Ryan Returns, Jamie Falls Back & Refrigerator Magnet

After a 2 month hiatus, during which he cared for his wife and new baby, worked several jobs, volunteered at soup kitchens and must have found some time to ride, Ryan Roe returned.  One of our pelotons true good guys but a diabolical route maker, he was welcomed back but I dread him producing maps for future rides. On the left is Jeff S., recovering from a vacation, during which he caught a cold but has almost recovered

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Recumbent Dude, returned from India and bearing tribute, in this case a Made in China refrigerator magnet purchased from a stall at an Indian market.  It is now hanging on my refrigerator door as I fend off efforts by my kids to get rid of the bizarre looking thing

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Kevin H, apparently in good cheer despite making the drive up from Circleville without his normal driving companion, Randy Drum.  Randy's back pain has become so bad he is contemplating going under the knife. 

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Perfect weather night but surprisingly lower turnout.  The diminished daylight must make the drive less than worthwhile for some although there were still 35-40 cyclists.  We faced a flatish route and a large group of 12-15 rolled out with the A’s.  We headed out Waterloo into Lithopolis at a very high pace that reduced the quantity to maybe 8 as The Boss & Mitch T took turns turning the screws on us.  The stoplight allowed some regrouping and then back to hammer time with Mitch taking a pull and missing the turn right on Oregon Road.  Those of us who realized what had happened, slowed while Mitch, Craig, Jamie and 2 others kept going.  There was some frantic discussion about continuing or turning around.  I began to turn just as everyone else shot forward, never to catch that front group.  I headed back to Oregon Road to get back onto the route but was too late to catch a large group of B’s so had to ride hard before acquiring them and enjoyed drafting to recover.  This group included, among others,  Mark V, Nathan, Kevin K, Amanda and soon we came across Jeff S and Ryan, who joined us.  At one point, Amanda took a pull but with wind out of the east, as we were going south, she clung to the right edge, almost in the gutter.  I rode alongside and yelled. "Todd Lee,....Todd......., quit riding in the gutter".  She didn't get it so I explained when one is pulling the goal is to allow those behind to draft, not punish them by making them hang to the left in the wind., a tactic Todd, as a wiley veteran, enjoys pulling on me. 

We worked our way over to Fosnough School Road and the climb up to Ridge, which eliminated a few and when we turned onto Cedar Hill there were 5 of us left.  By staying on Cedar Hill we followed the route but having been recently chipped & sealed, it was a bad road to follow.  We turned onto a newly paved Mitchell Road and then onto Sitterly and into Canal.  My average was skewed low because of a couple of stops and slowdowns but it was 19.9 for 39 miles.  Jamie, the former Group Killer, did come out and rode well but eventually fell back.  He remains on track for a half marathon in October and is running 6:45 miles for 12 mile runs.
After the ride, a large group of us hit Shades and had a good time in there, although service is very slow. Prior to entering we had all changed into street clothes except Jamie, always on the lookout for a score walked into Shades in cycling shorts and jersey.  I noted more men turned to stare then women and soon Jamie became embarrassed and left to don a pair of sweatpants.  Steve O again ordered a no calorie water and half a salad, instructing the waitress to scrub the lettuce of any calories.