New Albany Ride Report...the Middle 10 was Not so Good

Ron Budzig about to be taken out by a car.  We're competing with teachers and staff for parking spots again but there are plenty to go around.  Perfect evening for a bike ride although things got off to a confusing start.  Shannon sent an email out, alerting some people that the "nearly capable" Mark W would be leading tonight's ride.  I admit that is funny but he sent the email with the insulting message by forwarding a previously sent email that had a link to a route that did not match tonight's route.  Things got squared away on the road.

Garth Prosser tells us about his week in CO and the Leadville 100.  His time was actually higher then last year when he and others were unintentionally routed off the course, losing valuable time.  Sounds as if he indulged too much in the great riding opportunities each day prior to Leadville and may have ridden too much.  Also got picked up for speeding in Kansas, going 82 in a 75 zone...and I thought the OHP was too anal (I was picked up going 71 in a 65mph zone on the interstate a couple of years ago).

Kind of a light turnout and early on, I wondered if it would be a repeat of Tuesday but as usual, they began rolling in in earnest and....

....the parking lot filled, eventually having around 50 people, including a really strong contingent of A's.  I forgot to count but around 25 including Garth, Jon M, Marty, Dave C, Nick, Chris G, Pete C, Craig Rice, 2 new guys with "Mama Mia" on their jerseys, 3 NE Kendas, Todd Mullins, Gus Cook, Kristian, John Day, Claude, Jeff S, Dirty Dan, etc....

John Day, in the middle, reflected on his experience at Mountain Mama.  It was a hard ride and we'll leave it at that.  So, at 5:58, when Shannon normally squeaks out instructions in that effeminate/passive voice to which no one pays attention, the audience was in rapt attention as I went through the course correction to get us out of the parking lot and on to the route.  With that, we shoved off, getting on Waltons Parkway, right at Kitzmiller and then a left at old 161. 

The pace, pretty reasonable to that point ratcheted up and our first casualty was Corvair, who had rolled out with the A group, which is fine but dang, if you get popped once and catch back on, stay at the back.  I barely have the energy to cover one gap, let alone two.  We turned right on Mink, left on Condit and then got on to Headley's Mill where the pace slackened a bit.  No doubt this was in anticipation of.....yep, the left turn on to Cul de Alward.  By the time we turned right on Hollow, I was with a good group of Ron B, a NE Kenda guy, Claude, Jeff and maybe Kristian was there too.  The front group was tantalizingly close and as I caught the first glimpse #310, they had ground to a halt and we latched back on.  What luck! 

We raced east on Hollow, left on York, right on Weslyan, left on Outville and then a right on to Moots and rolled into the outskirts of Granville with a 23.3 avg.  Our stay in G-ville was brief as we quickly exited on Raccoon Valley and turned right on Hardscrabble.  I was feeling pretty good until suddenly I was not.  Ron B dropped off, then Jeff, then a Mama Mia guy with a beard began slipping back in front of me and at that I could not cover and was.....

......at mile 24, done.  We again had a good group of Ron, Jeff, Claude but rather than turn north on Northridge, I continued straight on Concorde, leaving those guys, where I noted my average was down to 22.5.  Coming through Johnstown and then on to Caswell/Duncan Plains and back on to Caswell for a lonely 10 mile ride, I looked back and there was the remains of the A group, what luck again!  I jumped on the back and hung on for the final 10 miles, finishing with 44 miles, and a 22mph avg. 

Meantime, thanks to Dennis G for sending me the above image and a brief description of the front B group.  Sounds like they worked together with Peggy, Poobah, Jillian, Corvair and a few others, finishing the 32 mile route with a 21.2 avg.