February 27, 2005

  • Ah, the 1st  pure BC ride in a while.  The CPT rides, well
    were  too grueling for most of us to enjoy so we decided
    that  a more relaxed recreational ride is what the crew wanted to
    do.  So I arrive to find Ron and Shannon in the FCHS lot.  We
    were shortly joined by Lewis!, Kent, Peter,  Ilka, Glenn and 
    Geoff.   Peter was the only one sporting his spankin new BC
    jersey. I can't wait the it's warm enough to wear mine on a regular
    basis.....

    So the plan is Carter Lake and we are off.  Down Horsetooth
    and  everyone was catching up on whatever.  Shannon and
    I  set the tempo most of the way down Horsetooth and we decided
    that we need to go see if Bruce H. is gonnna be able to make this
    ride.  I sure do hope Bruce is up. .  
    As we near the Dog Park there is a call for a  restroom stop so
    Shannon and I go to Bruce's home with Kent and Geoff, while the rest
    attend to their business.    As it turns out, Bruce was under the weather, but does promise to try and make the ride one of these dayz.

    With the crew reunited. it's off to the 1st hogback.  Ron and
    Peter are setting the tempo and I am sitting in 3rd.  I am
    thinking that I may want to go for more KOM points, so as to try and
    prepare the legs for the weekly TTH rides, as I have not been doing any
    interval or speed work yet this year..... but I digress.  So the
    pase is fairly brisk and there is a split in the group with  Ron,
    Peter, myself and Ilka & maybe Glenn.  So  decide, 
    "No Mas" and  pull out of the paceline to allow Ilka to fill the
    gap.  I suppose I could have hung in a bit longer, but I could
    tell that my legs were a bit tired from last weeks rides so better to
    backoff and save them as there is a lot of riding yet to do.  In
    any case Ron drops his chain and  Peter pretty much gets the KOM
    points, although he did soft pedal a bit, but with Ilka in the hunt for
    points, not all would have respect enough to wait for Ron......

    We regroup at the top and continue on towards the next hogback and as
    we begin ascent, Ron makes a break for it and I go after
    him.   It is apparent now that my legs really are tired and
    although I am able to maintain a fair pace it is not what I am capable
    when I am fresh. I am able to more/less pace Ron, but I will not catch
    him with these legs today.  Peter is able to pass me and I take
    3rd on this one.......

    Another regroup and we are off again.  Nice fun descent towards
    the last hogback and the most difficult.  The group is more or
    less together and  Ron of course is at the ready.  Once
    again, Ron and Peter are too strong today  and  Ron pockets
    some more points.  Ron and Peter keep going to Masonville and I
    turn around at the Park to pick up Lewis and Shannon.   We
    chat a bit at the Park, then Lewis turns back in order to meet his
    commitments to his wife, lest he recieve a sound thrasihing, to which
    either seemed to bode well with him. 

     Kent, Shannon and I take to the descent with moderation a meet
    the rest of the posse in Masonville.  We grab some more food there
    and there is some talk of Brent and Racing and Aerobars
    etc.....    Then it's off Carter.   
    Peter suggests that we practice the rotating paceline thing and it
    worked more or less, but with practice we will get
    smoother.   The groups skills are getting  better, but
    with this being early in the season and folks are rusty so I expect by
    mid summer we will look like, "The Blue Train"  of U.S postal.

    We take the Eden valley turn and life is good., execept for Geoff, who
    dropped his chain and was chasing for a bit.  So we are back into
    the paceline thing and it's looking ragged for some reason.  I
    suggest that we breaking 2 groups of  4  for the stretch up
    to Carter Lake in hopes the smaller groups would make things smoother
    and did.  I  should note that  there really wasn't that
    much benefit to doing the paceline on that stretch, but it was more of
    a drill  to work on mechanics and also help to focus ones
    attention to follow the wheel in front and to help gain a sense of when
    it is safe to pull in front of  the rider in the ascending
    lane.... but I digress....

    We stop at the bottom of the Carter climb for some food, then its off
    to the climb.  Ron and Peter take to the front with Glenn giving
    chase.  Ilka is at the back of the pack but she passess 
    Shannon and I and then Kent and I think Glenn.  I was too far back
    to see the Battle but Peter was able to eeek out Ron using some well
    timing tactics, giving him the KOM title for the Day.   
    Shannon and I are last to the top and find the group waiting. 
    Maybe the strongmen should turn back and pick up the stragglers next
    time.

    We take off again in a big group and the paceline thing is more/less
    working.   At some point Peter gets a gap and we decide to
    let him go as he will make a most excellent Prey.  
    In any case Peter is able to start on the descent before us and the
    games have begun!   Kent is easliy able to catch Peter and
    Ron is chasing hard.  Shannon and I are chasing Ron.  Shannon
    and I are able to bridge up to Ron.   As I reach Ron he is
    tired and I must pull for a few more feet before letting Shannon take
    over.  We can see Peter and  Kent working well together,
    and  we will not make the mistake we did last time when Ron and
    Kent were able to stay away for lack of effort on the chasing posses
    part.   We are working well toghether and are able to reel in
    Kent and Peter.   Now life gets interesting as Peter attacks
    shortly after they are caught.   We are able to reel him in,
    but somewhere in the Melee only Ron and I survived.  At this point
    we are all atacking when we can, and it reminds me of what racing used
    to be like.    Peter makes the last attack and I am too
    tired to go with him.  I make a dying gasp hoping Ron will go with
    me and be able to take over, but Ron was too spent in his lone initial
    effort to catch Peter.  I find myself a few yards behind Peter at
    the end of the sprint, with  Ron a close third.  Well done
    gentlemen!  Now in post mortem Ilka
    made a statement about running the stop sign and how she didn't feel
    comfortable doing that and I must agree that we dont' want to make a
    bad habbit of this. I will suggest next time that the rules of
    engagement include a mandatory stop at that intersection..... enough
    said.

    Now it's onto the flats and with a tail wind life is good and we are
    looking pretty smooth in our paceline.   As some point 
    Geoff hit this pothole and it stung his wrist pretty good!   We took our time to make sure he was OK as we continued on,.

    Now usually the flats are pretty boring, but a one point in the ride we
    are like, all over the road and  "The Man", AKA "5.0" or sometimes
    known as "La Policia" came crusing by us. 
    I was all prepared for us to get a tounge lashing or a ticket or
    something, but too all of our surprises the cop didn't say or do
    anything!!  Well let that be a lesson to us.  Also, while I
    am on my soapbox, we need to make sure that we are on the right side of
    that  solid white line when we stop our bikes!!! 

    When it came time,  Ilka and Glenn split off to go do the hogbacks
    again.  The rest of us stayed together ....... up Sheilds then
    split with Ron, Kent, Shannon continueing, with Peter, Geoff and I
    taking Trilby.  Geoff bails at Timberline and Peter and I head for
    home.  A good time was had by all.   About 60 miles with 2900 feet of vertical ascent.    Good to see everyone! Until next time.