OC July 30th ride

[greenmachine]

It was a REALLY great ride today

Thanks to Brandy and Tiffanie for planning a terrific route! Nice bike paths, very little traffic and lots of great people to ride with too.

Me and Sylvia decided on the way home from the ride that OC has some of the best riding in So. Cal.

It was so nice meeting everybody!!

[Brandy]

I'm glad that you enjoyed the day Judy...it was really good to see you again!

We're sharing ride reports and Fixer is posting lots of pics over at Bike Forums.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=215201

Off to bed for me. I realized when I logged my miles for the day that I am at 475.61 for the month of July. Not one to let a challenge pass me by, I talked Tiff into riding 24.39 miles with me in the morning so I can make it a 500 mile month!

[greenmachine]

I'm glad that you enjoyed the day Judy...it was really good to see you again!

We're sharing ride reports and Fixer is posting lots of pics over at Bike Forums.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=215201

Off to bed for me. I realized when I logged my miles for the day that I am at 475.61 for the month of July. Not one to let a challenge pass me by, I talked Tiff into riding 24.39 miles with me in the morning so I can make it a 500 mile month!

OMG! A 500 mile month? That's awesome! I wish I could say that...

Thanks for the link; I'll check it out. Sleep well...ZZZZZzzzzzzzz

[caligurl]

brandy and tiff.... what an AWESOME ride!!!!!!!!!

so now you know... i didn't want to go! lol! didn't want to drive 2.5 hours and spend $65.00 in gas.. but hubby made me! well... i'm REALLY glad we went! not only did i get to finally meet you and tiff... and a bunch of the guys i'd been "talking" to for months over at BF..... plus i got to meet a couple other gals from here!

i was SO worried on the drive down (and pissed at hubby! lol!) cuz it RAINED.... POURED for about a hour of our trip... i'm like "we're gonna be the only ones that show up!" fortunately we drove out of the rain and it was cloudy but no rain in newport beach!

i was SHOCKED at the size of the group when we arrived at the park! WAY more than anyone anticipated! a LOT of BF folks had shown up! we were all ready to take off... and i realized i had forgotten to reset my edge.... so there i was trying to reset it (it was being testy...) i told hubby to go.... "i have a route slip" which i'm quite caple of following! (which, by the way was WELL written and very easy to follow! much better than a lot of organized ride route slips!)

the roads were great.... hardly any traffic.... a bunch of us were snapping pics... we were on a four lane road with a bike lane... so to get good pics... we'd sneak out into the lane.. but no biggie... the streets weren't busy at all!! and we looked first! so everyone was safe!! lol!

we all regrouped at the first sag! (they picked a good spot!) then set out to climb santiago canyon... very pretty but very COLD! BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

the lunch stop was also an awesome pick! lots of choices for those who wanted to eat or grab a snack! everyone waited til all were in and had a bit of time to get some food... then some were getting antsy to get back on the road (i, for one, am not a sit around at rest stops kind of person... i like to tinkle... get water... grab a snack and eat on the bike! lol!)

so a bunch of us took off... we thought the others were behind us... but they weren't... but we continued ahead... cuz the ones who hadn't followed were actually a larger group... so NO ONE was left alone... they had over 2/3 of the group with them!

the bike paths.... and then the view of the ocean on the downhill.... were gorgeous... breathtaking!

backbay was so pretty!!!!!!!!! i can't wait til we get to do the second "tour de sugar shorts!"

GREAT JOB brandy and tiff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! everyone made it back safe and sound! everyone i talked to LOVED the ride!!!!!! and LOVED the route!!!!!

[bcipam]

Being at the back of the ride I have another perspective. There were actually 3 main groups, the first the fast group of which Cali rode. The next with Brandy and Tiff and off the back, way back, left at the lunch stop was the TE group. Thankfully I knew and the route and BIG THANKS goes out to my buddy Wayne who out of the goodness of his heart, volunteered to sweep the slower riders, especially through the Canyon and after the lunch stop. Not that he mind riding with 5 ladies after lunch.

Just before the Shady Ridge climb we caught up with Brandy and Tiff. This "large" (fluffy) lady just couldn't compete with those youngums and I was passed by everyone going up this short but steep hill. Again Wayne was a big help in making sure the last group got in safe and sound.

BTW - most of the chat and photos are over at the other website. To check it out go to bikeforums.net. Check the ROAD thread and look for "Tour de Sugars Shorts". Brandy, Tiff and Cali are in alot of the photos, especially in the front group, and on page 6 are alot of our group as we rode thru the Canyon. I have on a BCI jersey, Tracy is wearing a nice lavendar/blue top, Audrey has a green shell over a red tank and Judy is wearing a white jersey with blue and green circles. My buddy Wayne has on a LA Fun Ride jersey.

[Ninabike]

Hey everyone - I'm jealous!! Sounds like you all had a great ride and met a bunch of fun new people. I wish I could have been there. I finally got my triple so no more excuses on the hills!! See you all at Cool Breeze - if not sooner.

Nina

[greenmachine]

Hey everyone - I'm jealous!! Sounds like you all had a great ride and met a bunch of fun new people. I wish I could have been there. I finally got my triple so no more excuses on the hills!! See you all at Cool Breeze - if not sooner.

Nina

Nina, we missed you and you would have had a blast. It was a great group of riders. But I would NOT have been able to do the ride without my granny gears!

See you at Cool Breeze!

[Brandy]

Done. Done. Done. Done. Done. Done. Done. Holy freaking cow. I'm done. I can't even respond to your version of events Pam. Those who were there know the details and for the record...never, ever, will I bother to plan a ride here at TE again. You can find me at Bike Forums.

[Tiffanie]

Being at the back of the ride I have another perspective. There were actually 3 main groups, the first the fast group of which Cali rode. The next with Brandy and Tiff and off the back, way back, left at the lunch stop was the TE group. Thankfully I knew and the route and BIG THANKS goes out to my buddy Wayne who out of the goodness of his heart, volunteered to sweep the slower riders, especially through the Canyon and after the lunch stop. Not that he mind riding with 5 ladies after lunch.

Just before the Shady Ridge climb we caught up with Brandy and Tiff. This "large" (fluffy) lady just couldn't compete with those youngums and I was passed by everyone going up this short but steep hill. Again Wayne was a big help in making sure the last group got in safe and sound.

BTW - most of the chat and photos are over at the other website. To check it out go to bikeforums.net. Check the ROAD thread and look for "Tour de Sugars Shorts". Brandy, Tiff and Cali are in alot of the photos, especially in the front group, and on page 6 are alot of our group as we rode thru the Canyon. I have on a BCI jersey, Tracy is wearing a nice lavendar/blue top, Audrey has a green shell over a red tank and Judy is wearing a white jersey with blue and green circles. My buddy Wayne has on a LA Fun Ride jersey.

Oh wow Pam. How is it you know where everyone's position was during the ride? Was Wayne your spy, too? Just curious, since you were left at the back of the ride. Don't get me wrong, he seemed like a nice guy and it was very nice of him to sweep the rear. I'm sure all of the people he was able to assist certainly appreciated his help.

The issue about Caligurl and her dh has already been discussed. No need to re-hash it out here.

NO ONE was left at the lunch stop. I recall riding with you guys from the lunch stop all the way to Shady Ridge. For the record, we weren't puzzled about the trail entrance (we had been there just a few days before), I was having trouble with my gearing and a few people stopped to help me out.

There were actually three times during the ride I was with "your" group and every time came a comment from you basically "shoo-ing" me away. You know, I was there to meet the people I've come to know on the forums (including the people in "your" group), have a good time and enjoy the ride. From what I can tell, 99.9% of the people there did just that.

Actually, FYI, I didn't end up in ANY group while climbing each of the hills. That's right. I was a 'tweener, not too fast but not too slow. All by my lonesome. I was just fine with that though because I wouldn't have been good company anyway, with all of my huffing and puffing.

Your last paragraph here reminds me of some type of popularity contest! I won't even comment on it.

I guess I'm a little surprised. Obviously, I'm a new rider and maybe I'm not getting correct "etiquette" for group rides. But with the amount of people who showed up it would be nearly impossible to keep the pack together. The faster, stronger riders would feel the need to hold back and the slower riders would perhaps feel the need to kick it up a notch. I think everyone rode at their own pace yesterday and there were plenty of regrouping points along the way. I noticed 3 or 4 of the guys riding the front were alternating returning to the back to make sure everyone was safe and doing ok. That really spoke volumes with me, having me think "what a great group! this is what it's all about!"

I'm sorry you feel the way you did/do. Perhaps if you didn't shoo everyone off, it could have been more enjoyable for you.

[/END RANT]

I'm done responding to your negativity. Oh and I didn't bring this "private" for obvious reasons.

[bcipam]

My perspective - if you read the post was from the of the pack. I lay no claims to the front.

The group that rode with me from lunch to Shady Ridge was Audrey, Tracey, Sylvia, Judy and Wayne. We were met by CJBruin at Laguna Canyon and Alton but he rode ahead. 2 other riders were caught and we finally caught you and Brandy at Quail Hill just before Shady Canyon but we had to stop/slow down for everyone to catch up and you guys rode ahead. We met again just at the entrance to the bike trail. I didn't know what you were doing. I rode up and you passed me.

I Understand you and Brandy are new riders and not acquainted with group riding. I do suggest you come out some time and ride with one of the established OC clubs like OCRR, BCI or OCW. A route slip is posted and everyone goes on their own. No one expects the ride to be swept (unless specifically listed as "no drop" but everyone knows that means "if you can keep up") but this ride was advertised as NO DROP. A number of people drove from all over to participate and were not, unlike club riders, familiar with the area. Someone had to stay back and make sure everyone found the route. Had everyone done this ride before, I wouldn't have worried.

For me this was not a popularity contest. I could care less and maybe that's where the animosity comes from. I'm not in any way trying to steal anyone's thunder. For me it was a chance to do another ride with the great gals I met at TE and help prepare myself for Cool Breeze. I also just wanted everyone to be safe and happy. Nothing else. Sorry. That's it.

BTW Wayne is a nice guy. You really should not disparage him. Me? I'm the first to make fun of myself. But Wayne came out to support us and he was very kind to give up part of his day to assist with the ride. It's just his nature to be kind and helpful. Also thanks go out to all that helped. I know Extort and Jchen and CJBruin and Cali's husband because they hung out back at times but thanks to everyone else who helped and I didn't know.

PSS: I was not shooing you off. I don't much talk during riding especially in groups. Once we spaced out and were riding in 2 and 3's I was OK. The group was very large and all over the road especially up Harvard which makes me nervous. As a former board member of BCI I'm all too aware of the complaints bike clubs get from motorists. Plus a number of years ago I had a very bad crash. I suffered a head injury and fractured collarbone. You didn't know that. But when in large groups of riders I don't know I'm being observant and wary - that may seem standoffish. I know I was alittle "rule nazi" at first and actually got into it with Extort when I complained about some of the riders being out in the road taking photos while cars came by. Sorry - just too many friends have been injuried while riding by their own negligence and by cars. It was just a ride. Everyone had good time. Everyone finished and everyone was safe. Geez, need to stop being so sensitive. Personally, I just don't get it.