Saturday, May 31 ride

[7rider]

Today was a lesson in the benefits of group riding.

Last week, I did the N2 - got promptly dropped. The group was crazy fast, and I spent most of my time riding solo or with 2 or 3 others way off the back. Had an average pace of 17.1 for the main ride and I was busted for the rest of the day.

Today, I again did the N2. But the group stayed at a more sedate pace (mainly b/c the racers weren't there). I actually hung with the group a whole lot more (yeah, I still got dropped on most of the hills). My average pace for this ride was 17.3. Faster pace, less beat up.

Neat.

How was your ride???

[Zen]

What ride?
what time did you go out?
It's pouring and there are severe thunderstorm warnings right now.

I had a good ride yesterday though. Despite my no-speed fall

[divingbiker]

So I guess you didn't like my May 31 rides thread, eh?

[Zen]

Give her a noogie, DB.

[RoadRaven]

In the interests of symmetry, DB, I am going to write in this thread (your May31 thread has more posts)... but isn't it a shame there is no way to join threads together. When I have been a moderator there has been a tool for splitting threads, but nothing for joining them together...

My May 31 ride? Intense, hard out and I am still uncomfortable today.

I got a new bike last week - full carbon, dura-ace, but not the same low hill climbing gears as my usual road race bike (which is now relegated to training bike).

And yesterday (Its 8am on June 1st here in Middle Earth) I had about the toughest race in terms of hills that our club does! And I rode hard, and fast-for-me and felt really satisfied at the finish.

• I stayed with the break-away group as we headed out, I even climbed the first hill with them before I dropped off - that is a first for me!

• One climb which I have previously slogged up at 7-8kph (1.5km long) I went up at 9-10kph and wasn't in my lowest gear! My bike is much lighter... I have started spin classes once a week which I treat as interval training...

It was a 33km race - only about 9km of which were flat (and because that is the false flat, about 5km of it were going up also!)
I got in 44km in total when I include warm up/cool down.

Stunning day - a heavy frost in the morning meant the day (though cold) was sunny, dry and virtually windless.

[7rider]

I didn't see your ride thread, DB. I looked for one. Honest!

The N2, Zen, is the "No Name" ride that a bunch of guys started who ride with my LBS. They liked the Sunday morning shop ride so much, they decided to have another go on Saturday mornings, too! It's called No Name as the original intent was to NOT wear team kits (including and especially the LBS jersey) - but it's routinely ignored. The ride leaves at 7:30 a.m. from Silver Spring, goes out to Potomoc (some go on to Poolesville) and comes back via River Road. There were about 25 on today's ride. About 10 went on to Poolesville and the rest did the "standard" route. We were back at the cars by 10:15, so we got home ahead of the storms. The earlier stuff was up north county -- more in your neck o' the woods. RLAG had that Gambrills Gravel Road ride today (I take it you didn't go).
I think they got rained out.