aka_kim on the Ch. 5 Bay Area news !

[maillotpois]

Man - I never saw you guys!! Did you see me going out and back Lucas Valley? I couldn't get more than 5 miles from the start for a while, even though I was supposed to be in Valley Ford!! People kept wiping out on Big Rock and needing to be sagged in.

Wow - it's hard work driving a car all day. Wish I'd been riding. Have we gotten the report from V yet? Maybe she is still sleeping.

[jobob]

No worries MP! First time I saw you, I think it was on Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Rd heading back towards San Rafael. I barely caught a glimpse of your license plate and you were already way ahead of us before it occurred to me it was you. There were a bunch of cars behind you so you couldn't have seen us in your rearview. Second time you were heading away from S.R. on Lucas Valley, I didn't notice you but Lee did. I figured you were pretty busy or you hate us

[maillotpois]

Drat! You figured it out! I hate you guys!!!

One thing that was amazing to me was the proportion of people who just plain looked like they weren't having fun - and these were not people on the double course. People doing the metric or century or whatever - with huge grimaces on their faces. Man, if it's not fun don't do it!

In contrast, most of the double folks would wave or nod at me in return to the wave I'd give them as I passed. Funny. The double folks were, as usual, an older crustier group of folks (aside from V and a few other youger people.) I always find that interesting.

I was specifically told that I was not to shuttle people home. I am glad they told me that because I never would have made it to Valley Ford otherwise. It was amazing how many people would wave me down and I'd stop thinking there was a mechanical or some issue I could help with. No, they just wanted a ride home. People who looked and acted pretty darn good. I'd have to say - sorry, I am supposed to be working at the far end of the course and I can't give you a ride back to the start. I did give dislocated shoulder guy a ride, though. I'm not a completely heartless person.

And don't even get me started on the guy with the Look Keos who didn't know that the little hex nut in back was to loosen the pedal and the different color cleats were for float. OMG!!

[Veronica]

I was surprised at how many people talked to me on the double course. Guys would ride up along and ask me a question. Then they'd ride for a few minutes and talk. It was a good distraction.

One guy told me my jersey was sexy.

V.

[jobob]

FWIW I encountered a lot of nice people on the metric route, too.

On the earliest climb (Lucas Valley?) Lee and I passed by a lot of people having a hard time. They looked in general like fairly new riders, a bit out of shape, and many had woefully under-geared bikes for their abilities [insert my usual rant about bike shops selling racer-guy bikes to most decidedly not racer-guy people]. Many of them had TNT jerseys on - that's not meant to imply anything about TNT, just an observation. To give them credit, most of the people I passed had really great attitudes. This was very early in the ride, and Lee and I were wondering if many of them would be able to finish.

On the only particularly steep climb of the metric ride, Wilson Hill Rd immediately after the metric and 100 mile routes diverged, one guy had to get off and walk a good chunk of it. I was going so slow that I stayed along side him for a ways and we had a nice chat. Always a hoot when you're going so slow up a hill that someone can walk along side you A few others coming by oh-so-slowly joined in on the conversation, it was fun.

Many people had compliments on the AV jersey. If they weren't passing too fast I'd tell them how friends of mine designed it.

I encountered the occasional jerk (or doofus) on the ride, but either there were fewer than usual, or they don't bug me as much as they used to. Maybe a little of both.

[SadieKate]

FWIW

Whaaaaa?

I'm so not "in the know."

[jobob]

for what it's worth