May 26 ride :)

I'm in Virginia, where I used ot live and got started cycling, but only at an easy pace on the no-drop rides. I'm back for little brother's wedding and came early to be a go-fer since two of my other siblings (there's 6 of us) can't drive much or at all for medical reasons... which means lots of time to try to be out of the way, too.
So, I looked up the rides and... oh, boy. There's a Tuesday ride, but it's a "B+" level ride... 16 up to 18 mph Fast social with emphasis on riding
Frequent paceline riding, occasional regrouping, leader rides anywhere within group, riders who fall off the paceline and slower riders may be dropped.

welp, I haven't done a ride at that level this year... and then there's the eternal question - is it really at that level. I emailed the leader to ask if tuesday noon folks were retirees or strapping college students... he said "older group that likes to work hard."

It was sweet. I showed up on my hybrid with toe clips (*fast* hybrid wiht road tires, thank you) and they didn't say word one about it, before or after. Okay, I'd said stuff like that I wanted to get to 3000 miles on the year today... and in reverse of my usual habits wore stuff to look like a cyclist. It was just a good ride ;) 40 miles at 17 mph (gosh! advertised speed! Ride fitting description! ... welp, it *is* still early in the season, but the guy said they do the ride year-round, which is also good to know, and that I was more than welcome any time)

Of *course* there were times when I was sure I couldn't do this (I usually average 15-16) ... but... I also knew that when I focused on riding really, honestly, as well as I could and trusting myself... that I'd surprised myself before. What a pleasant paradox -- I was suprised, but I expected it :D

... now I'm out to the evening ride, but I'll cruise with the "B and C" group this time.

I am keeping my fingers crossed...after about 3.5 days of rain the sun is supposed to come out tomorrow!! :D:D Hope to go for a ride then.

Welp, I went on the evening ride which had a low turnout because of the rain... I introduced myself to a couple of people who looked like the "B" group and then went to get my bike out... and they headed out before I had my helmet on. I went over and asked the guy with the "signup" sheet if there was a map an there wasn't "Because I'm a slacker." And while his group *would* catch up to the other group, they would be going *very* fast once they sped up so I should just go out and turn right and ride 'til I caught the other group.

)Short version -- BAD directions, never found group, rode around, let the first returners know, but got in metric.


Long veriosn: welp, turn right was on 301... I knew in two miles that this wasn't right. I did two more on the off chance... and turned around. Took the first right *from* 301 going both directions, and neither option would have offered enough distance to catch anybody. Wnet to parking lot and wrote note and left on windshield suggesting that in the future he simply state that he was a slacker and that I'd need to talk to somebody else.

Went back to explore other possible routes and try to get a metric, looping back towards the parking lot when things dumped me on major roads, and then saw some returning cyclists and realized that anybody who was that mindless of others might, in fact, decide to slash my tyres. So I peeled in and snatched the note off the windshield... and more cyclists came in and expressed their gladness that I'd been able to connect and ride, so I explained that well, actually I hadn't. THey were full of explanations - there'd been an email that the B ride was canceled - and I must have said eight times that well, I could hold my own with B+, a.k.a. them, and that I wouldn't have minded being dropped or even being told to go home, but to be given the attitude taht I wasn't worthy of being pulled up to the slow group that the guy had said I *could* keep up with (who were still out there, and who these guys said they'd caught up to very quickly, so I think they were of the group the bad direction guy was in and had seen me head out) *or* told where the first turn or two were. I also told 'em that yes, I was annoyed, but I'd get over it... that this stuff happened and I'd already had a great ride that morning with a B+ crew... As I waved good by they were apologizing again and the one guy said, "Come out THursday! We really feel bad about this! This guy says he'll pull you!" so I got out of the car (with the biggest smile I could muster) and said, "Waht do you mean? I will pull YOU!" and he said, "and you thought you were getting us out of trouble!" ... but I think they got it and I really wish I were going to be there Thursday but I'll probably be at my sister's.

We were expecting rain but only got a light scattered shower here and there.

In keeping with trying to provide incentives for DH to ride his bike more, I proposed that he ride from home to Red Hook Brewery, about 22 miles, where I would meet him with car and doggy and my bike, hand off the car and doggy after a light lunch, and I would ride home.

DH got a flat a mile out from the house, and had to call me for help, since he had no spare tube, no tire levers, no pump. We had a great day once we got him rolling again. Nice comfy overcast skies, and the trail was not crowded at all!