Last Day of July rides

[OakLeaf]

Some of the 70+'ers in our club are training for a Great Lakes trip later this summer, so they planned a 60-miler, longer and hillier than the Saturday club rides have been lately. It was nice because the Saturday ride had really been deteriorating. Still, I wondered how some of these guys were going to be able to ride what they'd planned. Everyone made it smiling, though, so that was great.

The plan was for a brunch stop at a McD's ... even though there's a sub shop right across the street where one could get marginally better food. I couldn't convince anyone to go there instead! I needed to be back a little earlier than I knew that some of their pace would permit, so two other riders and I went on ahead. We had just finished a leisurely breakfast when the other group arrived ... after breakfast had closed, so they were stuck with the lunch menu.

The three of us decided to take a different route back from what the others had planned. We started seeing rain clouds about 15 miles out, and it soon became clear that it would be raining near our endpoint, but we couldn't tell exactly where. Mrs. T was flagging, and our route option allowed her to go straight home while Mr. T and I rode back to the start, where he'd parked their truck. There was one last big hill just a few miles from where we'd started, and I was really hoping I wouldn't have to either climb or descend it in the wet.

Once again the weather gods smiled on me. Aside from the odd raindrop or two, it really didn't even start sprinkling until Mr. T and I were back in town, with less than a mile to go. Not even enough to get my bike dirty. By the time I was loaded up and had my gear packed, it was raining for real. Yay! (Unfortunately, we only got a few sprinkles at home, and we really need rain. )

Everyone who's got this beautiful weather enjoy it. Won't last long.

Bolt, velodrome, exciting!

Catrin, way to go on the hills. Nothing wrong with slow, and you've got to know that any time ANYONE is climbing, whether it's you or Anthony Charteau, they're going to ride slower than their average pace on the flat. Only way to get stronger on the hills, and more proficient at shifting, is to ride them! Having fun is the key, and sounds like you did.

jdub, wow, that sounds like fun.

[jdubble]

Oh man, it was SO fun. Mac and I woke up this morning still talking about what a good time we had. It was well worth paying for an all-day babysitter and coming home to a house destroyed by two small boys and their teenage boy babysitter

I can't stop thinking about the delicious savory french toast with chevre and sauteed zucchini and garlic they served before the ride either. Or the buttery thin cookie topped with bavarian creme and fresh berries that was served at the rest stop at a winery. I want to eat like that every day!

Of course to eat like that every day, I'd probably have to climb the one killer hill on the route every day too, and I don't know that I want to do that. Well, it actually probably wouldn't be that bad on my own bike, but it was definitely a workout on the tandem. Made for a great descent though - we can really fly downhill on that thing!

I felt very bad for the off-course Tour de Cure century rider we passed going up, who was muttering about "rolling hills? this is way more than 2% grade" - at that point, it was probably a 10 or 11%. Neither of us could breathe well enough to tell him we thought he had turned with our group instead of going straight. I wasn't sure either, so I didn't want to tell him to turn back! Luckily it didn't add too much mileage to his route and we rejoined the Tour de Cure route after that too, so he wasn't going to get totally off-course and lost. A bit confusing to have two rides and ride markings overlapping - meant you really had to pay attention and not just follow the rider in front of you in case they were on the other ride! Thankfully the courses diverged from each other shortly after that.

Anyone who lives in the PNW should definitely keep this ride on their radar for 2011. We will definitely be doing this ride again.

[OakLeaf]

A bit confusing to have two rides and ride markings overlapping

Some roads in our area are just ugly with cyclists' marks. Last year our club came up with the idea of a unique stencil for our tour. Other rides use things like double arrows, odd shapes, etc.



V., were you racing? Haven't checked in on the triathlon subforum yet...

[Veronica]

S


V., were you racing? Haven't checked in on the triathlon subforum yet...

Yep - Barb's Race.

No report yet - too tired.

Veronica