A cool but sunny day in low 40's to start today's ride. We had a new rider Darin join us as well as Nate and Rex (from RI?) both joining us for the first time along with Aaron J, Mark, Jose and Bob. I had looked at the maps for a new route and after heading up Hillsboro-Valley Park we crossed Hwy 30 at Little Brennan and then cut through a nearby Golf Course that was a new road to me and it turned out to be a great road. Smooth, no traffic with several moderate ups and downs. Darin began to hurt as most newbies do at this point. After going a few hundred feet on Schumacher, we went right on another new road that was marked as a private road but elected to try out the road. It was a narrow road but again I enjoyed it thoroughly with the possible exception of the last quarter mile of downhill gravel road. Even that had a little charm, however.
We were smack dab into the hills now and Darin had decided it was best to turn back once we got up to Rock Creek. Aaron escorted him back. Aaron is a really good guy, he volunteered to do the same thing a few weeks back. This week though he seemed disappointed. I think he badly wanted to go on. We pushed on down W. Swaller and up East Swaller for the first time this year. Swaller is a nasty climb and it did Bob in and he never seemed to recover from that effort. Unfortunately for Bob we still had a good amount of climbing to go but he soldiered on.
In High Ridge, I saw a couple other Sharks up the road (Aaron I and Chris H). I sped up to catch them and we all chatted for a bit. Once we crossed Dillon, the pace picked up as we cruised along the ridge. Bob was gone by then and Jose gave one effort too much and he tailed off. Down at the bottom of the hill, Chris attacked... hard. No one ahead of me had an answer so I went much too late but shot by Aaron I, Nate and the Rex. Aaron was done. I managed to hold Chris even but it was hurting. There was no catching him until he let up at the outer road.
Everyone was feeling a bit whooped by that point and our little pack exploded going up Marshall. Chris set a nice spinning tempo and I was perfectly happy to sit on his wheel the whole way. The ride itself was about 55 miles and the commuting miles put me at close to 70 rather hard miles. I was thoroughly tired and sore afterward.
We were smack dab into the hills now and Darin had decided it was best to turn back once we got up to Rock Creek. Aaron escorted him back. Aaron is a really good guy, he volunteered to do the same thing a few weeks back. This week though he seemed disappointed. I think he badly wanted to go on. We pushed on down W. Swaller and up East Swaller for the first time this year. Swaller is a nasty climb and it did Bob in and he never seemed to recover from that effort. Unfortunately for Bob we still had a good amount of climbing to go but he soldiered on.
In High Ridge, I saw a couple other Sharks up the road (Aaron I and Chris H). I sped up to catch them and we all chatted for a bit. Once we crossed Dillon, the pace picked up as we cruised along the ridge. Bob was gone by then and Jose gave one effort too much and he tailed off. Down at the bottom of the hill, Chris attacked... hard. No one ahead of me had an answer so I went much too late but shot by Aaron I, Nate and the Rex. Aaron was done. I managed to hold Chris even but it was hurting. There was no catching him until he let up at the outer road.
Everyone was feeling a bit whooped by that point and our little pack exploded going up Marshall. Chris set a nice spinning tempo and I was perfectly happy to sit on his wheel the whole way. The ride itself was about 55 miles and the commuting miles put me at close to 70 rather hard miles. I was thoroughly tired and sore afterward.
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