Saturday Ride Report--The Flats

A good turnout of 19 on this dreary day with a game time temp of 47.  Isaac said the sun was out as he drove in from the west and so too did a couple others.  Reports of sun as near as Westerville so we were hopeful it would come east but it did not. A broad range of fitness so if you could not find someone with whom to ride you would have either been a pro or not very fit..  Pete C, Ken Buddell, Travis I, Chris G, Flyin Tuna, Eva, Larry P, Kim, Meagan, Sam Kieffer, Brandon, George P, Frank Seebode, Woody, Benton, Isaac M, Sergey and Mike.

We rolled out the usual way on pavement that was damp but not puddled with water so rarely did I swallow the cocktail of road juice flung from the back of a tire.  Eva in blue just came back from a trip to Poland so she was making the usual and understandable noise about not being fit enough to ride with us but she had no problem that I could discern during the entirety of the ride.

Chris G had a brief mechanical prior to reaching the final New Albany stop light, regrouped just as the light was turning red so the group was split.  However, by the time we made a left on Kitzmiller, we were together again.  We got onto Jug, missed one left turn as Larry P, our route developer, was asleep at the switch but made the next left on Clover Valley.  Within a few pedal strokes, Woody had a flat.  I rode with the group, racked by guilt as I knew that he knew that I knew he had a flat.  My conscience got the best of me at the right turn on Miller and I circled around.

I ran into Eva and Cindy, who informed me Larry had stopped with Woody and we would soft pedal until they caught up.  About then, Cindy's front tire went flat.  Unable to even get the tire off the wheel, I had to help.  Although she has had as many flats as anyone, I don't think she has ever had to actually fix one since there is always someone around who falls for the helpless woman routine. It works though.

Meagan came riding along and so now there were four of us and soon, Larry and Woody arrived and not only were we now six but.....

...they took over the flat fixing effort and so soon we were back on the route, following it until Burg St, where we proceeded into Granville as planned, arriving at the 25 mile point.

As we exited the coffee shop, we saw Travis & Co, around 6 from the original group, waiting in front of the CVS and getting ready to shove off. I hear they had maintained a relaxed pace and regrouped several times. Their group had also had mechanical issues, including two flats and a broken spoke.  Just as the "go" decision was made, Cindy discovered while we were in the coffee shop....

.....that front tire had gone flat again. Ack!!!!!  Larry discovered what he thought to be a particle from an old flint arrow head lodged in the tire.  Once removed, he completed the task of fixing the flat and we returned to New Albany with 47 miles.  Hope we can get out again sooner rather than later.

    

Saturday, 10:00am start to allow fog to dissipate, behind Veloscience bike shop in New Albany.  Larry P has come up with the below route but many/some of us will take Burg St into Granville and finish with 48ish miles rather than the 59 mile route shown here: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/11735229