, rolling into Alexandria then a left on Mounts, a right on Lobbdell and then.....  ....turned around at the bottom of the hill where the bridge was out. With such a large group, we decided a 10% fall rate navigating the planks was an unacceptable loss rate so turned around. Marty used the old ride leader excuse, "Well it was open last time I rode it."  We eventually worked around the road closure and ended up on Louden, heading north. Cookie Lady Kristie was talking about how open was the day, free to ride all day and when we prepared to turn right on Dry Creek she, Meredith, Doug, Jeff S and others went straight. Some of them were racing on Sunday so did not want to burn all their matches today. Riding on Dry Creek toward 661, Marty dropped back to let us know the thoroughbreds were going to hit Chatham hard. Yep, they did. I clung on for half of it and then watched Pete C spank everyone else who chose to participate. At the top, Luke Russell, riding a cross bike and others wait to regroup. Luke is having a good racing season competing in the Cat 1/2/3 even though his work schedule limits him to about 150 miles a week,  We headed toward St Louisville where at mile 30, we paused to rest and refuel. Above the French Climbing Machine on the left, Jon Hastings, Jon Morgan, Pete C and others. Note how Philippe, is using his bike as a chair.  Practice this at home before exposing yourself to possible embarrassment at the parking lot. It is harder to do then it looks. I am certain my fat ass would roll right off the back of the tire. Philippe is riding strong this year.  As we prepared to depart, Marty gave us instructions on where to regroup and then led us out of St Louisville eventually getting on a very neat road, Berger Hollow, then a right on Martinsburg Rd and a circuitous route back to New Albany, finishing with 71 miles and about 3500' of climbing. Fun day with good people.  Saturday is a COP Roving Ride starting in Gahanna and stretching way east to Flint Ridge Park. Start time is 8:00am and begins at Gahanna Lincoln High School with 87 and 58 mile routes for A and B speed cyclists. Frank Seebode is the ride leader and asks that you print your own map or down load it to your device but he will have a few map copies at the start. Frank will stop a few times to regroup for those that drop behind him and asks that the A cyclists do the same once in awhile. Meet in the parking lot at the corner of Hamilton and Havens Corner Rd. 87 mile route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6322118 58 mile cutoff route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6870117 Some modest climbs.  And then there is this invite from Marty Sedluk. I like the start time and likely this is what I will do, not that anyone is the least bit interested: Some people have not been able to get out much this spring due to weather, others have been getting some miles in. Either way, let’s get out for a moderate pace ride and enjoy the nice weather tomorrow. We will meet up at 9am, it will warm up and we will work on keeping the group together and keep the pace reasonable. We will make a stop in St. Louisville and if people would like, another stop in Granville on our way back. The route is 66 miles and we can cut out some distance for those who want a shorter route. Pass it around http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7695716 And also there is this from Mark Clingan:
Logan Conference Center start. 70ish mi. Some hills but nothing extreme. Food stops at Grandma Faye's by Old Man's Cave and in Laurelville. Highlight Wildcat Hollow, Goose Creek, Pretty Run, Tar Hollow, and Thompson Ridge. Easy to moderate pace. All welcome to join. No maps. We will stay together. Directions to start: Take 33 east toward Logan. Exit SR 180 and turn left. Logan Conference Center approximately 2.5 miles on the Left. And lastly, Ron Burris is hosting a ride out of Lancaster: Ohio University Lancaster Theatre1570 Granville Pike, Lancaster, Ohio 43130at 10:00am, going 30-40 miles. |
