The Saturday morning club photo and ride went really well, by all accounts. The GF and I showed up just before 08:30 and in plenty of time for the photo. Once everyone arrived, the photo was taken, and those of us that were riding started getting ready. It was still pretty cold, and fairly breezy out, so we had to dress both for the temperature at the time, as well as the temperature 3 or 4 hours from departure. There were about a dozen of us for the photo, but only 6, including the Bike Store owner, got out on the road. Some had other races or rides to participate in, others just weren’t up for it.
The ride details, at least from my Garmin’s point of view, are here.
We all clicked in (that’s one of my favorite sounds in the world) and took off at about 09:40. Initially, we had the wind at our backs, and I, in typical fashion, pushed towards the front of the group. This wasn’t the best idea, but not because I wasn’t prepared for the pace. Rather, b/c the GF wasn’t prepared for it. In a moment of pure boyfriendly slackery, I left the GF behind to pull up the rear of the pack. One of the ride leaders gently pointed out to me that a “Good BF” would stay with his woman, and taking the hint, I did so. Her feelings were hurt at first, but I groveled sufficiently that she forgave. Unfortunately, she was hurting (physically) pretty bad, and it wasn’t long before she felt she had to turn back. The shop owner was cold as well, and the two of them turned back at a bit over 5 miles in.
It was her first time out, and she wasn’t used to the pace, or the traffic. She did a bit over 10 miles, though! I’m proud as hell of her for getting out and doing that much. It was her first ride of the year, it was cold and windy, and she’d never ridden with a group before. I’m glad she wasn’t discouraged, b/c riding with a group can be so much fun (when your BF doesn’t ditch you and leave you behind, that is).
The rest of us took off again and made our way under I29, past the Tiffany Greens Golf Club, and on towards NW Interurban Road. An easy, but brisk pace took us over some really bad road surface, and past Camden Point. Breaking the pace were a stop at a convenience store and a flat tire at the Platte County River near the Platte Falls Conservation Area. We lost a rider there. Prior commitments cut her ride short. The four of us continued on, the pace as brisk as before, before a sprint to Camden from about a quarter mile out kicked us into the big ring for a bit. I, of course, did not win. The defacto ride leaders are both very strong riders (at least compared to me, that is), and effortlessly broke away.
On to Dearborn, and a short stop at a convenience store there before we turned around and realized just how much the wind helped us on the way out. We set up a pace line, with the strongest out front to cut the effects of the wind, but it was difficult to maintain. With two strong riders and two not-so-strong riders, we got separated early on. My peer and I weren’t able to maintain the pace being set. Being the compassionate folk they are, the leaders slowed down a bit and let us keep up. Of course, the stronger of the two got his workout in by speeding ahead, then turning around to go the other way, then after he’d gotten far enough behind, catching back up again. Show off. ;)
The rest of the ride back to the bike shop was just rolling hills and fighting the wind. We made pretty good time, though, and it was a fantastic workout.
One thing the ride did point out to me is that, while the commuting is definitely good for me, I absolutely have to bolster it with some serious training workouts. By itself, it will not take me up those mountains.
The guys at Epic Bike and Sport are equally fantastic. The owner spent some good time with the GF, helping her adjust her bike to fit better. It’s still, unfortunately, not a perfect fit, but it is better. I wish they weren’t so far away from home. It’s a 20-30 minute drive just to get up there.
- Average HR: 148
- Average RPM: 74.5
- Average Speed: 14.4
- Max HR: 194
- Max Speed: 29.3
- Mileage: 56.30
- Reported Calories: 3304
- Temperature: 45
- Total Time: 03:54:40
- Weight: 184
- Wind: SE 10-15mph with 20-25mph gusts.