Thursday New Albany Ride Report

Ron prepares and later, decided to go out with the A group where he soloed off the front a couple of times.  I think the Riveters have a pact where each week, one of them drops to the A group to push us beyond our max:)

Decent Dan on the right with Mark V.  Dan participated in the "Vermont Gran Fondo" last Saturday.  The route included what is believed to be the steepest, one mile paved road in the US.  

Adam O, striking an unusual pose, checks weather radar but we were good to go and go we went and stayed as dry as one could given the humidity.  No rain! Oh and Scott Billman crashed last week and several wanted to know how he is doing.  Went to ER to have a rock removed that was lodged under his skin.  A pinched sciatic nerve in his back is causing a lot of pain, along with a bruise on his hip.  Worse yet, he had to watch us exit the parking lot from his condo across from Starbucks, wishing he was able to join.

Not much use for the lone shady spot for tonight's gathering.  To the south, a cell was passing and fortunately, stayed to the south. Paul D in the center, alerted me that a state of lawlessness had begun to creep into the peloton.  Bringing order is way above my pay grade but I will alert the authorities and see what can be done.

Kristie with treats was there and so too more people then I thought would come given the threatening radar and humidity.  Someone asked if I was ready to learn how to sweat again.  Gawd, it was like wearing a heavy blanket.  

I beckoned the Riveters, who were in their own clique to come over and they did.  I did not think to count but probably 40-50 cyclists as last minute checks of radar indicated it was dissipating as threatening looking stuff rolled in from the west.  Off the Riveters went and then I went out with the A group along with.....

Ryan in white/red, Danny A, Decent Dan, Paul Djupe, Paul Stock, Hector, Kristian, Andrew K, Andrew Clayton, Mick, etc... and.....a stranger, on the left, about whom people were talking, post ride.  Turns out she is from Granville, I thinking living in IL, Allison Schroeder.  Lori Nedescu knows her and approves.

I hung with the A group to Stone Quarry but wanted to spend time with the B group and avoid getting dropped later in the long route.  I stopped, along with Mike Weber and waited but not for long as they came streaming down the hill. Kristie, Jon W, John, Don N, Chris I

Jay P, who rarely sweats was even sweating or perspiring.  The A group had made a left here at Louden but we went right.  Descending into Granville on a road that ought to be converted into gravel so bad is its condition, the Rivets passed us. They then slowed so drafting Jay and Ron, we caught them and then I bolted around, screaming, "On your left".  Ha, ha.  Passing the Rivets, a classic moment but later, one in our group said they ought to be called the "Duct Tapers".  Allowing a guy of my fitness level to pass does kind of diminish the eliteness of the squad.  All in good fun!

Reaching 661, many of our group was missing so we turned around and discovered that Tim had a flat.  The delay was long enough that rather than take the Jones Road extension, we entered the University and did the Ebaugh Road climb, also bypassing the street fair.  Returned to New Albany with a 20mph average and 43 miles.  The Rivets (Adam, Patrick, Justin, Goeric, Chase, Pete C & others) finished with a 23.1 average.  However, they had to do some back tracking in Granville to rescue a friend so their real average would have been higher.

What better way to ride in the soup, if you must ride in the soup, then to ride with your friends from New Albany, following these routes!  Hope to see you out there.  I have 2 weeks worth of screaming, inventing things about which to scream.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19699702
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19699804
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19699842