Dang, I wish I was there, oh wait, I will be this Saturday.  Try not to hate me.  Instead, enjoy the many posts (I put up reports more often when I am out there) with at least one Grand Canyon adventure, area rides and hikes, visits to the Superstition Wilderness, the Catalinas, Rincons, Santa Marias, etc..., the rattlers, the javelinas, the mountain lions, Sabino Canyon and all while keeping track of my Ohio buddies huddled around their fires or in the dark basements on their trainers.  I'm old, closer to 80 then to 30, so I kind of deserve this.  Hope you enjoy the reports, well probably not but hope you enjoy the images.

    

And so now the Tuesday Canal evening ride comes to a close.  Populated mostly by the Fairfield Fellas, yes, a bit slower than their northern counterparts but good people nonetheless riding hillier routes, they will gather at Kingys after the ride. Unlike the northerners who sip Pinot Grigio with vegetarian appetizers, the southerners rip back shot after shot of hard liquor while throwing down buffalo style wings. They burp loudly, tell raucous jokes about the New Albanistas and will stumble out of Kingys to return to their double wides, quite content. Below are the routes but....
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10595570
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10595542

....radar does not look so good.  With a sunset of 7:15, the party, with or without the ride will probably begin at 7:30-ish.  I'd like to be there to document the boisterous behavior post ride and if it does not rain, who knows, maybe I will. Rick Miller repaired my bike and it is back in the car, ready to roll.

     

Following my departure from Saturday's ride, the gang hit on a couple of short gravel sections that included an I-beam bypass besides a bridge replacement.  Doesn't appear that anyone was brave enough to ride the beam rather than walk the beam.

With ultra favorable easterlies, blowing at about 15mph, the New Albany sprint record was again under assault with it being tied at 52 seconds.

Meantime, Paul Stock completed his first triathlon.  Congrats.

Down south, the MFC (Mark's Fall Challenge) had a good turnout of 21, including Dirty Dan, Flyin Tuna, Eric the Photographer, Steve O, Engineer Mitch, Rex, Mark V, Michael, Jimmy, Kenda Paul with Kenda Janet joining on Sunday, David Smith, Tri Andrew, the Rossi's, Brent Jenkins, Evie, Mark C, Bruce, Chuck, etc...  Sounds like they had a good time with an able SAG support.

Last but not least, a good friend of the blog, Group Killer, finished 6th in the Triathlon World Championship, 75 seconds from the podium. The event, two weeks ago, was attended by some very fit men and ladies from around the world. I was relieved that he finally found the appropriate setting for using that time trial machine.  Shannon typed a very entertaining report that you can read here: https://hfpracingnews.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/hfp-man-reports-from-the-itu-triathlon-world-championships/

    

Behold.  The ordinary ball boy or ball girl.  Dressed like the major league stars but she is not about to leap against the wall and snag a long drive, not going to back up the 3rd baseman, etc...  All he or she does is toss a ball now and then to an adorable kid while wearing the same uniform as the team but not really part of the team. That is analogous to what I was today.

We gathered, Kyle, Jon Morgan, Luke Russell, Marty, French Climbing Machine, Travis, Danny A, Buzz, Dave Chesrown, etc...  Amongst this team of all stars, I was but the ball boy, wearing similar clothing but mostly along to chase the routine foul ball.  Some talk prior to the ride about Jon's record sprint to claim the coveted KOM Strava crown on the run-in to New Albany, Thursday.  His effort of 52 seconds put several into 2nd place but there were some extenuating circumstances.  The winds, strong, were unusually out of the east so the race referee has been asked to make a ruling.  Strava will always, of course, show Jon in 1st but Strava would also show someone in 1st who grabbed a ride behind a Mach truck and surpassed the previous record of 53 seconds.  Anyway, we rolled out....

.....into a 10-15 mile headwind again out of the east.  The pace was promoted as between 20-22 and so it was, into that nasty head wind.  I was on the rivet from the moment I got out of my car.  I was ok, thanks to Jon and Marty not killing it too hard when it was their turn to take a pull but put in red when Kyle would drop into his drops and hammer while taking a pull.  Finally, towards the end of Concorde, I sat up and gave up but the stop sign allowed me to regroup.  I assured those within hearing distance if I dropped again (like that is as uncommon as the sun setting and rising) to keep going.  It was not fair for me to drag on those who wanted to ride harder. Eventually, we go onto Battee and....

...I had been hearing a "pinging" sound and behind me was Luke and he thought I had a popped spoke.....and so it was, for the 2nd time this season.  I wrapped the spoke around another and turned back to the west, with a 20.7 average at that point, prior to finishing with 36 miles and a 20 mph avg.  Ya know, this is a great group of guys and I regretted having to drop out.  The good new is, I called Rick Miller and he was only a couple miles away in his van so I arranged to meet him and turn over the bike.  Maybe I can squeeze in one more ride before the flight to the west.

    

Not riding out of Carroll on CFC, not riding Mark C's MFC, thinking the farther south you go the more likely it will rain, don't want to put a bunch of miles on your car?  Well, check this out, departing at 8:00am from in front of the New Albany Starbucks.  I like this option.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10545265

   

Under yet another fabulous late afternoon sky, a few sign in, followed by a few more but the distance of the rides just doesn't make it a worthwhile drive for many.  Around 40 showed up for the grand finale Thursday ride....

...including Luke Russell.  I may have misinterpreted his comment but I thought he said he forgot his cycling socks and this was what he put on this morning.  Luke was part of a smallish A group that included Travis, Ken B, Jon Morgan, Porter, Scott B, maybe 12 in all.

Rick asked me a question about the cause of a squeak that seemed to originate in the skewer area.  I reminded him that as Rick's substitute, all I was qualified to do is apply sun screen, chamois butter or fix a flat so his question was well beyond my pay grade.

I had to make a hard decision, the A group has left the route too many times so I demoted Marty and promoted a very eager Jon Morgan as Rivet group ride leader.  Fortunately, Marty was not at tonight's ride so he avoided the public humiliation, dang it.  When called upon to lead out the A group, Jon was not paying attention so Luke offered to lead out the group but I doubted his youth and inexperience could handle it and told him he was not yet qualified but maybe next year.  Jon finally got the alert and off they went on a fast ride of 23.1 mpg avg that included Jon getting the coveted KOM on the return sprint into New Albany, 52 seconds breaking the previous mark of 53 seconds.

I had prepared a short speech and so proud of it was I that I looked through history and only when I came upon the bearded dude's address on the battlefield of Gettysburg did I find something equivalent.  So, Rick made a surprise last minute arrival and I pocketed my inspirational address for next year, giving Rick the space to make his own season ending comments.  A good....

...B group rolled out, numbering 20, including a Fairfield County boy, Matt A, Kim, A Clayton, David Smith, Corvair, Rick, Michael, etc...  Nothing too exciting on our ride other than coming out of the York rollers I asked the lead guys to regroup at the 310 stop sign as Rick and I eased up to see that everyone was within sight.  Then I began to have doubts the group would stop and so Rick and I teamed up to catch and were about 100 yards back when the front group steamed through the stop sign, made a right on 310 and a quick left on Hollow and we gave up our pursuit. We waited about 2 minutes at Morse and collected what we thought were all the stragglers before completing the route with a 20.5 avg. By the way, George was out but on his old bike so don't know what is up with that. While this was the last Thursday ride, the blog goes on with local ride start options during the offseason, ride/hike/backpacking reports from AZ beginning in about 10 days, reports from anyone who wishes to get their story out about their own adventures and before you know it, the start of a new season.  Well, it will seem like forever.

The finale. Our 26th Thursday to be followed by 26 Thursdays of cooling temps then colder temps then milder temps, rain, then snow, then rain, clouds then clouds then clouds and out of that cauldron will emerge the first of 26 Thursday riding nights.  That is a long way off so let's enjoy tonight's final Thursday New Albany ride.  Please note the above is the correct A/B route.  If you click on the below, it will take you to "thecyclingclub" route page but the map is from last week's ride.  The gps files are correct.
27 Mile  A-Pace  http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10531220
27 Mile  B-Pace   http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10531220
18  Mile  C-Pace   http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10409792

http://www.thecyclingclub.org/club-rides/thursday-evening-ride/

         

There I was, driving north on 661, behind someone going 54 in a 55mph zone, 44 in a 45...yawn, maybe they would turn soon.  Suddenly, light from a nearby pole caught the interior of the car just right and that's not a hair style easily mistaken.  Some refer to it as a "squirrel tied to the head" but it was none other than "The Donald" aka Mark Clingan.  I called his cell to see if he could at least go 5 over the speed limit.  The MFC (see post below with details) now has 20+ cyclists for the Logan to Chillicothe/overnight/Chillicothe to Logan next weekend. The cut-off for joining was Saturday but I suspect if you email him today, you can still get in.  I probably should not list the participant's names but there is a broad range of fitness in there so likely you too would fit.  The COP's CFC is the same weekend with an out and back route from Carroll both Saturday and Sunday and it too is a good option.

I had not planned to attend KCBC but local alternatives were not good due to time or place so to the north I went. I arrived early enough that I got a premo parking spot rather than parking in the weeds with the late arrivals.

Kenda Paul checking the weather conditions and forecast.  Low 60's so don't need arm warmers and rain still expected to arrive around 2:00pm but radar made it look more ominous then that.  Some of the usual century riders discussed a shorter route while I was doing a century no matter what....metric century, rain or sun.

Mark C telling Michael about next weekend's ride.  Sounds like Michael is good to go which is good since his girlfriend often enjoys driving around the countryside while providing SAG support if needed.  Can't beat that.  Upper right, David Smith who departed at 7:57am to what I call "Smith" the route or perform a "Smithy" which means blaze a route without stopping as in having "Smithed" the route.  That is an effective way of not getting caught up in the web of a Mark C snack stoooooooooppppppppp.

Approximately 15 of us shoved off into a partly cloudy morning with freshening winds out of the southwest.  Engineer Mitch on the right, Rick and Michael ahead and others.  The views were great across the fields and woods beyond.

Larry P heads toward a descent and past an unusual occurrence for us but probably not unusual for these parts.

More countryside viewing with Eva ahead.  Arriving at the 24 mile food stop, I kept going.  With only 62 miles on my route and the others likely to do the 80 mile route I decided to do a Smithy too, finishing before noon and beating the rain.  As it turns out, most of the others also did the metric distance and I missed the draft as the head wind on the return was rather strong.

I can't say with certainty these are the routes for Saturday but the routes have been unchanged for several years and so these are probably the routes, 100, 85 & 60 mile options.  Folks rolling out at 8:00 and 8:30am from what I hear.
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/3493333
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6001150
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6071481

       

I regret the late notice but in the past week, someone put out a ride option for September 26th & 27th.  It was not to compete with the COP's Columbus Fall Challenge just to offer a ride that had slightly fewer hills and at a low cost.  All are welcome to participate.  An email was distributed with invites and encouraging others, whose emails were not known, to be contacted along with anyone else who may want to participate.  So far, 10 are committed to riding with another 5-10 likely to join.  Here are the route gps links:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10413999
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10387673
Here is the email that went out with the details you need should you want to attend one or both days, from Mark Clingan, aka, The Donald.  Mark needs to know by tomorrow (Saturday) if you plan to attend.  You can email Mark at: [email protected]
I am putting together a 2 day tour from Logan to Chillicothe and back. Approximately 100 miles each day. It will be a hilly course but not as hard as CFC. The goal is great scenery and nice roads; not necessarily the hardest hills. With that said, there will be plenty of nice climbs along the way. So, if you want to participate here are the basics you need to know:

SAG support and luggage transport provided by Wellston Church of the Nazarene. I would like to cover gas, food, and hotel accommodations for our volunteers so we are asking for a donation from riders. Suggested donation $15.00. SAG will meet us at various checkpoints along the way.

Ride departs from the Logan Conference Center at 8 AM, Saturday, September 26. Be early enough to load your luggage and gear. Please pack lightly.

You are responsible for your own  overnight accommodations and food. Karen Rossi will be supplying some snacks. We will be coming into Chillicothe on Marietta Rd and it looks like Quality Inn is the closest hotel. There are accommodations available in Logan as well if you don't feel like getting up real early.

There will be no arrow markings. I will be sending a cue sheet out to all participants. I'll be riding at a moderate pace and try to keep the group together.

I would like to know who's riding with us by this coming Saturday (Sept 19). I'll be gone Monday thru Thursday next week on a backpacking trip and would like to make sure our SAG volunteers know how many riders we have before I go.

This ride is not limited to those on the email list. It is open to others who may want to participate. However we are somewhat limited in luggage transport space. Participation will be on a first come first serve basis.

This ride will have great scenery! You will not be disappointed with the route! (If you are...sorry for your luck!)

One more thing....we're not trying to pull people away from CFC. This is just a low cost option. Do CFC if you want a harder ride and full support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Thursday, I heard that CFC has switched from a full service 2 day tour to a no service 2 day tour, meaning you are responsible for getting your stuff to the over night location. However, for $10, you can't beat the cost.  You can go to their site, http://outdoor-pursuits.org/event-1902881 for more information.

     

Another low turnout kind of evening but the NBB (New Bike Boy) was there.  John noted George certainly seemed to be coasting faster as George spent the entirety of his time prior to the ride, cruising the parking lot, never coming to a full stop.  Note the bike also has a Powertap and we wondered if he knew that added a pound to the bike's weight but still, the net gain from his steel bike must be huge.

David Smith looks on as Pete Ashmore wonders if brother Matt is coming and....

....soon, Matt too arrives and signs in with Gus and Axel.  The 40-45 were spread all over the parking lot so I was unable to get a decent group shot.  The A group especially was small, maybe 10ish but I busy putting away the sign-in sheets and missed the count.  Knowing all but a few would roll out with the fast B group, I suggested we leave as one and so.....

....we did, all 29 of us.  Above left to right is Jay, Pete, Ron, Farmer Mike and Corvair.  I did the math, 30 miles divided by 29 cyclists = possibly no drafting as I drift deeper into the unfit category.  In fairness, I'd be doing that calculation in June too.  We rolled way out 161 at a very comfortable speed but things became a bit chaotic.  First, Greg drifted back through the middle of the pack rather than pulling to the side, which prompted a wave of, "Hey", "What the..." and "What?" calls.  Then we over took a cast-off from the A group and rather than join in from either side, he too hung in the middle of the road and drifted through our midsection prompting more, "Hey", "What the..." and "What?" calls. Then we over took a strung out group of 5 cyclists who had been waiting for someone to fix a flat.  You never know when one of them will suddenly turn left to see how things are progressing behind so as we approached each, several of us made loud sounds.  Then the A cast-off went to the front and the pace caused the group to reform into a long line.  Thinking it would be best not to splitter the group at our farthest point from the parking lot, I pulled alongside and asked him to throttle it back just a bit. We reached the York turn and I went to the back of the pack, my rightful place.

Of course, being at the back just as we arrived at the York Road hills is a bad idea but with the assistance of the Scottish Kilt dude, Mark Rossi, John Sada, Michael and others, we managed to catch the front just as they turned right on 310 and we stayed together to the end, even over taking New Bike Boy and finishing with a 21.8 avg.  Meantime, up ahead, the A group whittled down some more, then got off route shortening the ride to 28 miles but finished with a 24mph avg.  At the parking lot, someone mentioned they check the blog a couple of times a day (I should protect the name least he be subject to ridicule) and Luke Russell, the funny bone that he is said, "I haven't checked the blog in 2 years cause it's been that long since anything interesting was posted there."

Post ride, while the A group survivors (usual suspects of Ken Buddell, Marty, Luke, etc...) talk about KOM points, sign sprint wins, blazing a 30 mile route under an hour, etc... the little people above, left to right, John, Rick, Michael, John Sada and Axel, have no such accomplishments so we talk about Saturday ride options and other mundane stuff.  More on ride options later today.

    

Crazy George on the left, Michael on the right. George had a spot of bad luck when he placed his Garmin computer in his cycling shoe to make sure he did not forget it the evening prior to a ride this week.  Next day, puts his foot in the shoe and steps on the computer, breaking it.  I hate when that happens.  The saga continues with his new bike.  The pedal issue has been resolved but now he is dialing in the seat height and that is taking time.  Also sounds like he is riding every day so I think he is attempting to bring himself to peak form prior to unleashing the climbing machine on us.
Michael marveled at the average speed of last week's Thursday ride, 25.1, and wondered how close it was to a pro's time had they too been out.  Good question and couldn't guess but a long way I suspect.

The sky was blue, the temp was good, the wind was nil and only 12 showed up for this evenings New Albany ride, including Deniece, introducing us to her new bike. Also there were Jon Morgan, Greg, etc...

The traditional 38 mile route was probably going to be too far, given the available daylight so Axel and Gus put their heads together and came up with an alternative, 33 miles that left out the Stone Quarry rollers, too, too bad. So, upon reaching Hardscrabble, rather than turning right and a quick left as usual, we turned left and upon reaching Northridge, crossed onto Concorde and got back on the route.  Cruising on Duncan Plains, I checked the time and it was 7:10 but the sun sat very low in the sky and I wondered if we could cover the remaining 13 miles prior to the 7:40 sunset.....

....no actually but we were close and arrived with 33 miles and a 20.3 avg.  I went out of the draft to take the picture and lost the tail but didn't matter since I was so close to the end.  We had kept the group together with a couple of regroups and soft pedals since we wouldn't want to leave someone out there in the dark.

     

The year is not yet over but to date, Ken Buddell put together a strong candidate for "Ride of the Year" with yesterday's 144 mile effort having an average speed of 20.5.  The route included the Dry Run century with the fellas and then tacked on some solo miles.  Dang.  I did not ride, put off by Saturday's rain and lack of interest on Sunday.  Did hit the trails at the BioReserve in Granville and dug out root balls from bushes I cut.  That was kind of tiring, along with mowing, picking up walnuts the usual stuff.  Also thinking about.....

....a backpack adventure in October.  A few years ago I scouted the Nankoweap trail and reaching this point, thought "No friggin way." and turned around. The park rangers have improved this point and I have become more accustomed to exposure and the reward at the end of 14 miles is....

...the granaries where the Anasazi stored food until their exodus from the Grand Canyon in the 1200's. It is a very remote, 28 mile round trip hike with 40 lb pack so no day at the beach.  As of June, all my backpack stuff is out there, I'll be out there in a couple of weeks.  It would make for an epic blog posting.

   

One of the elite Rivet group members sent me the above to prove that yes, they did finish above 25mph as an average.  I think that the fastest time ever for a Thursday ride.

  

Probably the main ride is the COP Covered Bridge out of Cyclist Connection in Canal Winchester at 8:00am.  COP has a weird policy on "pay for" rides about not releasing gps files unless you preregister because there might be 1-2 of you who will show up and ride without paying your $5 or $10 (set aside the fact that with a marked route, you 1-2 miscreants could do it anyway).  I think the below is the century route but acknowledge a tweek could have been made.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3288818

The Cycling Club has a group ride from behind Veloscience in New Albany at 8:00am.  I heard 15-20 come out for it but there is no route, you show up and ride for around 50 miles.

   

It's easy to spot a person who is wearing something his children made for him.

Great evening for a bike ride with no wind, low humidity and a temp in the upper 70's.  Despite the welcoming conditions, attendance was way down, about 48 cyclists.  A new guy was there and marveled at the number but then we told him how large the group is in mid summer.  Also not there was Dirty Dan.  Someone asked about him and I said Dan was unable to make it because he was throwing his dog in a pond.  Seriously, that's what he told me earlier in the day.

Sparse parking lot but the dude who wears the Scottish kilt was there, changing.

Even the cool clique was small in number.

I managed to shout out dire warnings about not signing up and I think most did including....

.....Dave Chesrown, waiting for Axel.  Marty took out the Rivet group and then the strong B group headed out but only 4 remained to make up a normal B group so we hustled out to catch....

...the strong B group who were, as usual, hung up at the left turn.  There were now 25+ of us as we navigated the roundabout and then got hung up at the light past the gas station.  That may be the fastest light in the western hemisphere so only half the group got through, creating a nice split.  But our back group sped forward and the front group was not riding hard and so we all regrouped and headed out.... 

....161 with John leading the way.  This was my first time riding with the strong B's and the intensity difference with the Rivet group is striking.  We arrived at the turn at York with a 22.6 avg, where I pulled out to wait for anyone who had dropped back and to form a slower B group.  Three guys came through and said they were going to catch the front group.  I was skeptical they could achieve but after waiting a few seconds and seeing no one, I decided to catch the three and did on the Moots climb. We cruised into Granville and made the left turn onto Raccoon Valley.  We were making up some ground but then at the Hardscrabble turn, they went straight so I was now chasing alone.  Climbing out of the valley on Lobdell, I was about to catch a straggler when ahead I could see most of the group waiting at Mounts Road!  Now there's the Rick Miller inspired humanitarian group gesture. I was so happy to be back in the group.
We got through Alexandria and turned onto Jersey Mill, headed for 310.  Reaching 310, I suggested we regroup as there had been some squirrely decisions by a couple of guys who took advantage of oncoming traffic at two turns to cause gaps.  It's ok to be completely self absorbed and oblivious but geesh.  After the ride, someone suggested next week, yet again, to encourage those in the front to not attack after pulling in front of cars or at turns when traffic is present. Anyway, we pulled into the parking lot with a 21.3 avg and 33 miles.  Way ahead, the lead elements of the Rivet group, Luke, Travis, Jon, Marty, etc.. finished with a 23.3 avg.  I was told by someone that their average was 25 but could not find confirmation of that on Strava. Well, another weekend coming up and I'll see what I can find and post it soon.

Rick is not able to make it tonight and asked me to cover for him.  Please note that while I do not possess Rick's mechanical skills, I still am able to offer some services:
1. Apply Sunscreen to hard to reach spots.
2. Fix a flat but can't guarantee it will stay fixed.
3. Apply chamois butter if absolutely necessary.
4. Rewrap handlebar tape but probably will unravel mid ride.
So, the routes are understandably getting shorter as the season draws to a close yet it is still a good route and a fast one.  Print your own map or download to your gps device.  See below for route links.:
33 Mile  A-Pace  http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10307869
33 Mile  B-Pace   http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10307869
22 Mile  C-Pace   http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10308081

   

It's been about a month since Brian White was struck from behind by what is likely a Ford F150 pickup truck so I thought it would be a good time to check in on him.  Brian is in good spirits, off the pain meds and working part time.  He is going through rehab on an arm and both legs.  He gets tired when standing and stiff when sitting but progress is being made and he is certain he will be back on a road bike early '16.  Meantime, he has a mountain bike set on a trainer and riding that while shopping for a new road bike which is likely to be a Ti frame.  The list of injuries from the crash was long, ranging from 5 broken ribs to an 8" x 2" gash in his leg from where the pedal impacted.  A nurse at the hospital gave him the nickname "eggplant" because of his bruised appearance.  The only bad news is it is unlikely the driver of the truck will be caught, without a break in the case such as a drunken confession in the vicinity of others.  With over 400, F150 trucks within a reasonable radius of the incident, it's too many for the issuance of search warrants.  Brian and his wife have a healthy attitude and feel blessed that Brian survived what was likely an impact at 55mph.  On a related note, Mitch Tallan is up and walking I believe unassisted so that too is good news.

Luke Russell has put out this ride for Monday, starting at 7:30am from the New Albany Starbucks.  I think it is a moderate paced ride and a good recovery option for those who ride Saturday and/or Sunday.  As for Saturday....

...I know I was sorely missed in Logan but late Friday, Larry P inquired about a closer alternative and that was all I needed to hear.  So, Larry and Eva aka, Black Widow, headed out of Granville (a 10 minute drive from my house so....) on a 68 mile route that my Garmin had pegged at 4200' of climbing.  We made such good progress that Eva decided, upon entering Bladensburg, we should dine at the diner and so we did.  It was very active in the village as there was a car show and plenty of horse and buggies riding around.  Later, exiting St. Louisville, Larry announced he was stopping at the ball fields (porta potty) and I was left alone with the Black Widow.  I kept the chain on the big chain ring just in case I needed to sprint but came through the experience ok.

   

I regret getting this out so late but below is what some of us are doing, rather than make the drive to Logan.  Start at 8:00am in Granville's Wildwood Park which is the park we have passed many times on the south side as we enter Granville via Moots Run or Raccoon Valley Road.  See you there if you get up late and can't make the Logan ride or if you want to shorten your riding day and avoid the long drive south.

     

A great route with two distance options, 72 and 96 miles.  Roll out at 8:00am.  Zoom on the route to see where the ride starts or search:  Logan Conference Center (30682 Chieftain Drive, Logan, OH).  Scenic route includes riding through Zaleski State Park.  Long drive though and am interested in an alternative but likely this is where I will be.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/9984629
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5534749

    

Mick preparing for the ride.  This may be a wild assumption on my part but I'm going to guess red is his favorite color.  The clues are subtle but red car, red helmet, red bike and red kit.  His nickname, given by others, was once "Satan" due to the presence of red but he didn't like that so I don't use it

People who buy a new bike are always happy people and the latest example in the middle as Farmer Mike and Bobby Goetz look on.

The low rumble of thunder was heard in the half hour leading up to our ride but radar indicated it was to stay to our west but no doubt the threat of rain kept the turnout low.

Paul Stock, maybe inspired by Group Killer, brought out his time trial machine.  Actually, Paul's road bike is in the shop but he promised not to take a pull while in the aero position.

I forgot to count the parking lot but I'd say no more than 50 were present.  On the other hand, the rivet group was well represented including Lori, Luke and Marty.  Check out Lori at the Whole Foods at Easton.  Especially appealing is Friday Wine Night at which $5 gets you 5 tastings. Not sure if Lori is both the Cooking Coach and Sommelier.

Earlier in the day, I offered to take Rick's place leading out the B group if he wanted to go out with the A group.  Yes, I am that kind of good guy.  So, Rick headed out with the riveters, I divvied up the B group and headed out with the regular B's, of which there were about 14 (yes, I again forgot to count).  Things got off to a rocky start as we were split at the short light at #62.  AT first I did not realize it because looking back, I thought maybe that was the C group waiting at the light and I had forgotten to make the count.  Then someone confirmed it was part of the B so I preached patience with the group and we eased up, waited at the Beech light, soft pedaled for a bit and then it became apparent the 3-4 behind were not making much of an effort to catch back on.  With sunset sure to be early with the abundance of clouds, we decided to go so we could complete the route. Uneventful to be sure but lightning to the southwest caused us to go straight on Weslyn Church, rather than turning left at Wadkins.

At 310, we turned right and then left at Morse and eventually got back on route at Mink, racing showers and lightning to our south.  Encouraged by a bright orange sun straight ahead (red sky at night sailor delight type thing) we, including Rick, Greg, Kim, John, etc... finished dry with 35 miles and a 19.3 avg.  Checking around for ride opportunities for Saturday.  The big one is out of Logan and I'll have more on that in a few.

Important: The C route found on the link below is not correct.  Rick is in the process of fixing it but the A/B route is correct.  Print your own map or down load the route.  See you there and coming soon to these pages, an interview with Brian White, the cyclist who was struck by a car and lived to tell about it. The A/B route is: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10187002
http://www.thecyclingclub.org/club-rides/thursday-evening-ride/

   

I was not much motivated to attend a ride Tuesday.  Probably a combination of end of season/muggy/hot malaise. Then at the last minute I considered, what if Crazy George brought out his new bike and I was not there to report?  A lot of others were in the same mental state as only 12 of us came out and then George coasted in on the relic, rather than a new bike.  I began questioning him and now suspect I am the victim of fraud. I, a naïve waif who believes whatever is told to him, took the bait, hook, line and sinker.  Now George says he is going to lose 20 pounds before he brings out the new bike. Yeah, right...  We headed out and a combination of things, lack of motivation, pace a little too fast for a Tuesday, doubt about getting around the route prior to dark, convinced me to turn around at Beech Rd, finishing with only 14 miles.  But hey, I got home in time to split more wood.