GMR to Peacock Saddle with Mike. 26 miles, 3,084 ft. Perfect day for the ride. A bit cool in the shade and nice in the sun, not much sweat at all. I did forget my bug spray but there were not that many bugs attacking me. At the shack, yeah but on the road, no and at Peacock Saddle, actually pretty mellow with the bugs. I big fat horse fly but I couple swats then he was gone.
Haven't been on GMR in maybe 3 weeks. I wanted to ride last week but the son in law was visiting from out of town and brought his bike so we did a trail ride. So I'm back, hopefully most the next few Saturdays as long as there is not a threat of rain.
It was a good ride, I cruised to the shack non stop fairly easily, well better not say easily, maybe more like consistently. GMR is never really EASY. Doable but not easy. Anyway, I felt good even thought those hard core dudes and chicks are flying by me like I'm standing still ha ha! I look at them on Strava and their times are what mine used to be.1:00 give or take a couple. I did a 56 minute while doing the village back in 05. Wow, weight and old age catching up to me ha ha! Right now I am at a sucking 1:21 or so. 1:37 first time back a few weeks ago so I guess I shouldn't complain, could be worse. But thinking back on what I used to do, I know I can again. Just need the time to ride and the means to eat well. I have been eating pretty well lately but so many medical issues in the family make it almost impossible at times to eat what I want or what my body is asking for! Like home cooked food, healthy nutrition vs the crap you have to eat on the way home from the hospital at midnight because somebody else went into the hospital!
But anyway, I continue to do GMR knowing it makes a cyclist strong. Someday I will have the resources to hammer up GMR again! But for now, I keep riding looking for the light at the end of the tunnel when I have a chance to look after myself again.
One thing that really bothered me on the ride was some chick going down. Mike and I headed down from the shack right after her and a group of about 5 guys headed down. Wasn't looking for a downhill race, just going down like we always do.
I will bring up that Mike has seriously improved on his downhill skills. He was pretty scary the first couple of times, couple years back. I was actually afraid to be behind him on the descent. Even at 30 yards back ha ha! The last many times we have done GMR together, I have had him ride behind me on the way down so that he could follow my lines. Good lines, taking the apex, body position, it all helps. I think he learned a lot riding behind me and some verbal direction I have offered over time. So he actually was flying down fast and very smooth on Saturday.
He was ahead of me by maybe 40 yards while rolling by the shack. I thought I would easily catch him but didn't. Not till a mile below Newman's Point (about 5.5 up from the gate).
The group of riders was ahead of us by maybe 1/4 mile. We caught the first 2 guys and with some warning and my bell, made a safe pass.
Second group of guys took a little longer to pass. Doing better than the first group. Same thing, bell, verbal, safe pass, thanks guys!
Then we saw the last guy and the chick ahead. They were rolling and I really didn't think we would catch them. But after the fast straight section (4 miles up) we caught them.
Mike was behind the chick and we thought we might pass like the other 4, safely!
Nope! Mike was shouting verbals so that she would let us pass. She had a mirror and she wasn't deaf at we heard her speaking as we crossed the gates. BTW, the road was closed to vehicular traffic, YAY!
So Mike is shouting but this chick is all over the road! :-O
OK, let us pass, uhhh move over, slow down if you have to, or should I say, GTF out of the way!
I myself slow a bit and move right to allow faster descending cyclists, motorcycles, cars to pass if needed. Mike got so freaked out about her shitty lines and skills that he actually waved me around. He didn't want to be behind her. Once I got behind her, I knew why. She really sucked ha ha! I honestly don't know how she had got down this far, this fast without eating it!
OK, closed to traffic but you realize there are still cyclists coming up on the other side around the blind turns, right? I moved up close to her when I felt safe ringing the bell and shouting LOUD so that she would let us pass. Yes, if you are fast, good then by all means stay ahead but we would not have any problem passing her as far as speed, so move the fuck over!
You have a mirror on your bar ends, you hear me, you hear my bell, for the love of God, let us all be safe and let us pass. But she wouldn't. Not sure if it was an ego thing or she was just stupid but none of us wanted to get hurt and at the same time, move over because we are obviously faster.
But she wouldn't so I watched closely for a chance to pass. A few hard strokes of my pedals and I'd fly by her no problem.
But just when I'm thinking a clear section is coming up, I move to the yellow line to give her plenty of room on the right as I passed. Just as I thought about passing, she swerved all the fucking way to the left, hugging the left yellow line on the opposite lane. You got to be fucking kidding me!
If I had passed them, we both would have got fucked up! Excuse my language, but this bitch was an ass hole or a very shitty cyclist.
So I pulled up and shouted like a mean mother fucker, PASSING ON YOUR LEFT 2 BIKES!!!!!.
I used my, YOU BETTER FUCKING GET OUT OF THE WAY VOICE ha ha! Something clicked because I started the pass on a short straight section and she moved to the right some. I moved to the yellow line not wanting to be in the opposite lane but left her some room to be safe.
But just as I am passing, this ass hole flies around my left placing 3 of us abreast along the road. Holy fuck, he surprised me. Good thing I have good skills cause this could have been a big mistake for all of us. C'mon dude, let me know you're there and wanting to pass! You see me passing and still pass me?
WTF is up with people? Apparently this ass hole thought he was Nibali!
I see him going around so I back off a bit so he can safely move back into the correct lane. YES, that would make it safe for an oncoming cyclist seeing that we are heading into another switchback. Those of you who are not too pussy to do GMR know what I'm taking about. You don't have much time on any of the short straight sections to prepare for the next switchback. Yeah, pussy is the word I used. Too many tough forum big mouth members that have turned down invited to ride GMR after running their mouths on forums ha ha!
So anyway, this dude passed unannounced as one cyclist is passing another, real asshole!
Then as I back off a bit for the safety of us all, he starts cranking on the pedals. He gets about 50 yards ahead then goes into a superman tuck. You got to be kidding me, on GMR, switchbacks galore and worse of all. I let my brakes go and I'm gaining ground on him. Ha ha ha what a stupid fuck!
It gets to the point where I am almost rolling up on him several times. But the ass is in the superman tuck so I keep expecting him to roll away like Vincenzo. Not even ha ha!
Both Mike and I roll up on him while he is hammering away and doing stupid funny stuff. I could have passed him back but what for? The dude is obviously and idiot trying to post some record downhill superman time that he is not and I surely don't want this ass behind me again because I have no idea how he will try to pass me next time. And I am not about to race someone downhill just to prove they suck.
This is how stupid people are. We slowed down for nearly a mile trying to get by that stupid chick. Then that ass hole passes as I am passing, unannounced, goes hammers his pedals, goes into his superman tuck, does the Tour De France wannabe amateur shit then stops at the gate about 10 seconds ahead of me. I get home, plug in my numbers to Strava and the ass hole beat my today downhill time over the shack to the gate segment by 20 seconds. What a dumbass! Risked everybody's health to beat us by 20 seconds. The way he was acting, I thought he may have beat us by 20 minutes ha ha!
I couldn't help it. Got to the gate, dismounted, looked over at him as he was still mounted waiting for his group. I had to laugh and chuckle as I called him Superman! He didn't even look up at me. :-P
So OK, MOST the riders on GMR are experienced and darn good riders but I guess the mountain gets its newbie wannabes now and then. But I think most vets who have been on the mountain over the years agree with me. We need to be careful and watch out for one another as far as our safety. Nobody wants to get hurt up there. Ask me to sacrifice 5 seconds to avoid another cyclist from getting hurt, I have no problem sacrificing far more time than that! GMR? Ride Smart, you freakin' show offs only get people hurt!
AH YES, I WAS CORRECT!!! Went and looked back. Dude only has like 500 miles of riding. New guy showing off in the wrong place I'm guessing.
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