This always amazes me...

[Veronica]

I was out riding by myself today. I got swept up by a group of Grizzly Peak cyclists climbing Morgan Territory. They were training for their century in two weeks. The first group was really friendly said hello, chatted a little bit. I left the Morgan Territory parking lot ahead of them. I wanted to do the Plunge without having to worry about a whole herd of folks who don't know it very well, especially since it was wicked windy.

At the bottom I called Thom as prearranged so he could meet me for lunch (and ultimately bring me back home - stupid cold!) and they passed me again while I was putting my jacket away. A few minutes after I started rolling again I get passed by these three REALLY thin, but incredibly muscular guys. All of whom said hello. After they pass me the last guy sits up, still drafting, both hands free and eats something. I am always blown away by the ease with which pro riders do this. He's still continuing to draft the other two. How do they do that?! I mean yeah I can pedal no handed, but NOT while drafting.

I don't know who they were, they didn't seem to be in team kit, all different colors. Maybe they were just wicked good riders. They then turned on the speed and quickly passed the Grizzly Peak folks.

V.

[Lise]

Impressive! Sounds like a good ride, V, even with the cold.

You ladies and your real hills. In Chicago, a "hill" is where the street angles up for 1/2 a block to go over the river. I guess that's called a "bridge".

[Pedal Wench]

Not to brag, but I just got back from watching the final stage of the Tour De Georgia, where they're averaging 29 mph, for well over 100 miles. Some riders are in an entirely different world from us mere mortals!

[mimitabby]

Doesn't sound like they have hills in Georgia either

[Grog]

I was riding a few meters behind a friend of mine at the end of last Summer, he had a jacket with zip-off sleeves. He unzipped his sleeves and stuffed them in the back pocket of his jacket while riding. I was pretty impressed. All with no hands, of course. And that lasted a few minutes. Geez.

I can ride for about ... hum, 3 seconds with no hands, and certainly not drafting. It blows my mind, too.

It's all in the core.

[skibum]

Doesn't sound like they have hills in Georgia either

Oh, they have hills here in Georgia The final stage was relatively flat as far as things go. Just some rollers and a category 3 climb of around 1000 ft. Stage 5 on the other hand had some serious climbing... a mountaintop finish on an HC rated climb. In the velonews play-by-play, they mentioned the riders were only going about 7mph. And that was before they hit the really steep part!!

[DrBee]

Lise - I know how you feel. The little 3ft long bump up into my driveway feels like a hill. On my ride this morning I had to stop at an intersection for a car. I had to start "up a hill" to get onto the next road. Yeah - it was something like a 2ft incline. Ooh. That's about as hilly as it gets in the MS Delta. And I'm going to do the Team in Training Lake Tahoe century next summer. Wish me luck!

I'm always amazed when I see people eating, stretching, all that good stuff without holding on. I'd wreck for sure. I'm still getting used to the new road bike. I'd be lucky if I made it 3 seconds. I'm happy to be able to wave at people without swerving (is that spelled right - looks wierd).

[yellow]

I was riding a few meters behind a friend of mine at the end of last Summer, he had a jacket with zip-off sleeves. He unzipped his sleeves and stuffed them in the back pocket of his jacket while riding. I was pretty impressed. All with no hands, of course. And that lasted a few minutes. Geez.

On my ride Sat I watched the ride leader take off and stow his knee warmers while riding. I'd heard of this being done but never seen it. I was really impressed, esp considering the less-than-stellar road condition.

[DrBee]

knee warmers??? I cannot imagine! That must have been quite a site!

[DirtDiva]

Knee warmers indeed. That is impressive.

[bikerchick68]

it's pretty amazing how confident some people are on the bike... I feel like I a a decent rider and then someone like this passes me I cannot imagine drafting and eating...

I STILL don't ride hands free... I don't know... maybe it's my age, cause I used to all the time as a kid... but now it just gives me the willies... I do NOT want to crash... not sure if I'd be more upset over the skin loss or the damage that would no doubt be done to my bike...

[RoadRaven]

I just had a big lecture with my eldest sons and their training friend (ages 17, 16 and 15).
They were out riding with me the other day and were doing handsfree stuff - eg how fast can you go handsfree.
When home I talked about how dumb and irresponsible that is, especially when in a group.

I said that if they they have to go handsfree during a ride (eg to stretch their back or take off a windbreaker) they must go to the back of the bunch. It is too easy - a gust of wind for example - to get blown into another cyclist.
I also said if they crashed handsfree, there was no way I was paying for replacement or mending of their bikes (my sons have expensive carbon GIANTs, thats alot of money they will have to find.

I never stop to eat - I carry what I think I'll need in my back pocket, and the only time I have stopped to refuel is because one of the women I train with prefers to stop to eat.

[Dianyla]

Oh, this post brought back memories for me!

When I was about 13 or so I was out on a ride with my dad. I was just getting into road riding and had been watching a little too many Tour videos and thinking it was just no big deal to take off a layer while riding. I had done a little hands-free sitting up and drinking water about once or twice and was feeling a wee bit overconfident in myself.

Halfway into the ride the morning clouds were burning off and my dad says "hey let's take off these jackets". Five seconds later he notices I've gone missing and looks back to see me on the ground, arms trapped inside my sweatshirt.