 Karla and Mike, participants in last weeks event in Maryland, watch as others prepare for today's 60 mile ride. When I departed Granville, the sky was clear but as I approached New Albany, I entered a cloud bank that then....  ...drifted east as did we. The pavement was mostly dry and no rain but always present was a very light mist. The ride was promoted as a conversational B pace and so it was, other than on some climbs where we always regrouped. We began the ride with 22 people and.....  ...eventually got on to Dry Creek Road where the gloom and mist persisted.  Ron looks westward as we regroup at the top of Chatham Road. Way in the distance, Gus is assisting Peggy who dropped a chain. Rumor is a new bike is being investigated for Peggy after last week's mechanical at Garrett County and then more problems today. The talk of the group today was.....  ...matching socks worn by Luke and Lori....ok, it was a slow news day. Lori is headed to Taiwan on an all expense paid trip with 9 other bloggers to I think report on the cycling scene in Taiwan. I could not help but be jealous. I mean I've been putting world class.....errrrrr....well a type of content together for like 8 years. That should at least get me a trip to cover cycling in West Virginia with some expenses covered! Sometimes, life is not fair.  We reached Reynolds Road where, out of habit, some of us broke right to the hill that hurts but the route actually had us going left, toward a hill that is only slightly less painful. At the top, on Marion Road, we paused to regroup. Two Pete's in the foreground. Peter Post on the right had....  ....a flat on Stone Quarry so we were nice and paused to wait. Note that is the repair going on way in the distance yet for some reason, as I turned around.....  ...several of us were checking our seat bags. We got back to the parking lot in New Albany by 11:30am with 60 miles, 2600' of climbing and an 18.6 average. Working on a Monday ride so be patient.  This is one of the (next to the Blue Jay ride of course) legendary rides on the schedule. July 1, 2017. 8:00 am whole-group, prompt departure. A,B,C+ experienced riders. Pickaway County YMCA 50, 70 mile options featuring southeastern Pickaway County, northern Ross County, Tar Hollow State Park and Rocky Road. Bring your climbing gears! Food/water stops are available but limited, so prepare accordingly. Restrooms available at the start. rwgps-embeds.com/routes/9192531/embed. 50 mile rwgps-embeds.com/routes/14967187/embed 67 mile  And then Gus Cook has come up with the below/above route for an 8:00am start from the New Albany Starbucks. Considering the hour at which I need to wake to make the Circleville start, I will likely ride from New Albany, not that anyone of course cares but just putting it out there. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16916911?privacy_code=wSWeTrPeCWkPbxE8
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 Sandy, Jon and Shannon, inconvenienced by that trailer still taking over the best piece of real estate in the parking lot.  Windy day with winds clocked at 25mph at 2:00pm and not much lighter at 5:30pm. Above, Jon, Scott and Ken.  I did not think to count the participants but maybe 60, a surprising quantity considering the wind and routes that were sure to test arrivals by sunset (note the B group rolled back at 9:15pm).  The Riveters were urged to depart as John Martin and Mick watch them go.  We patiently wait until the next group gets called. Axel on the left, this being his 4th outdoor ride as he focused on running half marathons this season. An injury has slowed his re-entry to cycling.  And now the "A" group heads out, backed up by a line of cars attempting to exit as do we. Strong group.  On the way out, 5-6 guys made a left too early and it made them look like they were headed to "Mellow Mushroom" but they go turned around and hopped back in. My participation was short as I decided to exit the group at the top of the climb from Alexandria. Wasn't sure I could maintain the pace for all 58 miles so hooked up with Aaron C and we worked together, finishing with 30 miles. The Riveters did the 58 miles with a 22.6 avg while the A group finished at 20.6. Saturday ride options coming soon.
 To all probable, possible and potential Thursday New Albany cyclists, this evening's routes! Note the B route does not have the cue sheet active. Not sure why and very busy today so can't go in and fix. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19222842 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19222822 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19222803  The "Lord of Garrett County Gran Fondo Results" on the left, Cindy, who has studied the GCGF results to an extent that no one knows more about the times, the calculations,, etc... A walking, uber talking, encyclopedia of ride results. She needs a job, is MacDonald's hiring?. Don on the right and Chris in the middle, apparently having ridden to Cincy this weekend but it was difficult for him to get a word in on his experience.  The Cooks arrive. So modest after sweeping to victory or near victory during Saturdays "fun" in Maryland.  Aaron C in the background. Poor guy set out to ride 124 miles on Saturday but missed a turn and ended up with 66 miles. He will be back for sure.  More cyclists arrived, including Glen G and Larry P on the right.  Then we were off with me taking a last look back and surprising someone with the quick shot. Stay alert out there people!  Lot of tired legs out there this evening as we headed east and eventually paused to regroup. Jon Morgan joined us on the left. In total there were 25-30, very compatible cyclists.  I thought it best to not climb Raccoon Run and stayed on Stone Quarry while everyone else tackled the hill. Finished with 37 miles and a 20mph average. good time.  A hike to Lower Swallow Falls. Actually, looked more like a rapids to me so I was not that impressed but the raw beauty....  ...up and down stream was certainly good. Hiking a bit farther....  ....oh, ok that is a falls, the Upper Swallow Falls. During the hike, many people could be seen wearing.....  ....the official Grand Fondo T-shirt and/or hat. The woman on the right won the women's KOM last year but navigated a shorter route this year and did not qualify for the title. Also saw Deniece and John. Fun way to spend Sunday morning prior to the easy, 4 hour drive back to Ohio.  Awake officially at 5:15am (actually, I had been awake since 12:35am) I arrived at the parking lot to discover the weather here was unchanged from the hour before, the hour prior to that, etc... light, wind blown rain as remnants of tropical depression Cindy were still in the area. The image does not do the gloomy conditions credit. Ain't no way I was going to ride in this. I pulled on a rain jacket and rode to....  ...the start line to watch the 124 milers shove off at 7:00am. Always smiling Kristie with Eric on the right, more reflecting my mood at the time. I went into Garrett College for a restroom break and when I emerged, I saw some blue sky and just then, the rain had moved out and would never be an issue again. Now my....  ....mood reflected Paul Djupe's facial expression. I got rid of the rain jacket, pulled on a couple of arm warmers (60 degrees with fairly strong wind still) and....  ...listened to the pre-ride announcements for me mere 100 milers. Above, Rex bends over bike in concentration, unaware that 10 miles into the ride a broken spoke would take him out of the action...lucky guy! Behind him, Matt points his phone at me with a smile that would be missing at the end of the day, Dean in lime green, Mitch ahead of him and there on the side, Cindy with her game face on. In total, there were around 20 from the central Ohio peloton.  And we were off at 7:20am. Actually, the above is from later in the route cause after mostly riding down hill for the first 2.5 miles, a right is made onto Overlook Pass Road and thus begins a .7 climb having an average grade of 11.1%....at mile 2.5!!!! Then at mile 11, there is a 1.03 climb having an average grade of 10.8% and then....  ...we arrived at aid station #1 at mile 21. There are 7 timed climbs on the route but so, so many more climbs, some more difficult then the official timed ones. I was unable to take many images because I was either grinding up a hill lost in my cave of pain or navigating technical descents with brakes applied, dodging wash out from gravel drive ways or other debris. We caught the CAF group just as they were departing. That Katherine appears to still be enjoying herself is amazing. Soon after this she had a derailleur problem and the chain was kept in the small ring in front. For this route, that's not much of an issue.  So here is the deal. The event does not keep track of total time, only the times on the 7 climbs so why the heck should we not stop at each of the 6 aid stations and not ride particularly hard other than those climbs? Exactly right!  Aaron C makes an appearance, also doing the 124 miles.  There were a variety of entertainment options to distract, including a guy on the unicycle who provided liquid refreshment. There were bands, one of which played "Deliverance". Cindy B on the right, putting in a gap as usual. The odd thing is, she interpreted the orange cones, indicating the start of a timed climb, as a caution warning and took the climbs off. On only those climbs did I manage to stay ahead or maybe she gifted me the climbs. Yeah, that is more likely.  One constant throughout the day was the sight of and/or sound of rushing water. It oozed through the pavement, sprung from springs, cascaded down hill sides, roared in rivers....saw it all, in all forms.  Hey, a rare flat portion of the route. When they were building roads back in the day, rather than have straight ascents or descents to/from summits that vehicles could bomb up or down they made the roads twisty nightmares. If you look at our average speed, you will chuckle to yourself but with the technical descents and road crud, no one took chances when descending and applied brakes frequently.  At mile 45 and with 5 of the timed ascents out of the way with an accumulated 5300' of climbing, a 3rd aid station. Reunited with Ohioans including.....  ....Deniece Davis. Smart of her to remove some items for drying. Wish I had thought of that. At this point, the balance of the route is nothing but ups and downs (well ok, there is a 7 mile non twisty descent but I was being driven like a fast cow to stay at the front and pull s0.....), during which fatigue, coupled with more fatigue, kept me from taking any more images but.....  ....Kristy Boltz was a prolific image taker throughout so I stole the above and below from her. Entrance to one of the timed climbs and.....  ....entrance to an evil, untimed climb. It was weird. At the base of each timed climb there was a sign with length and average grade but so, so deceiving was the message. I remember one climb that was 4.9% but the first mile was wall after wall, 12-15% and then rather have the end of the KOM at the top of the climb, you would descend, ride on some rolling section and then hit a final climb. Yeah, ok the average was 4.9% but... Now....  ...some of us did well, some of us had fun and some of us did both. Peggy Cook came in first in her division. Deniece and Cindy were 8 and 10 in theirs and that is really impressive because their division is rather broad, 40-60 years old. Gus Cook came in 34th in the Male 40-60 which, considering he is giving close to 20 years to some attendees, is really impressive. I was 80th but had 2 really bad climbs cause..well..I was tired when I arrived at those two. Ha, ha. There were around 400 in Gus' and my division. Hardest bike ride I've done. Some multi-day backpacking adventures were harder but on a bike, the Garrett County Gran Fondo is it.  We are ready to roll. Ready to explode....well at least jettison, into areas east of New Albany. More t come soon.  The Cycling Club's Summer Solstice ride is today! IMPORTANT POINT: The B route below is correct and different from the B route on the Cycling Club's web site. Big thanks to Jeff Schluep for bringing this to my attention. Depending on turnout, we likely will have two B groups, a B+ and regular B. There has been some grumbling in the ranks that needs addressed: Don't be one of "those" guys! Ya know, the guy who loudly pronounces prior to the ride that he has "Y" event this ...Saturday so is dropping back a group or two and then can't keep the ego in check or is completely oblivious to the surroundings. For "those" guys a couple of pointers. 1) If you are co-leading a double pace line and your partner quickly fades; YOU ARE RIDING TOO HARD! 2) If you are pulling a single pace line, wave to come off the front and discover there is no one behind you and wonder why; DON'T BE SO STUPID. YOU ARE RIDING TOO HARD! 3) Don't say to members of the group their bikes are designed to go a bunch faster. 4) it is bad form to be the first up a climb. Gift climbs to the real and deserving members of the slower group with which you have chosen to ride. 5) Don't grumble because the slower groups regroup more often then the faster groups with whom you usually ride. Above all else; Don't be a Richard Cranium when riding with a slower group. Have a great and safe ride tonight. 😉 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19047637 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19766805 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19047699  The battery in my camera was dead when I arrived for the Tuesday ride (it's on the charger now!) so all I have are these images taken by Joe Twelmeyer and Marty. Sorry about that! It appeared around 5-6 went out at 4:30pm for the C ride, 15-18 for the 5:00pm B ride, 18-20 for the 5:30pm Super B and then I hear around 15 for the 6:00pm A and late coming B's. I did a poor job promoting the event, or maybe there wasn't that much interest, but only Aaron C, Marty and Jon Morgan made the trip south but they represented well.  Out of the 15 or so who left at 6:00pm, only 3 arrived in the first group, Marty, Jon and Brent Goetz, with a 21mph avg. Our B group was at 18.8. Got a big Thursday New Albany ride and then I will be in Maryland for the Garrett County Gran Fondo. Large contingent from central Ohio going over there and having heard mostly good things about the event, the blog will be there too, agonizing through the Savage Century.  Only now, on the eve of the historic Canal Winchester, Summer Solstice ride out of Brewdog, has time run out on my grand plans to promote this with many references to the Alamo, creative photoshopping of celebrities, etc... Unfortunately, like some of you, I must work for a living and was unable to carve out the time for this important task. Even now, I can hear my children crying for lack of food and attention so I must attend to priorities but first.....the route for Tuesday and the start time of 6:00pm for the strong or those who imagine them to be so and 5:30 for the Flyin Tunas of the world, which will include me of course cause I am in the category. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/22273860  A really fun time checking out the Grandview race scene on Friday. OK, finding parking is a challenge on streets so narrow I have no idea how traffic coming towards us handles it but I was in a line of cars and we were not getting over for cars. When I found a spot, it was only a couple of blocks from the action so that was good!  The first familiar face was Lori Nedescu, riding around and waiting for the start of the women's Pro/1/2 race. I had emerged on I think the south side of the course so headed to the bar/restaurant/retail area just because, on the northwest side.  I grabbed a beer from a vendor while the 3/4/5 boys raced around. There is Danny Alarcon, third back in red. I wondered, is it possible that a guy could just keep racking up top 3 finishes and stay in the same category 4 for ever? Ha, ha. I guess, with his win today, he is has now been kicked upstairs to Cat 3.  Several vendors including "KENDA"! Wow and so I bought a Kenda T-shirt and since only $10, bought several more for an assortment of friends. Christmas will be a happy time for dozens of you. Then I emerged from this wonderland of retail/restaurants/bars and headed east where....  ...I ran into Larry and Lisa. The thing about a crit, the group passes frequently so the action is almost continuous if you include those who have dropped back but hanging in there. From our Thursday New Albany rides I saw Kyle Z, Ken B, Doug M, Chris G, Scott B, Danny A and others.  Again and again they came by and hey, there is Nick on the left, a frequent visitor to the Tuesday New Albany rides. After quickly wearing out my welcome with Larry & Lisa, I headed toward the start/finish line when I ran into....  ....Cyclist Connection's Ric Noland, providing mechanical expertise. Luke Manning in the background, racing in the Pro/1/2, scheduled to kick off at 8:00pm.  Wow, the start/finish line was a happening place even with no retail/re... well just with no bars around. I ran into....  ....Doug McConaha. With so much yet to see, I had to keep going and ran into....  ....Danny A with entourage. Part of the entourage was Retro George. Have not seen him since middle of last year after he fell and cracked his carbon fiber frame. George is working and if he continues to do so, he can retire with I think some pension benefits so he is motivated to get there. Also though, he is still without the repaired or replaced frame. I don't know all sides of the story so won't speculate but it is troubling that with payment not an issue and apparently the replaced frame available, what is going on? And then, the highlight of the evening....  .....finding the clan of Kenda Dobie (the dog on ground), Kenda Paul, Kenda Janet with Amanda, Frans and Todd M. Amazing how many strangers would ask if they could pet the Doberman. She was quite the star of the evening.  Then the lades were called to the start line. In addition to Lori, I recognized Deniese D. As I had an early Saturday start, I could not stay for the finish but understand Lori finished 5th. Crits are not her specialty so I think that is pretty good. As for Saturday, I departed with a good group at 7:00am!!! Knowing I had all these Grandview images and story to report, I did not take my camera, which is too bad as there was a good narrative...oh well. Now, on to the Tuesday Canal Winchester, Summer Solstice, "Remember the Alamo" ride promotion.  The COP has the Spring HOOT ride with multiple distance options. There will be a group departing at 7:00am comprised of the usual suspects, Dean, Rex, Flyin Tuna, Mark C, Matt, me and others. We want to beat the heat to the extent that is possible. More information can be found at www.outdoor-pursuits.org. We are doing 100 miles.  Here is another option and all are welcome to attend.  Alright, there's a problem. Some one parked a large trailer in the shady spot. And tonight, did we really need the shade. Patrick sits and waits with his relatively new bike making use of the trailer.  Far fewer cyclists, only 40-45, at tonight's ride. The Grandview races are Friday so the Rivet group was rather small and not very many in the A group, maybe 14. With Preston Road closed, the long route was now only 53 miles so we should not have an issue with the above or, if you believe in such things, the below....  ...if we finished after dark.  Jay P on the left, Scott and Milt on the right. Scott, racing tomorrow, decided to roll with the B group.  The triumvirate of Jon H, Pete C and Marty.  Tyler Jenkins on the right. A southerner who came north to find out what all the commotion is about with the Thursday ride. We worked him over pretty good so he would have a story to tell when he returned to the "land of cotton."  The Riveters roll but again, a very small group. Tym T on the right tried to play.....  ....mind games with me. Said he heard I was doing Garrett County. When I said I had heard nothing but good things about the ride he countered with doom and gloom, how hard is the ride, how much suffering...trying to plant the seed in my brain and so, there it sits, growing steadily. I'll be a mental wreck in a few days.  Then the A group gets going but suddenly, Paul D had a problem. Alas, he fixed it quickly so he was good to work us over, as usual. Wind aided, we zipped out 161 and arrived in Granville with a 24+mph average. Then we turned left on to the Beechwood climb. Geesh, too hot for that ascent and when we regrouped, my chest was heaving, heart pounding, hotter than....just don't have the adjectives to describe it. Way too quickly we were off, eventually climbing Chatham Road where I fared badly but the group took pity on me and waited. At Marion Road, some talk had produced a plan....  ....instead of making a left on Marion Road, hang a right, hit the St Joseph climb and eventually get back on the route. I successfully talked some of the guys off the ledge and got them to maintain route integrity and were each of them glad they did by the time we got back. Above we 5 riding along Dutch Lane while another 5, Paul, Logan P, Gus, Christian and Eric, toiled in the extra miles and climbing.  Pretty scene as we had gotten a bit stretched out on Stone Quarry but stayed together for the rest of the route and finished with 53 miles, a 20.8 average and 1900' of climbing. The Rivets finished at 23.7mph avg. Then....  ...as I was driving east, here came the St Joseph climb group. They finished a few minutes after 9:00pm. Saturday ride options coming soon....  Good mid morning to all you office workers, sitting in your cubicles spending way too much time thinking about tonight's New Albany ride. Productivity must take a hit on Thursdays. Once again the weather forecast sucks but that is just the way it is and probably we will be rain free. IMPORTANT NOTE about tonight's routes (see below). Preston Road is closed. It is not an easy to avoid culvert but a full blown bridge that is out and not passable. So, The Riveters and Aers will follow the "B" route. The Bers will of course also follow the B route but hours behind the Riveters so there should not be a traffic jam out there. See ya in the parking lot! https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19046607 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19046622  In past years, during the lead up to the Canal Winchester awesome Summer Solstice ride I have applied the Civil War to symbolize the struggle of the hapless south and their attempt to compete with the New Albany Yankees who descend like a swarm of locusts and lay waste to the southern Fairfield County Rebs. However, this year I will use their new rallying cry......  ....Remember the Alamo. Yes, the Davy Crocketts and Sam Bowie's of the southern cycling community have adopted this as their slogan to rouse support among their peers. However, I suspect the Alamo spanking, rather than already taken place, will take place next Tuesday. Much, much, much more to come as the blog gears up to promote this annual event all meant in good fun.  It's bad enough to arrive for a ride and discover you have to fix a flat but Tuesday evening, Sokha, he and bike involved in a weekend crash, discovered he needed to reattach the rear derailleur so he could ride. More to come.  Big turnout for a very difficult ride! Mike W on the right, Marty and Lori were some of the first to arrive. Lori rode from New Albany and would end up with almost 100 miles this day. No doubt some were attracted by the rumor of cash prizes but alas, it was only a rumor.  No ride is complete unless the Kendas make it out, above with Larry and Lisa too.  Meredith in the back with Cindy B, Philippe and unfortunately I don't know the name of the guy on the left.  More people roll in to sign in, Steve Fields and Steve Oxley.  With approximately 55 cyclists ready to go, there were some semi literate comments made by Cindy, I announced the first cyclist to arrive at the final summit of Blue Jay going out and then also coming back on the two longest routes, would be eligible for, but not guaranteed to receive, cash prizes. I know who are the winners now and will announce below.  Getting through Newark and it's 100 red lights, as a group, is impossible so above is the front group but where were the others? The host and co-host waited and waited but no one arrived??? We finally figured the back bunch must have found a different route through the maze so we began anew but now way back of everyone else. Eventually, we began to pick people up and organized a regroup at....  ....Fling Ridge Park. Now a curious sight to be sure. A cyclist who shall remain nameless, entered the park, paused to take a drink of water, paused to walk one of the hiking paths, all while we patiently waited and then rode to the twin rest rooms where he dismounted, walked to the side of the building and,,,,let the image fill in the blanks. As Marty said in the comments section, maybe he feared a snake was in the room as we later did see at a less sophisticated restroom.  Earlier in the week, I had given the market people a head's up that around 40 of us would be coming through and so today they were ready. Cyclists came and went but the big talk was about the black snake in the Port-A-John. Peering in there to take a pic did not appeal to me so I have no evidence but it was there. A small cavity in the floor allowed it access. Eventually, a large group departed and upon reaching....  ...the point where one must decide, do I go long (85) or "short" (66) we found Kim, Meredith, Deniece and Isaac. They all were going short. As part of our group arrived, we spotted them across the road in the shade. They yelled to us, "Hey bitches." I'm pretty sure that is a first for me but my memory is spotty so maybe not. Anyway, it was said in a friendly way so that is ok. Now, that Isaac.....  ....had missed a turn and gone southeast into the small village of White Chapel. Eventually he got back on the route in Zanesville and now, with the other shorties,....  ....headed south towards Texas Road with the aforementioned ladies, Larry P and Lisa A. I, extremely reluctantly and only under coercion, went the long route with Rex, Mitch, Cindy & Steve. There is this road called Pinewood Trail...one freaking wall after another. It makes Blue Jay seem flat or almost so. Every time we arrived at a road going south I would inquire, do we go left here but NOOOOO, always into the walls. Finished with 83 miles and 5600' of climbing. Now for the winners, pretty much it was the same group of 5 who arrived simultaneously, I am told, at the summit finishes, Marty, Ken B, Lori N, Philippe and Goeric. If any of them were destitute, a cash prize would materialize but they are all pretty well off so I will just keep the cash for me!  Kyle and French Climbing Machine. Philippe wanted to know where were the water stops on the Blue Jay ride so ya just know he is already plotting, one bottle or two.  Good crowd out tonight, around 70 cyclists.  A creative way to park your bike, as long as no one steers their car into that spot. Then I made a bold move, I coasted into the....  ....shady spot where the Riveters gather. It wasn't long before the stares began...you know, the "What do you think you are doing in here with the likes of us." stares. Only royalty allowed in here so I quickly scampered to the fringes and found....  ....many non royalties, including Jeff S, Andrew in a wind breaker on a 70 degree evening of no wind and that Dirty Dan.  At the outer limits of the galaxy, these poor people are baking in the sun. No wonder the Riveters can ride so fast, they are so much more refreshed then everyone else at ride start.  The Riveters are instructed to roll and some of us watch. Good crowd of Riveters but I did not count, probably 15ish  And then the A group goes! There were 26-27 of us who headed out on the 56 mile route. Prior to the ride, there was quite a bit of talk among non Riveters that these routes are too long for the given amount of daylight. One mechanical of any kind and you will finish in the dark. I tend to agree. For a one-off Summer Solstice event then ok but every week to have a route designed to return you to the parking lot at dusk? We turned right on Watkins, climbed the steep hill off the bridge on Morse and regrouped. Someone told me I'd never be a Riveter cause I am too kind. Well, that's one of many reasons. We arrived in Granville with a 20.6 average and then turned left on the Jones Road hill. Ugh and we regrouped briefly here, our numbers down to 15. We climbed Welsh Hills and reentered Granville before exiting on Burg. Reaching the right turn on to Dry Creek, I turned off route and went left. I didn't want to do the Chatham loop and sat in to return solo but what luck!!!.....  ...at the end of Stone Quarry I found Jared and Scott Billman (Scott having stopped to help Jared with a mechanical early in the route), Rick and Ryan. We worked together well and soon after arriving on 161, the first of the Riveters rolled by so some of us jumped on and then stopped at the Beech Road light. Marty, Kyle Z, Jon H, Ken B, Terry G...about 8 of them left.  Back at the parking lot, the top Riveters finished the route with a 23.5 average. I was at 20.2 for my 48 mile route, the top A group finished at 20.5 for their 56 mile ride.  We interrupt this torrent of good news and information regarding Saturday's Blue Jay ride to bring you tonight's route out of New Albany, 6:00pm behind the Philip Heit center. Wow, check out the distances for this evening's ride. As you coast down Burg Street, following the Rivet/A route, check your fitness and decide, "At Dry Creek Road, should I go right as does the route or should I go left and cut off that upper loop?" Sunset is 8:58pm. Choose wisely. The routes are: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19046417 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19046435 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19046484  First, let's clear up some confusion. I am not alone in organizing this ride. My partner, Cindy B, toils behind the scene making one mistake after the other but that is ok because.....well......I am unable to finish that thought while simultaneously maintaining my integrity. Anyway, the long route was said to be 92 miles but instead is 85 miles. Considering the amount of climbing, that will be enough. Through the many years I....errrrr....."we" have managed this ride, for every 100 cyclists who said they were doing the long route, on average probably 2.5 actually ride the long route. By the time you reach the 85 vs. 66 turn, you'll be so spent, you'll head for the 66 and probably do the flat return rather than the Blue Jay Road return. Below, the 3 routes: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14544007 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/5138819 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/5140403  I will have the gps routes up soon but first, let's talk about the "elephant in the room", the cycling pro who likely will attend the Blue Jay ride. A small segment of you will resent this, thinking she will sweeeeeepppp all the furry and cash prizes, leaving nothing but crumbs for which you will fight. Not true, Lori may or may not ride hard, but regardless, she will not accept any stacks of unmarked bills nor any other prizes. Therefore, something a bit more than crumbs will be available to you. Meantime, consider clicking on the below link and donating to keep Lori's pro race career going. https://www.gofundme.com/procyclehelp  At last it has arrived, the most hotly anticipated event on the Outdoor Pursuits calendar, the Blue Jay ride. With distances of 36, 67 and 92 miles, there is not something for everyone because there are hills, slopes, steeps, grades, gradients, up hills, climbing and almost mountains on the routes. The event is free yet you will receive gps files for the routes, a map, a route that is partially marked and best of all.....  ....prizes for various accomplishments. Some of the prizes are in the form of cash.... How about that. Much more to come in the days that follow. Note, this is not a race, just a fun bike ride out of the Newark YMCA, starting at 8:00am, Saturday, June 10th.  Marty's bike, with Marty came to the ride. Rumor was that Dave Chesrown was coming too but joining us enroute.  Milt on the left, would have some severe cramping later toward the end of the ride and Kenda Janet on the right, game face on and ready to roll.  Our group of 25+ was graced with many women and it occurred to me that maybe they have at last figured out I am not a creeper, just content/images needed for the silly blog. Above, left to right, Kristie, Peggy, Janet, Shari, Cindy, Katherine along with Cassie and others.  And so, the departure time had arrived and we began marching our bikes through the gravel and up an incline to the official start. Hey! There is Dirty Dan in the blue jersey. Just a couple days ago, Dan was in.....  ...Banff and sent me the above image. He said the day he and wife arrived it snowed. I was not envious all that much.  I want to go on record that I did not create the route that had us start up the Beechwood climb at mile 0.000002. Above, we wait at mile 0.84 to regroup, surely the earliest regroup in group riding history? Soon we were off and eventually arrived at Sportsman Club Road where we regrouped a 2nd time. Hmmmm, where were the Kendas? Being the ultimate ride host, considerate and it being a hoot to ride with the Kendas, I waited while the group went on. Mark v waited too and not too soon, the Kendas arrived, towing Flyin Tuna. Off we went until....  ...I had crossed #13 and gotten ahead of the band of cyclists so I waited and waited. Must I descend that hill to find out what happened??? No I will not! So I wait some more but finally, coast down, go about a mile and here they come, having stopped to fix a flat. Now look, all know this blog is the epitome of truth, justice and the American way so I will not spill the beans as to why we did not quite make it to Gambier. Instead, we shifted our attention slightly east and south and arrived in Martinsburg. You know the Kendas, way too sophisticated for gas station food so we stopped at....  ...at the nicest restaurant in the village. While consuming the culinary delightful hamburgers, grilled cheese or similar food, the first of our original group streamed by. Not long thereafter, a 2nd group went by, long thereafter, a 3rd group and what good luck....  ....they waited for us!!!!! Very thoughtful and nice and much appreciated by our band of four (Mark V having departed from our group earlier). We crushed the roads that followed but in St Louisville, a great debate broke out; should we try the rumored Preston Road closure or climb St Joseph? Well, we sent Kenda Paul out....  ...to gather intelligence. There he is in the back ground. It was odd, as he approached buildings or houses, shutters would slam shut and doors locked. I kept thinking, none of these people will know if a road is passable for cyclists so we just went for it!!!! We.....  ....made it too. Later, we summited the final major climb of the day at the top of Chatham Road. This is where Milt had some issues with cramping but he and the rest of us made it back to Granville. Me with 71 miles and a 16.9 avg with 3300' of climbing. Fun day as usual.  Wheels rolling from Granville's Wildwood Park, 8:30am. I understand there will be plenty of cyclists representing a range of fitness. Ride hard, ride moderately but ride. Overall a B-B+ pace but with some regroups unless you want to form a group and just keep going, which is fine. Everyone has their own goals and should not feel obligated to hang back. Come prepared, know the route and don't expect someone to wait for you if you fall off the pace, just keep pedaling.  Is there a worse way to arrive for the Thursday ride but to find you have a flat? Yes, to discover you forgot your bike, as some of us have done.  Now look. I am not singling Logan P out for ridicule. I'm merely using him as a prop to bring attention to that paper on the window that asks that we not park our bikes against the window.  Not wanting to exit the shady spot, I tried to do all my "work" from within the cooling confines as others came and....  ....still more including.....  ....Scott Billman on his new bike.  It was getting crowded in there.  And then, it became apparent that an emergency tree planting effort is needed cause too many cyclists for too little shade.  Jim R has replaced me as the substitute ride leader and you can readily see why. All heads are turned to listen to him. I can now focus on making stars out of you. The Riveters and A groups exited the parking lot and yet I was still there, having already gotten in 70 hilly miles earlier in the day. I went out with the B group and that reinforced a thought, even when numbers are small, to have two B groups. People where falling out within the first 4 miles. That sucks.  Anyway, the B group, part of a 65 person contingent that made up tonight's ride, headed out. Now remember, when you see me taking a pic, smile! The Riveters covered the 51 miles with a 23.3 average while the A group covered the same route at 21.2. Very nice! |
