Tuesday night ride report 8/17/10

Last night’s ride was what Daren called the “Fruitlands Extension”, which kind of confused me because we never actually went up over Fruitlands, but rather through Harvard and around Fruitlands.
Which was fine by me because I really hate those hills going up to Fruitlands.
But I realized not as much as I hate a lot of the flatter roads running through Bolton into Harvard when riders are trying to put the hurt on.

I would guess there were about 30 of us.
The A ride had about 15.
I wonder how that kid made out doing the A ride? I had to wonder if he knew what he was getting himself into. Live and learn, hopefully he managed to hold on, Dave's a good ride leader so I've no doubt he was well looked after.

Here’s the numbers I got:
Time: 1:57
Miles: 41.47 (nice when there’s little waiting and no mechanicals)
Average: 21+mph

The ride headed up Prospect St, Big Dave and John Roche up front setting a nice warm up pace.
Took a right onto Harvard St where I expected the pace to lift, being on the front I set what I thought was a moderate pace, but the rest of the group was riding a slower pace, soft pedaled for a bit until several riders rode by, caught a wheel and sped on down to the intersection of Mechanic St.
I don’t remember having to wait for traffic as we took the left onto Mechanic and headed to Rt. 70.
The pace down Rt. 70 was moderate, things were messed up, for the first couple of miles it didn’t seem like we could get a good paceline going, which prevented the ride from getting strung out.
About ½ way down 70 things somehow got sorted out and a paceline mysteriously developed. Everyone was working well staying close to the wheel in front of them.
Took a right onto 117 and then onto Langen where the pace remained moderate all the way to the intersection at the college.
Straight across 70 and off to the 6 corners (which is supposed to get some stimulus money so next year it might be down to a 4 way intersection).
I can’t speak for the rest of the group, it is a B ride after all, but I found myself getting a bit bored with the pace.
That didn’t last long.
Boxed in somewhere mid-pack kept an eye on the front waiting for a move – saw the gap begin to open, was able to get outside and make the jump before it would require too much pain in trying to cover.
By the time we hit the fork where 110 splits with Forbush Rd the ride was moving at the pace we’ve become accustom to. The wakeup call and the pain and suffering came on fast as we hit the risers leading up to 117.
Regrouped at Nashoba HS.
Once across 117 it was game on.
A group of 6 or 7 away – Natalie, Leon, Paul Skerry, Folsom, Dave the fin.
And Duncan.
F&^%, it wasn’t a big gap but it still hurt to close it, but there was no recovering on the back of this group, “take no prisoners” is the phrase that comes to mind, they were drilling it, Natalie doing everything in her power to crack those behind her.
She pulled off, Paul took a short pull, Leon took his turn,
I was still in recovery mode riding Duncan’s wheel.
Leon pulled off putting Duncan on the front as we hit the base of a small climb.
Duncan barely cleared Leon’s when all of a sudden he pulled off instead of pulling through.
Did I mention it was on an uphill?
Major infraction for not pulling through, and he knew it apologizing before I even cleared his wheel.
Nothing left to do except pull through to the top of the climb before flicking off.
Natalie once again on the front, no prisoners, she drilled it, Leon drilled it, Paul drilled it, everyone throwing punches trying to hurt the riders behind them.
Duncan was off.
I think we finished with 5 of us as we pulled into Harvard.
Someone mentioned a water fountain on the common.
Several riders went over to fill their bottles.
Several riders got yelled at for going over to fill their water bottles as we were only 50 minutes into the ride.
Rolled out of Harvard Center as the pace began to pick up again, Littleton Rd. to Shaker Rd. (?), before coming up to 2A (late edit).
Left onto 2A (late edit), the food at Mango Grille smelled especially good last night.
At the rotary we turned off going by McDonalds/ KFC, the smell of the fries and fried chicken smelled especially good last night.
Right onto the road that takes us up by the medical center, by this time the pace seemed a bit more relaxed.
Or maybe I was already into a zone where the pain no longer registered.
A left here, a right there, we ended up on 111 before turning onto 225 which is nice pavement and mostly downhill so things were fast, everyone together, somewhere along the way I saw Sara without an H spinning her pedals but not moving. It took a minute for it to register that her chain fell off, I still don’t know how I avoided running into her.
Quick stop to put the chain back on and we were again on our way.
Heading towards 2A the pace again relaxed enough for Daren and Ernie to socialize along the way, no one seemed interested in picking things back up so we rode a nice B pace for several miles until we got to 2A.
Once we crossed over it was time to start moving, daylight was fading and we still had a good 10 miles to cover.
Things got fast as we headed towards Shirley.
And remained fast as we rode through Shirley onto Leominster Rd.
I knew it was coming.
Again I knew there wasn’t much I could do other than move to the front and bury myself.
This was about the point Daren played the part of a Tuesday night hero as he rode off the front as we were about to hit the climb where the attacks come one after another after another.
And then he pulled a Duncan and pulled off at the base of the climb.
No one took the bait.
The climb started, I don’t know where I was in the group, somewhere near the front head down, not much left in the tank, spin or mash?
Spin.
Spin faster.
Shift down, out of the saddle, try and sprint.
And then it happens, one, two, three, five riders blow by me making me realize just how weak my sprint, especially on the uphill, really is.
That climb is a killer.
And then there’s another couple of smaller ones leading up to Prospect St.
Finally made it to the top of Prospect St.
The pain was over.
For the first time since doing the Tuesday night ride a group of us hit the green light onto 13.
Another Tuesday night ride in the books.

Sadly the days are quickly getting shorter, as are the rides.
3 ½ weeks to COVAC!!!!!!