With the Tour Autauga (a cancer fund raiser) coming up next Saturday, I figured a somewhat hilly ride would be a good tune up this week. Frank suggested and early start, and that worked out perfectly.
On the way to the meeting point, I passed this guy down my street. I suppose he got in a little too late last night. You think? Some cars ARE hard to park though.
Nice turn out for the ride. Frank, Joe, Chris, Max, Steve, Long-time-no-see Bill and new guy Joel all came out. Joel emailed me this week and asked about local rides. When I suggested this one, he was a little concerned about doing a metric. Here's Joel at a rest stop doing a Steve Martin impression.
How do you THINK he did? Nickname suggestion for Joel: "Sandbagger." We were Waaay too slow for this tri-athlete, but he's welcome aboard our train any time. Steve, in the picture with him, and Ray who, always says "hi" in the parking lot and then jumps off the front never to be seen again, are good riding partner choices for Joel.
The ride pulled out of the parking lot at 7:00 AM, and the first 40 miles were mostly flat and in calm air. Cloud cover kept the Sun off our backs and the scent of honeysuckle was very enjoyable. Here we are heading north on Coosada Parkway.
I really liked Joe's jersey. Sharon had a black lab named Mollie who she loved dearly, and who died a few years ago. If Sharon ever starts to ride, I'll get her one of these. Even the collar is the right color.
Everyone seemed to like the route, and this was one of my faster metric outings. I rode the Rivendell Road and it is just a good riding bike. The Pascenti Pari-Motos are a year old now and have been flat free. They are 38s and at 65psi provide a fast smooth ride over a variety of surface conditions. I'll definitely want another pair when these wear out. I tried a hydration pack for the 1st time on a long ride and really liked it as well. Plenty of liquid when you need it, keeps my back a little cooler, and provides some added storage space. I'm joining Max and Frank in the backpack brigade, at least for longer outings.
We stopped several times for indoor plumbing and to refill our water bottles/back packs. At Poseys, Chris on the left here said a guy had just driven up, told the cashier he'd cut off a finger, and jumped back in his car. Max, on the right, is saying you can't believe everything Chris tells you.
We all took turns riding with various other riders, occasionally re grouping and sometimes riding solo. If you do longer rides, you know how it is. The metrics of this metric: 66.16 miles, 2330' of climb, 15.9 moving avg (which is fast for me). Back in time for lunch and a trip with the family to Home Depot. Gotta love it.
Happy Easter everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment