- Feb 8, 2001
- 29,033
- 6
- 81
So, I got my new (used) road bike a few weeks ago and finally got all the other stuff I needed to go riding (helmet, gloves, shoes, etc...). I have been on a couple of solo rides in the 10-15 mile range but haven't really pushed the envelope. That all changed yesterday...
My local bike shop organizes a group ride on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. I was led to believe that Tuesday was the easy ride and that I would probably have no problem with it.
I leave my house and tell my wife I will be back in an hour or so. I show up at the meeting spot at 6:00 on the dot and they group is all pulling out - 8 guys and 1 gal all in matching team jerseys. Hmmm... I think to myself.
I jumped onto the back of the line and made a joke about asking if it was okay to not have a yellow jersey on and away we went. They seemed pretty nice and welcomed me into the group. Not knowing how things would go or where we were going, I hung at the back and played remora.
We started off with some flats and long downhills which I was pleased to find quite enjoyable. My bike seems to coast downhill remarkably well and I kept slingshotting forward in the group.
About an hour into the ride we were still heading away from home and I realized that this was going to be a bit of an "expedition". I had yet to get my second wind, and the group leader decided to push the pace a bit up a long gradual hill. I soon got the feeling of impending doom and lo and behold the entire group pulled away from me. Getting dropped slowly but inevitably is the worst feeling ever...
About 2 miles down the road, someone came back to pull me back to the group and apologized for the drop. I was fine with it and almost told them to forget about me if it happened again (would have been a big mistake as I was nowhere near where I thought I was at the time). I popped some energy gel and chugged some gatorade and soon my second wind hit. I was back with the group and all was well. I got dropped once more but I caught up at a long light soon after. The rest of the ride was uneventful except for the 2 mile 40mph downhill
At the end of the ride I learned we had covered 36 miles at an average speed of about 17mph.
Not bad for my first group ride in 15 years. They even invited me back...
cliff notes: went for a ride and you should learn to read you lazy fvck!
My local bike shop organizes a group ride on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. I was led to believe that Tuesday was the easy ride and that I would probably have no problem with it.
I leave my house and tell my wife I will be back in an hour or so. I show up at the meeting spot at 6:00 on the dot and they group is all pulling out - 8 guys and 1 gal all in matching team jerseys. Hmmm... I think to myself.
I jumped onto the back of the line and made a joke about asking if it was okay to not have a yellow jersey on and away we went. They seemed pretty nice and welcomed me into the group. Not knowing how things would go or where we were going, I hung at the back and played remora.
We started off with some flats and long downhills which I was pleased to find quite enjoyable. My bike seems to coast downhill remarkably well and I kept slingshotting forward in the group.
About an hour into the ride we were still heading away from home and I realized that this was going to be a bit of an "expedition". I had yet to get my second wind, and the group leader decided to push the pace a bit up a long gradual hill. I soon got the feeling of impending doom and lo and behold the entire group pulled away from me. Getting dropped slowly but inevitably is the worst feeling ever...
About 2 miles down the road, someone came back to pull me back to the group and apologized for the drop. I was fine with it and almost told them to forget about me if it happened again (would have been a big mistake as I was nowhere near where I thought I was at the time). I popped some energy gel and chugged some gatorade and soon my second wind hit. I was back with the group and all was well. I got dropped once more but I caught up at a long light soon after. The rest of the ride was uneventful except for the 2 mile 40mph downhill
At the end of the ride I learned we had covered 36 miles at an average speed of about 17mph.
Not bad for my first group ride in 15 years. They even invited me back...
cliff notes: went for a ride and you should learn to read you lazy fvck!
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