The Last One was a Fast One

By 5:30, there were 5-6 in the parking lot with our two ride leaders, Jeff & Jeff.  I began questioning the idea of me buying a thank you card for another guy so I emailed Flyin Tuna to ask if she would do it instead.  Unfortunately, she said she was getting her hair restyled because she doesn't like the look of it after removing her cycling helmet.  Yes, helmet hair can be a problem.  So, no card for Jeff but I am going to get him something more suitable, a 6-pack of beer.

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I felt very sorry for Dennis tonight.  He had his head on a swivel checking out the arrival of each car and cyclist, beginning at about 5:30. Dennis has long hoped to once, just once, be the top dog exiting the parking lot.  When it appeared only the weak were going to ride, creating great expectations for Dennis, his hopes were dashed with the arrival of Dave Chesrown and then by Terry and Marty.  Oh well, maybe next year. 

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SuperDave broke his shifter at the bottom of Hill Road out of Roscoe Village last week.  I'm sure he's not the only one who looked up at that hill and began pressing the shifter well beyond it's limit, looking for a gear that did not exist.  Anyway, his back-up is this mountain bike.  Denver Dan was there too and Dennis, debating what his winter training plans are going to be, says he may challenge Muscle Dude for the title after a winter of upper body weight training.  I can only hope for this outcome to add weight and slow him down.

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With the late arrivals, we had maybe 25 people so Jeff called out an A and B group together and most left the parking lot.  There were Terry, Marty and Dave C as the real A's, follow by the pretenders like me, Dennis, Jeff S, couple of Trek Eshelon guys, Mick, David, Dan...probably 15 in total.  As soon as we turned onto old 161, Terry drilled the pace and we worked hard to stay on, turning left at Kitzmiller and still working hard to hang in there, then a right on Jug and you guessed it...pretty much gassed but still hanging on.  A left on Clover Valley and a right on Green Chapel had thinned the herd a little with Terry, Dave and Marty rotating off the front and me hoping a stop sign would slow the progress, which it did just often enough.    We hung a right at Duncan Plains and glancing at the computer, saw our average was 24 something.....this is craziness!  Then we reached Miller where "The Three" gapped us and we plodded along as fast was we could up and over the numerous ramps, with Marty having taken pity on us and dropped back to help pull us....what a guy!  We reached Clover Valley, regrouped with The Three, Dennis, Trek Echelon Steve, Jeff and had picked up Mick who had taken a short cut and another guy who had been motor paced back to us by a car.  On Clover Valley, first Dennis and then Steve went around Marty who was just soft pedaling to keep us in the game.  Each time this only forced Marty to pick up the pace and pass them, amping up the pace even more.  We turned right on Jug and approached Beech, the designated turn on the map.  I and someone else yelled left turn but Terry kept going straight, followed by everyone else.  Having slowed to turn, I got gapped and well, forget about it.  The average at that point was 23.4 so in the remaining 3 solo miles my average plunged to 22.3, the others finished at 23.2 for 22 miles.   

Wow, that forecast for Saturday is not lookin good for you CFCers.  Average temp is still low 70's but why you can't catch that, who knows.  60% chance of rain, windy, blustery conditions with temps in the low-mid 40's.  Watch the descents with the wet leaves and pavement.  A group of us plan to start at 9:00am from Cyclist Connection, weather permitting.  so far, it looks like Dennis, Jeremy, Kevin H and friend of Dennis will be there for a off-season paced ride.  Everyone welcome.

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