Sat Sept 4th Gearworks Ride

Up at dawn today and I looked out the window to see cloudy skies and a very wet road. I’m thinking about maybe not riding, but hey I’m the ride leader and I just can’t blow this off.

Send out some e-mails to see what other folks think. Bruce decides to ride later in the morning. No word from Big Dave, more on this later.

Decided to go to the shop and see who shows up. Packed up the gym bag and put the bike in the car with the destination Global Fitness in Fitchburg. On the way I see Big Dave riding towards my house because we usually ride in together to the shop on our Saturday rides. Found out that his combination modem/router from Verizon is in the fritz. That’s why he did not respond to my e-mails or know that I was driving. Good thing I took the same road he was on.

Get to the shop a tad late and there were 15 riders just chaffing at the bit. I had a 53 mile loop in mind that would take us out into the wind to Rindge NH. Then we would have the wind on our backs on the way back on route 119.

Heading out towards Fitchburg someone flatted right by the WEIM studios. Took two tube changes to put the rear wheel back in rideable condition. A few miles later in West Fitchburg you guessed it another flat. No more flats after that so we were able to keep things pretty much together past Monty Tech and then over to route 12. One route 12 it got very fast. Someone went to the front and put the smack down.

Regrouped at the intersection of route 12 and route 140 then we were on our way again to route 202 where it was very exposed to the windy condition this morning. This broke the group apart once again but we regrouped again at the intersection for Route 119.

Now for the homeward leg with the wind on our backs. Paul Skerry pushed the pace up the climb and about half the folks made it to the top together. Tyler made a good dig to bridge up and the train was on it’s way. I’m killing myself with a 50-13 trying to hold the wheel in front of me on the downhill’s. Juan is on the front on the uphill sections and only Ken and Steve are able to stay with him. Those zipp wheels do make a difference! They gap Craig, Leon, Paul Tyler and I. couple of hills later I get dropped. Now I’m bummed out but I got over it.

I waited at 101 and could not see anyone out West on 119. Turned around and started riding back and a small group of three zipped by. Then I could see Big Dave and a few others coming so I turned around and joined the two groups. Somehow our tail wind turned into a head wind from Ashby all the way to Fitchburg. We kept it together until we went by Global where Dave and I peeled off.

54 mile loop today. My post ride shower felt great after.