A Very Strange Ride (long)
Today was the second time this season I rode with the Wednesday Wheelers group. They are a part of a bike club known for "fast" and "faster" rides. This group is mostly, ah, older people, all in very good shape who don't feel the need to hammer. Of course, there are some people in their 30's who come in the summer, but it's mostly retired people or those with flexible schedules. Anyway, I drove about an hour to the start, in Newburyport, MA. It was hot and humid and threatening rain, but the clouds kept the temperature manageable. And, there was a nice breeze. This group doesn't use cue sheets; instead they use a human arrow system. Most of the time it works out, but sometimes the person who volunteers to be the arrow leaves their "post" before the sweep appears and then people get lost.. OK, so the leader was a very nice older man who was giving us a tour of the area. He grew up around there, on a farm. The beginning was pleasant. We rode along the Merrimac River, on rolling country roads. He told some of us to go ahead of him on the hills and told us where to stop to wait. So, just to make conversation, I asked someone how old this man was. He's 86 :eek: :eek: ! I mean he was cruising along at 15-16 a good part of the time, although he seemed to slow to 12-13 along the way. This group does ride slower than I usually do, but i get to see new places and there's always a lunch involved.
After a very hairy stop in downtown Haverill, MA we headed back to a more country setting toward the lunch stop. After we stopped at a llama farm, we were off. On a slight incline, a couple of people got ahead of the leader and I followed. But, he didn't give us a cue. The next thing I know, I hear someone whistling loudly and chasing us. Of course, we missed the turn. So we head back and see a street, but there is no "human arrow" waiting there. The guy who chased us said he clearly told others he was getting us, but they went on. After much discussion and riding back and forth, up and down a hill, we decided that since we had no idea where the lunch was, except for which town it was in, we would head back to the cars. One guy had a map and we were not that far. Of course, by now the sun was out and very hot and it was 1 PM. I was starving. Thankfully, something had made me bring 2 Clif bars, so I started eating the second one. One of the other women who was in our group of 5 got a call from someone else on the ride; they were lost too! Anyway, we made it back to the cars and found out from someone who had left the lunch early that when they got there, the place was out of business, so people were going all over for lunch. Out of 23 people, only 11 arrived at the lunch stop. Something was really wrong here. I have ridden with this group probably 10 times and I don't think this usually happens. Oh well. I arrived home hungry and a little sunburned, but I revived quickly after a shower and then I went to get my nails done!
July 13th didn't ride....
Half hour swim at the gym, half hour walk before work....now off to walk the doggie which is the most important "didn't ride" :cool:
