26 miles at 16.3 with Gina. Saturday was her birthday but rather than doing a 58 mile bike ride, she went to spend the day with her ill son and celebrate a bit. Can't blame her for not wanting to do the 58 ha ha, with little saddle time over the last couple years. Heck, I'm just happy to keep her riding for now. I wish I could have her on Saturdays too but with her only remaining son, I figure she could better appreciate her Saturdays sitting with her son on dialysis. This is Richard, the 33 year old with the major stroke and heart attack still on dialysis. Chris passed away last year so plenty of reason for not being concerned about a 58 mile bike ride. Maybe next year!
But today was cooler so she enjoyed the ride much more than last week. I planned on an easy ride after yesterday's longer ride with Joaquin. Easy? Heck man, I started out and my thighs felt like rubber bands. But a nice warmup to Edna Park was nice. Legs warmed up and I felt good. Well, I felt good till we crossed the wooden bridge. I always figure if I can get Gina to a 16.0 average over the 26 mile ride, I'm happy! So after the warmup to Edna, we were at 15.4, no biggie. But the other side, wow! I was pushing hard in some sections trying to maintain 15.0 and I couldn't. Maybe the late 11 am start but a good effort got me only 14.7 at times. I was struggling but wanted to keep the average at 15 setting up a 16 with the return tailwind. It was a struggle though, very stiff headwind. Gina did well to stay on my wheel with the headwind. Most times if it's a stiff headwind, she can have problems keeping up seeing the wind does what it wants and to who it wants ha ha! Is that who or whom? I dunno!
But after Warner it eased up just enough to get the speed back up to about 15.5-16. So once we got tot he coast, it was at 15.4. That should be good for a 16 figuring we should have a tailwind back.
At the coast, I chatted with some dude. I didn't get his name, but an English or Aussie accent it seemed. We chatted a bit and he seemed like a cool guy. But then Rheo arrived and the chatting really began, all cycling. Then Tom The Man (in my videos) rolled up. He is one of the guys that was riding with the group I joined on weekdays for a while. So he joined in the chat while the first guy left. Didn't get his name with all that was going on at this point. I had told him that I had met a lot of people out there through my pics on the forums (before the mods got stupid) and that I had made many friends out there because of the pics and posts. I wasn't sure he believed me as we were chatting before the others arrived. Then arrived Rheo, then Tom, then Louie ha ha! He probably figured at that point I was telling the truth ha ha!
Louie is one of the Sikad Ng Bayan ride organizers. Seems the ride was Saturday, I saw about 100 Sikad jerseys out there so I figured. But not only Saturday, a second ride added on Sunday. I didn't see many jerseys, maybe 20. I just figured the Saturday riders were still excited about their new jerseys. Not bad, ride, support and a jersey for $50. Nice looking jersey this year!
So chatted with Louie for a bit as well then he invited us to ride along with him to the food stop. Very nice Louie, but we had to get back so maybe next time. Louie is always offering stuff. One year I made a video for him and he fed me like a king after the ride.
So we headed back feeling really good. Nice tailwind so we didn't have to work hard. I just held a steady pace for Gina. BUT, when we reached the wooden bridge, I looked across and saw a tandem with a guy and 2 gals on their wheel. We continued on North almost side by side, us on the upper trail and them on the lower (near the wilderness/park area). Then I saw the tandem guy looking up at us. OK, this clown is looking at us for a reason. Ha ha ha, another one!
I kept the same steady pace just keeping Gina rolling but comfy. We weren't pushing hard, just rolling at an 18.5 average speed according to Strava. If we were pushing hard, Gina would be over 20, I think her best is 21.4 on that 7.4 mile segment that I'm using as reference.
So they have to cross that little bridge so I figure they will be at the bottom of our ramp after us. Sure enough, once we roll through the lower section along the concreter river on the right heading North, we step up to the long stretch that dumps us down to Moon Park/405 fwy.
I'm just keeping our pace and they seem to close the 70 yard gap down to about 40 slowly. I was thinking they would roll by us much sooner but maybe that macho man look the dude was throwing me earlier was all talk ha ha! So they close the gap by maybe 1/2 and I just look back so that we can move left for a safe pass.
Well, they didn't catch us quickly and we're approaching the short downhill. I think to myself, ah yes a tandem, the fools will blow down the hill trying to impress like many tandems do ha ha! Sure enough, we go down first and keep pace, which is a little faster because of the dh. But yeah, that little climb down the way! After we level out, sure enough the tandem goes blowing by with the guy on the back.
Oh bummer! I told Gina, poor girls, the tandem ego got them as the tandem seemed so set on blowing by us on the downhill that they left the 2 gals behind, how sad! Just keeping pace and like so many other times, I'm waiting for the fools to fade. Sure enough, we get to that little climb and within a few seconds, that 50 yard gap they had on us is about down to 10 ha ha! I saw them start struggling even before the tunnel as it seems to kick up to an easy 1/2 or 1%. Just enough to make the legs feel it but nothing visible to the eye. So they're slowing and we just about catch them on the hill and Gina has ZERO hill training. So for her to catch them, ha ha ha!
But I don't want to pass them and the guy because then I will be that butt head ha ha! So I back of just a bit till they can pick it up again. Half the next stretch they're struggling so I keep a soft pedal. Sure Gina appreciates that too! Then finally, they are able to kick it up again. So I resume our pace. They pull away just a little bit then another underpass. We're rolling up quick as they seem to be really struggling up that little climb.
Yup, here comes that part of the story, the same story as always. They really sucked up that little ramp so they try to resume and it seems it's not happening so just as we are about to catch them, more than likely pass, they pull over ha ha ha! The guy goes around and I think he thought they just moved over for him to take the front. but nope, they stopped. The guy keeps rolling but not doing to well so we roll around him.
Same old story, I know they pulled over because they couldn't keep it up and had the perfect reason, I mean excuse to pull over. Uh, we have to wait for our 2 girl friends who fell behind. Uh yeah, you dropped them because of your ego and now you found out your thoughts on your ego were bigger than your ego itself ha ha! But anyway, I looked them up on Strava and found their average to be about 15.5. Just too funny that even if you go do your own ride and pace, some fools will always try to make a race out of it!
So like always, some clown out there entertaining me with their stupidity ha ha ha! I can't count the times fast dudes have passed me and I don't even consider the thought of drafting them, chasing them, or making a race out of a situation where I can't win. Damn people, just freakin' ride your bike and stop trying to race other people ha ha!
I tell her all the time, don't eat with your bike top exposed, STAIN!
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