Thursday New Albany Ride Report

Jon, Shannon & Sandy.  Shannon parks at the parking lot off Beech Road and rides in for a warm-up session.  Rumor is on the way out with the Riveters, he drills it, then drifts to the back of the group, then exhausted turns in to the parking lot and heads for home.  Just parking lot gossip that I feel is my duty to pass along.

The French Climbing Machine attends to the nutritional requirement of being a climbing machine.  Undecided if he will defend his title at the Denison climb event next Friday evening.

A visitor from Philly on the right.  She is a retired Cat 2 but seemed to ride like an unretired Cat 2 if you ask me.  She was still going strong when I bugged out of the group....yeah, I know, no big surprise as everyone was still going strong.

How about that?  The appearance of another BH bike similar to my own and then I saw a 3rd.  That is a record. 

Pretty good turnout considering, once again, the forecast was not great.  Actually, the reality on the ground was not great either.  I was sweating just lifting my bike out of the trunk.

Marty, Patrick and Jon M part of a large contingent of Riveters.  I had positioned myself at the lower end of the parking lot so that I could merge with the Rivet group unseen.  Had I been at the top end and paraded in front of my many peeps, I would have subjected myself to a cacophony of derisive comments. 

Todd, Terry & Eleanor. 

We await word that we can leave and....

....so we do, along with the A group.  Mixing the groups should always be avoided but we got things sorted on the road.  In case you wonder, the Rivet group goes fast, really fast.  I was out of breath and sweating a bunch during the warm-up!  We got on to Smiths Mill Road where Marty was riding comfortably along side me but I was not getting 100% of the draft so I had to excuse myself and drift back, fully behind someone.  Too many turns subjected me to too much of the accordion effect.  Turn and sprint, repeat... left on Beech, right on Miller, left on Clover Valley...how much longer could I do this....right on Green Chapel, right on Duncan Plains, left on Caswell...we were a long string, Tym Tyler was drifting back and I invited him to merge in front. Big Mistake!  He did exactly what I would have done, settle right of the cyclist in front while in the gutter.  I was....

....dropped.  My average at the time was 24.6mph and a mere 11 miles. I.....

.....stopped at the lonely intersection of Caswell and #37, waiting for.....

     

...the A group.  They don't ride a bunch slower then the Rivets and my legs were not well.  I made a right at Northridge, picked up a visitor from TN who wanted to cut it short too and pulled him in, finishing with a 20.2 avg and 34 miles.  The Riveters finished with a 23.5 avg and the A group with a 21 avg.  Pretty good! I am rooting around for Saturday ride options so stay tuned.

     

Yes, another Thursday, another marvelous day of weather although it appears a storm will come and go before the start of this evening's ride. A word or two on a subject about which I have more than passing familiarity; getting dropped. There have been plenty of reports about a few crazies, also known as motorists, harassing cyclists and I believe it to be safer to ride in a group rather than be a lonely pilgrim. There is no shame in dropping back to a group behind you. For example, if you drop from the Rivet group, you will find the A group is populated by a bunch of Riveters. You'll be welcome and comfortable as the 4-5 legit A cyclists are pummeled over the course of the same route that the Rivet group follows. If you drop from the A group...ok...I lied, there is shame with dropping into "That" crowd, the B group. Those people will welcome you but question your manhood and make funny clucking sounds like chickens. Please note they follow a slightly shorter route so know how the B route deviates from the Rivet/A route. Dropping from the B group to the C group is entirely different. The C group has class, so I am told, so you will be welcome without the name calling. Very hot and humid this afternoon and the weather service has issued a warning for the conditions. Tonight's Routes:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19779755
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19779892
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19779934