ABRT Saturday Ride: Spread All Over South County

The December 12th ride was looking like it should be a lot like the previous Saturday's ride. There was the usual requests and promises for "zone 2" pace, a typical group of "mostly ABRT" showed up in the Parvilla Cycles & Multisport parking lot, and it was another unseasonably warm and sunny day (not that the Wheelsucker was complaining about 70 F+ and sunny on a December Saturday).

The Wheelsucker rolled out feeling comfortable, so comfortable that he was on the front early, driving the pace a little, rather than sitting in worrying about warming up and who might make it hard. There were clearly stronger and weaker riders, as well as those who were choosing to not go as hard as they could. The medium sized group split a few times into separate groups a short distance apart, but the faster riders would easy up long enough for everyone else to catch back on, re-forming the group on Muddy Creek, and again after the top of the Owensville Road climb.

The Wheelsucker himself put in a move shortly before the wall. The leaders eased up as car traffic held up the tail enders as the group crossed 256 at the Franklin Gibson Road/256 intersection. While the group was reforming the Wheelsucker saw an opportunity to get a head start climbing the wall, and took it. But he waited at the left turn onto the Leitch Road descent.

While others waited for the tail enders, a small group went ahead. The main group stayed together until the base of the Fairhaven Road climb, which split the group again. The Wheelsucker had watched Pat Hogan (ABRT's leading climber?) roll off the front of the group and expecting others like Ace to jump across hard, decided to cross the gap early, while it was not too hard. Pat went up steady, saving enough to jump away at the last short steep section to win the sprint for the top. Most of the group waited to reform at the top, before turning left onto Friendship Road and heading into North Beach. Knowing there was a small group up the road, the Wheelsucker did not wait, and took off in pursuit, with Todd close behind. These two worked together all the way to Sweet Sue's, catching sight of some of the leaders at Sweet Sue's.

Expecting this was the usual coffee shop stop, the Wheelsucker walked inside and ordered his de rigeur latte.

While he was doing this, the rest of the group rolled up, past Sweet Sue's and stopped at the beachfront restrooms. Before the Wheelsucker had started sipping his hot latte, they continued on, probably going up 5th to Boyd's Turn Road. The group at Sweet Sue's was not aware of this until Steve Owens rolled up to advise them.

The Wheelsucker pounded the rest of his latte, and the second group rolled out. This second group had plenty of horsepower in it, with Arch, Steve, and Mike Wagner, but there were other riders like the Wheelsucker who were not "up" for that hard a pace to try to catch the lead group. Indeed the climb up 5th was hard enough that one rider turned right to head back on his own, at the Boyd's Turn intersection.

But though a reduced group, it was still a beautiful warm sunny day and a nice ride. This second group opted for a left turn where McKendree ends at West Bay Front, so riding back on the Lower and Upper Pindell route. Even this reduced group split up once or twice, but the leaders eased up each time to let the others chase back on.

The Wheelsucker is grateful for the stronger riders who pulled more, and that they waited a few times. It was almost like he never saw the others.