Saturday Roving Ride Report

 There is a small bike club in Licking County called, the Licking County Bicycle Club.  This is where I got my start and where I discovered Cindy Berard, riding a road bike with Samsonite-like luggage on the front and rear of her bike, dressed in sweat suits to hide the rolls of flab (she's come a long way so it's hard to imagine the image for some of you). One of our email copy list members, Belinda Hughes, recently joined the club and has been bragging about the destruction she has wrought on the lcbc group rides, punishing many of the members with bike path sprints.  I decided to join them for a group ride to Bladensburg, to check out this new sensation, and I would then head over to Martinsburg and meet up with Mark V's COP roving ride.

I calculated Mark's group would cover the 45 miles to M-burg by 10:45am and the lcbc would cover the 25 miles to B-burg (starting at the Nerk Y) by 9:30, where I would eat at Butlers with them before heading west for 5 miles to catch Mark in M-burg, by 10:45.  Fifteen people turned out for the lcbc which is a huge turnout.  They have the destination but no preplanned routes so there was some debate about how to get to B-burg, with the flattest possible route winning, of course.  Instead of having 2 groups, they kind of hang together with regrouping stops.  To make a very long story short, after 23 miles we had killed 2 hours and 20 minutes!!!!  Instead of  stopping in B-burg I hung a left on Divan and rode over to M-burg, arriving at 10:44.  As an aside, Belinda has gotten much stronger riding a hybrid with fat tires and I thought I heard her say, "Tell Cindy I'm gonna beat her by the end of the year!"  As for lcbc, if you know of any beginning cyclists who maybe want to join a club but think they are too slow, send them to the lickingcountybicycleclub.com website and sign up.  Good and considerate cyclists, just not too fast.

I drank a Monster and ate a Snickers while waiting for the COP folks.  As I waited at a gas station, a SUV with Wyoming plates pulled in.  Don't see that very often.  Eventually, Jamie Group Killer came flying in and we waited for others to catch up.  The Boss (Craig Butler) had again failed to show at the start and Group Killer was disappointed, having to ride alone, out in front.  Eventually, Mark V, Jeff S, that Recumbent Dude from the Thursday ride and Amanda rode in and we headed off to Utica, making it there without incident.  At Utica, Retro George was waiting and we went into the famous Pioneer restaurant that has a genuine 1800-style rifle hanging on the wall.  How cool is that.  Now, while sitting in Pioneer, and using special high speed camera, I was able to catch what normally is a blur--Cindy Berard with fork and pancake piece headed towards an open mouth.  This move has been compared to a cobra strike but I was able to catch it.  Perhaps as rare as a 4-leaf clover.

We finished eating and while we were prepping for the start of the ride, George was inside trying to negotiate his $8,00 lunch down to a more manageable $3.00.  I should also say that Recumbent Dude's real name is Nathan, a great guy, who started riding last fall and chose a recumbent.  That he can hang with "A" riders after a few months makes me think his nickname should be "The Natural" but I like Recumbent Dude too much. Also, while George got lost following Mark V's directions, his maps are easily the most comprehensive I have ever seen.  Two pages, both sides, with directions in English, German, Spanish and Swahili.    Some thought this encyclopedia of maps was confusing, I thought the map very clear, and said so often.

Anyway, we headed west on Homer with Group Killer, George and I separating from the rest who wanted to digest the pancakes before riding hard.  We eventually got to Johnstown and there, I announced I would stop so I could take some group rider images (Discover Ohio is using them for a special web-based promotion if I can send them b).  After awhile, Cindy and gang rode by and I got some images, with Cindy giving me the finger.  I sealed the camera in a plastic bag and saw Cindy's gang had decided not to, you know, maybe wait while I got organized so I could join them???  I chalked it up to delirium from fighting a surprisingly strong wind and the exhilaration of being in front of me. I arrived in Alexandria and took the bike path back to the Nerk Y.  GET THIS!!!!  The lcbc cyclists were arriving in the parking lot from the B-burg ride, having covered 52 miles in 6.5 hours.  Gosh, so much more I could describe but got to keep it under 1000 words.  What surprises me is how feature rich are these rides and how easy it is to create content, some of it true and one or two points not true.  Lastly, while I finished with 75 miles,Mark V and gang would have had 90. Below is Recumbent Dude with Jeff, Cindy and Mark V, yelling something at me.