Driving down from Andover the car thermometer read 101 degrees
But someone said it was really only 98 degrees.
Thank God for that, I don’t think I could’ve ridden if the temperature was over 100.
47 miles
2:18:50
20+MPH average
The short report:
Not enough riders for 2 rides, combined the A and B rides.
About 30 riders started the ride.
We rode, we suffered.
Stopped for water at mile 17.
Realized a considerable number of riders had fallen off.
More suffering, more riders falling off.
Ride broke apart around mile 35 where a small number of riders opted for the easier of the two routes back to the shop.
I’m guessing about 15 finished the ride as damaged goods.
The longer report:
Rode out of GW and made our way over to Lunenburg/ Leominster road.
Riders already having difficulty over the first hill by the golf course.
Once on Leominster/ Lunenburg Rd the ride got strung out a little on the first hill, more strung out over the 2nd hill, and all broken up as we made the final climb into the center of Lunenburg.
Quick regroup before cutting over to W. Townsend Rd. where things got heated up, literally.
Did I mention the car thermometer registered 101 degrees on my drive to the shop?
The group pretty much held together going up that first climb up W. Townsend Rd.
For about 15 seconds.
Tattoo Dave, Chris Parker, Litespeed Steve and a couple others were off the front, I tried to grab a wheel and hold on.
Failed!
Suffering like hell trying to make those 2 or 3 climbs to the top of the road.
Things came back together at the top, several other riders caught back on for the fast descent into W. Townsend.
Even the downhill was tough last night.
Regrouped on 119.
The climb up Willard Brook was next on the agenda.
I knew the climb was going to be brutal, my HR was already in my zone 4 before we even started climbing.
Dumb things not to do on a hot humid summer night: Blowing yourself up on the climb up through the Brook.
On the front I thought I had other riders with me, I looked back and realized I didn’t.
Kept pedaling at my normal cadence, not sure if I was pulling away or not.
I wasn’t.
About 4 minutes into the climb I heard the bikes behind me.
Chris Parker, Tattoo Dave, Litespeed Steve, Folsom Cycling, new guy on CR1, Dave Lystila, and 1 or 2 others went by me with seemingly very little effort.
I know when things are getting tough whenever I start drooling on a particularly tough part of a ride and last night it was coming down in buckets on that climb.
I hope someone remembered to pack the defibrillator.
About 10 of us finished at the top, it was nice having some time to recover.
Except there wasn’t a regroup – the group rolled on continuing up 119 for more climbing into Ashby Center. HR is completely maxed out going up that hill, it was obvious no one was going to slow down to let anyone recover, I think several riders wanted the B riders to know what an A ride is really like (less any B riders get any ideas they might be able to hang on the A ride), pedals to the metal all the way to the gas station where we pulled in to regroup and hose each other down with the garden hose outide.
Once the ride was together in the parking lot we realized we were missing 2 riders.
And then we started counting and realized we were missing more than 2 riders, maybe 5, maybe more?
They weren’t in sight, assumed they played it smart and took 31 into Fitchburg.
We pulled out for more suffering along the rollers of 119, again maxed out on the climb leading up to Watatic, once over the top things seemed to ease a little.
Once we hit the flat we had a nice line going, speed around 30+mph, desperately trying to hold Dawn on the 650’s wheel, a gap opened, I jumped to close it, another stupid move as I found myself 3rd wheel right where I didn’t want to be, behind Tattoo Dave.
And then 2nd wheel as Dave took his pull drilling it, HARD!
There was no way I was going to let him pop me, too much at stake, held his wheel for what seemed like forever until he pulled off, checked the speed, 32mph, damn this pull was going to hurt but I was committed, held on for about a minute before pulling off and letting the rest of the ride pull through.
It didn’t take more than 30 seconds before I was off the back.
But someone kept yelling at me (Dawn or Jen, the women are always shaming me into digging deeper than I want to) into pulling myself back, and somehow I managed, barely, to get back on and finish the climb into Rindge where we regrouped at Old Ashburnham Rd.
One thing was apparent as we waited at Old Ash Rd, the group had shrunk even more.
Started down Old Ash Rd. at a nice pace, tried picking it up a little but no one was coming, sat up and waited, once the group was together Jen took a long pull, and then a couple others, very manageable pace.
And then another WtF, Dave Lystila attacks and takes about 4 or 5 with him – I’ll sit this one out thank you very much.
So there were the group of 5, the same 5 riders who were at the front all night.
And this new guy Dave (black Specialized wearing a blue shirt).
The first time I rode with Dave was a Saturday morning ride back in May.
He had toe strap pedals on his bike.
He killed us on that ride.
Between then and last night he bought himself some clipless pedals and shoes.
So now he’s even faster than he was back then.
And another guy who was riding hard all night was the guy on the black and yellow CR1, he was covering the attacks with ease but wasn’t playing troublemaker like Dave Lystila.
And while I’m calling out the strong riders of the night, Chris from the shop was a beast, he claimed the heat was killing him (even though he spent time over in Iraq) “it’s the humidity that gets me” – whatever, he was on the front most of the night.
Well Dave was the first to fall victim to his own attack, somehow I managed a small smile when he was popped off the lead group and fell right back into the chase group.
Someone mentioned a “little riser” near the end of Old Ash Rd, trying to get up that little riser hurt like hell.
We finally stopped to regroup.
And try to come to a decision on which way we wanted to take back to the shop.
The ride leader decided to cut over by Cushing and then make our way over to So. Ash Rd.
Others just wanted to get back and decided they were going to ride down Rt. 12.
It was a total cluster F as we all about missed the right onto School St, it would have been much easier going another 150 feet down the road and turning right onto 101.
I need to learn how to bunny hop, those speed bumps did a number on my frame.
Once on 101 Ray and myself made our own route turning back and taking 12 back to the shop.
Daren told us to go with them, they’d make it to the shop before we would.
He called me out as a p***Y for not going with them.
That’s “Saint P****y” to you Daren, I was helping out a teammate.
My only goal coming down Rt. 12 was to prove him wrong, there was a nice tail wind which helped carry us down 12, both of us did our work, dodged the bad pavement, bridge repairs, and all the holes coming down by Once Upon a Tile (or as some might remember, the original Gamache Cyclery).
Continued on Rt. 12, made it past the McDonalds rotary, pulled out the cell to let the wife know I was going to be late, again.
And then as I put the phone away CR1, Tattoo Dave and a couple others went flying past.
That was sweet, I managed to grab a wheel and get pulled to the lights.
Pulled up to the next set of lights by Market Basket and began discussing bibs.
You never know what you’re going to learn on a Tuesday night ride.
Jen asked how anyone could ride with bib shorts, “what if you need to pee?”
I never pondered this before.
For a guy it’s pretty simple.
But it’s not so simple for a woman.
And I don’t know how they know, but a couple of the guys on the ride were actually able to explain to her how to it works for girls.
I had to scratch my helmet over that one.
So Jen don’t call me Beth can now go out and invest in bib shorts and not have to worry if the urge to pee hits her during one of her rides.
Instead of cutting over the 5th street bridge to Airport Rd. Dave took us further down 12 past the strip club to Duck Mill, we almost got creamed by all the cars coming in all directions on Bemis Rd.
Managed to make it across and onto to Airport Rd.
A ½ mile into it Tattoo Dave sprinted off the front, others tried to cover but failed. And then Dave sat up and let the others have their fun, I don’t think the A ride contests the final sprint down Airport Rd.
I sat back and watched.
I was content for a pack finish last night.
Rode back to the gym a broken man.
I'm still broken today.
I don't want to get back on the bike for a long time.
Maybe I'll take up golf.
Or darts, I heard there are some good dart leagues in the area.
