how slow am I?

[maillotpois]

pkq, (in my best Canadian) eh yep. Got a flat on tonight's TT though. Kind of hard to go fast and pump air at the same time. I was feeling sooooo good, too.

Oh crabs!!!

[Nanci]

I'm changing Lava's name to Sisyphus after last Saturday. That's how I feel when I'm on a hill.

[DeniseGoldberg]

If you're thinking about your speed as compared to other riders - as opposed to your speed goals for yourself - or you're in the "I don't care how fast I ride" camp (as I am)... You might appreciate two experiences I had in the past. These were both in the days when I still did organized rides.

The first was a 2-day MS ride I did that was a century each day. One of my co-workers asked if I'd mind if she rode with me. My reply, knowing that she was a much faster rider than I, was that it was fine to ride with me but that I thought she wouldn't be happy with my speed. We agreed to start together and we also agreed that she would take off when she met some faster riders to ride with. That happened at the first rest stop, and she was gone. As always, I was fine with riding alone. I didn't see her again until several hours after I finished the ride for the day, and my assumption was that she finished well before I did. Not so! I completed my ride at least 2 hours before she completed hers. Why? Because I rode at a consistent pace all day, stopping only to refuel and recycle (well not recycle - use the porta-potties!), while she raced off at a fast pace and then stopped at the rest stops for large chunks of time. She was pretty pissed at the end of the day that I'd finished before her!

The second was on a supported tour in California. We were riding from Eureka to San Francisco, and if I remember correctly our daily mileage ranged from 70 to 90 miles. There was one guy on the trip who blasted out of town each morning, speeding down the road. But somehow with my slow but steady pace, I always finished the ride well before him. I really didn't care - but he did! He couldn't understand how I finished first.

I think both of these were a classic case of the old "tortoise and the hare" fable.

But the point again is that we should all ride to meet our own goals - and not those of someone else!

Happy riding everyone...

--- Denise

[jeannierides]

Denise, I absolutely agree with you. When my SO and I go out, we practice pedaling at a consistant cadence and speed (and I practice changing gears on the hills). Neither one of us are out to win races, but to enjoy riding and the scenery! We stop at rivers, creeks, swamps, and sometimes to help a little turtle across the road. When we do organized rides, we are more prepared to do our steady pace and enjoy the ride!

[SadieKate]

we should all ride to meet our own goals - and not those of someone else!--- Denise

Another "eh, yep!" from me!

[SadieKate]

Have you upset the cycling gods. First HOT HOT weather and now a flat. Perhaps you need to make an offering. I hear that they like good looking husbands.

Ha! Good one! I just asked him and he said to offer up Andrew first since he's younger and faster. So the nice 22-yr old Cat 4 racer/wrench/college dude living here for the month gets thrown over the cliff first.

Bubba was so sweet on the TT. On the way back, he couldn't resist stopping to see if his sweetie needed help. He said he knew I could handle it but his chivalry got the better of him. I shooed him on but even after stopping to talk to me he got the same time as last week so you know it was going to be a fast night. What a guy.

Note to self: must find cliff here in the flatlands.

[Tater]

But the point again is that we should all ride to meet our own goals - and not those of someone else!

Happy riding everyone...

--- Denise

Well said!

[maillotpois]

Ha! Good one! I just asked him and he said to offer up Andrew first since he's younger and faster. So the nice 22-yr old Cat 4 racer/wrench/college dude living here for the month goes through over the cliff first.

Bubba was so sweet on the TT. On the way back, he couldn't resist stopping to see if his sweetie needed help. He said he knew I could handle it but his chivalry got the better of him. I shooed him on but even after stopping to talk to me he got the same time as last week so you know it was going to be a fast night. What a guy.

Note to self: must find cliff here in the flatlands.

What a guy is Bubba!!! Always stopping to help a gal in need (like me and the PP on the tandem...). And here sacrificing his own results.

I think we'll be back for the TT beginning of August - will run the dates by DH. I know you won't let me ride it even if I promise not to crash.

[SadieKate]

You got that right. I'll attach the 3 full sets of snow chains we now seem to have acquired for the Bike Bus.

But the truly important question: are you allowed frozen margs?

[maillotpois]

But the truly important question: are you allowed frozen margs?

Duh. What do you think??

(I am just to have fewer of them than I might otherwise....)

[SadieKate]

Hmm, I'm sure we'll find takers for the remainder of the carafe.

[Nanci]

mp, if you've built up a previous tolerance, you should be allowed more now!

[DrBee]

Just don't have so many that you might lose your balance and bump your head and have that whole bleeding in your skull thing start up. SK - you'll have to make up the difference!

[maillotpois]

Sadly, my limited experience leads me to the conclusion that SK may not be up to the challenge. My previous tolerance being somewhat scary.... While on the rat poison, etc., my doctor advised 1 - 2 glasses wine max daily, with the key thing being consistency of amount - i.e., no benders.

[Nanci]

I'm hoping they meant 8 ounce glasses!