Mark's Cycling & Hiking Blog
  • Home
  • Mark's Cycling Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Boulder Canyon Posts
  • Cycling Event Meet-Ups
  • Home
  • Mark's Cycling Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Boulder Canyon Posts
  • Cycling Event Meet-Ups

The Lost Peloton at New Albany

8/14/2009

0 Comments

 
Picture
Farmer Mike arrives only so he can ride 30 miles to have 100 miles for the day after a morning ride.
Picture
Paul Stock, planning where to drop me.

Smaller than average turn-out, maybe 30-35 although there have been several new people, which is good.  One very fit looking femaile newbie showed up looking for the group that rode a 21mph average and I pointed her to SuperDave.  Otherwise, the usual mix of strong A's, such as John Morgan, Redhead Bill, Mick, 3 Trek/Echeloners, Retro George, Paul Stock, and others.  Probably 15 to start with the A's, including of course our beloved ride leader, Jeff S. who was out to ride easy prior to Saturday's Cheat Mt. Challenge.

We took off with Jeff performing the cremonial first 1 mile pull.  However, Redhead Bill did the unthinkable, pulling out of the line and jumping in front of Jeff.  This is cycling sacrilege, similar to a rookie pitcher dancing on the mound after strinking out an oldtimer future bound for the hall of fame. We darted out Jug, left on Clover Valley and right on Miller, over to the Caswell climb into Johnstown. The pace was high throughout and there was no let-up climbing Caswell.  I felt good at the top as we turned onto Concorde.  Strategically, I was in a bad place behind another wiley verteran, Paul Stock, who was drafting from the gutter position. leaving me exposed behind him, to his left.  My needle began to get pushed into the red zone but thankfully, Redhead Bill pulled off the front and as he drifted back I invited him ahead of me, an invitation he accepted.  Sweet relief as no0w he was left fighting the wind and I was recovering in his slip-stream.  Wiley veterans never invite someone to occupy a spot in front unless they have an ulterior motive, such as delaying their time to take a pull or to repair a disadvantaged position in the line.

The route had has turning left on Nichols Lane but this was ignored and we continued east, off the route to Northridge, where we turned left and faced that long uphill section.  Someone dropped the hammer and we rode hard with the elastic stretching and breaking as many gaps appeared.  I could not tell who was setting the hellish pace, intent on keeping my head down and staying on Mick's wheel.  Clearly he was unusually under pressure but we stayed with the lead and turned right onto Sportsman Club and that series of hills.  Mick was dropping back a bike length or two and then sprinting to regroup.  As a wiley verteran, I know this tactic is usually employed by some young guy trying to break those behind him but for Mick, it is just his riding style sometimes.  He appeared to be at the breaking point and as we crested a hill with a final ramp, suddenly he attacked!  How does he do this!  I figure as a member of ODNR, he has discoved some EPO herb naturally growing in a field or something.

I was about to spit the bit as we crested and then turned onto Louden, where instead of softpedaling, someone attacked yet again and then again.  We turned right onto Stone Quarry and I was ok on that first hill but as we rounded the turn, hitting that long. slightly uphill stretch, Muscle Dude let a gap open in front of him and I could only watch it stretch out.  Yes, I was toast.  I clung to Muscle Dude's wheel and he clawed within a yard or two of the front 6 before the next climb and I went around him to regroup but never quite made it.  So close but yet so far.  The gap was soon vast and as I turned left onto Northridge, the average was 22.4mph.  Considering the hills, that was a scintillating pace.  The balance of the route went downhill to Alexandria, then the 5 mile climb out of that valley onto 161 and home.  No doubt the average for the lead group would have ended close to 23mph but as a lone rider, my average plummeted to 21.1 at the end. 
In the "strange but true" category, George was late for the start again, this time claiming he stopped at a market to buy a water bottle, the lady didn't know how to work the scanner, by the time he got out the A group was out of sight.  Very strange

Flying Tuna and Belinda finally met, on Thursday at a ride starting at the Newark Y.  Tuna had ridden Tuesday and Wednesday so she did not think she could hang with the strong New Albany B riders and chose instead this Newark ride.  It sounds as if Belinda outsprinted Cindy as they left the Y's parking lot and, satisfied with this victory, packed it in so as not to reveal too much.

Picture
The sun is setting and George finds one last group to whom he explains why he missed the ride start, again.
 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Mark is a long-time cyclist, hiker, golfer and plays some table tennis...ok, it's ping pong.

    Categories

    All
    April
    California Riding
    Grand Canyon Backpacking
    March
    The Characters

    Archives

    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.