Anyone in the middle section of the US probably has seen quite a bit of rain the last couple of days. Dallas was no exception. It was pouring with the occasional rumble of thunder all day and most of the night last night. Last time I’d looked at the forecast they said the rain chances were going to last well into Saturday. Grumbling I went to bed, I would be lucky if I got some time on the trainer on Saturday when my wife wasn’t working on her paper in the study/bike room. Went to bed late, almost 2am, thinking I wouldn’t be riding the next morning.
Six and a half hours later I get woken up to a loud yet cheerful bird outside my thin plate glass window in my apartment singing it’s ever loving heart out. Something in my sleepy head registered there was too much light out and I pulled the covers over my head to sleep some more. Then wait, light, light means sun, sun means no clouds, no clouds means no rain… I pulled my head out from under the covers… SUN LIGHT!
I was up and moving in minutes, glancing at the clock I had just over 40mins to get the bike prepped, food in my stomach, and out the door and around the block to where the LBS rides start. Pulled the Flyte down off the rack, swapped saddle bags over from the Gazelle, checked supplies, filled bottles and changed. A quick check of weather.com and a step outside sent me back in for arm warmers and my wind vest. Seems the rain had left significantly cooler temps in its wake. 54 degrees and winds at 10 out of the west and appeared to be getting stronger. half a banana and a couple bites of cliff bar later and I was out the door.
Legs felt pretty good on the short sprint over to the bike shop. Roads were damp in some areas, still some standing water in others, but 80% of the road surface was dry already. I rolled into the parking lot, a maze of tents and displays taking up parts of it, the Spring Sale was still going and this was the main weekend for it.
Decided that I felt strong enough, and wanted to test my legs and the bike, against the LBS’s 36mi “Swift” speed ride. I’d gone with this group once or twice in the past on my steel Gazelle. Often hanging on for dear life at the back. Today I rolled out near the middle of the pack, my legs and chest suffering a little on the first climb, but I did notice the NW winds factoring in to the situation. We turned down Renner Rd, two to 3 lanes each way, and the wind was now to our backs. I tried to settle in to a comfortable pace and spot in the pack. But some of the riders around me were making me unsettled and nervous, I wasn’t able to keep a steady cadence, nor keep my eye off the guy off to my right, a little back that wasn’t too stable on his bike. He was riding next to yet another rider, which made 3 across the lane with his wheel crossing mine. Not where I wanted to be. I looked over my shoulder to the middle lane, clear as far as I could see back. I wanted to find some more stable riders up at the front of the pack and I took off out of the pack and up the side.
25, then 30mph, the wind pushing, as well as a slight downhill grade helping me pick up speed. I shifted, once, then twice, passing rider after rider, quickly realizing I was about to pass the head of the group. I heard someone in the pack shout out “Go Lance.” :rolleyes: I felt strong, and wanted to see how well the Flyte handled at high speeds on the open road. I kept pushing, down in the drops, keeping the pace in the high 20’s. I was slowed by a signal light, then a couple more, allowing the pack to finally catch back up to me after 4mi or so. But at this point I settled in at near the front of the pack where I wanted to be anyways.
It was 14 mi out to Sache, at which point I had the decision to go on with the 36mi group, or wait for the next group to arrive and ride back with them for a total of 27mi. Between the wind blowing at my back, and knowing I had a school project to finish later in the afternoon (which I should be doing right now), I made the choice to cut the ride short and stop. I stopped and checked avg speed, 20.6, not bad with all the stop lights and slowish start over the first mile or two.
The 27mi group arrived, and a couple of the other 36mi riders had stopped as well. I zipped my wind vest back up and started off with the wind to my face. I had planned to stay in the pack, allow someone else to break the wind for the most part. And I did that, for about the first half of the way back or so. Eventually I felt rested and decided I’d take my turn closer to the front. Pushing forward I pulled around the rider currently pulling the group of 10 or so riders that I was in at the moment. I tried to match my pace with what he had been doing, but I think his time at the front was taking a toll on him and the next few short hills found him and the pack slipping off my wheel. Determined to allow the other riders to get some benifit from my pain, I backed off the pace a little more and let them catch back up. Two other riders and I started sharing time at the front, hoping to keep each other from blowing up too much. Winds were now probably pushing 20mph, the gusts most certainly that or higher.
At last we were at the end of Renner, turning back to the South. Two more short climbs and we were back to the shop. I spun up the first short climb smoothly, recovering still from the time in the wind. The final climb though, I shifted down once, then twice, picking up pace and moving to the outside of the climb. This climb, this last climb of the day, is one I always go all out on. Not to pass other riders, but because I know how many times I’ve crawled up it at the end of a ride. There were 5 or so riders ahead, and one by one I passed. by the rest of the hill, I was at the front of the group, shifting once more for the gentle downhill. I figured some of the riders would sprint after they were on the other side and moved over to the right side of the lane. One rider, then another passed me back, but I slipped in on the wheel of the second rider, one I had shared much of the pull with on the way in, and soon rolled into the shop.
Several of the riders thanked me and the other guys at the front for the strong pull back in. I thanked them for a great ride, caught my breath and headed into the shop. I’m not sure at which point between then and when I went to take off for home, but I misplaced my gloves. Puzzeled, I looked for them briefly, then figured with the sale going on, now was as good of time as any to buy a new pair. 
So, I treated myself to a pair of PI Gel-Lite Race gloves and rode for home.
Next week, I look forward to hopefully doing the full 36mi ride, in my new shoes, and hopefully I won’t be spit out the back on the way back. 
Ride Stats:
Distance: 27.01 (RBM to Sache and back, not including ride to/from apartment)
Time: 1:28:53
Max: 32.4 mph
Avg: 18.2 mph (damn that wind coming back slowing us all down!)
Posted by cuda2k 
Posted by cuda2k 
Posted by cuda2k 
