72 miles at 17.0 average speed. My longest ride in about 6 years, maybe more? But felt really good. Couple images from the video for now. But I decided not to make the video. Too much drama and I think jealousy in the group. Like too many other outfits, you have the guys that ride and help and you have the guys and gals who want to compete with you but won't help.
I have one guy that is about my size that was a racer so everything is about race race race from what I see. Yeah, I know I am a big guy but I will climb if I have to. I get sick of hearing stories of being a racer but avoiding all the real rides. Or let's say, a ride with climbing in it like GMR. I suggest a GMR group ride then I am the devil ha ha ha! Too many cry baby comments about why don't I run the group then blah blah blah. I say it's all about getting out of a real ride rather than trying to race me on a 25 mile ride. And actually that gets old. I try to slow and ride with the group but then they suck wheel then sprint around for 1/4, if they are lucky, trying to make a race of it. OK, wait, I hold back to be a good ride partner, then you're going to race me? Wow, ha ha ha!
Even the women seem to be that way. I had one gal who would suck my wheel 50% through the longer rides of 60 miles or so. Sure I am going to get tired at one point so I ask her to help for 2 minutes. Nope, I can't, WTF!!!! So I actually talked her into giving me a break for 2 minutes. Wow, gets old doing most the work and nobody wanting to help.
So it got to the point where I would pull most of the people for a long time on these rides. Then for the Monday night CHILL ride, supposed to be easy for beginners, I would ride my MTB. So the same people would get competitive on their roadies. So I would push for a workout and hop on a wheel. The same people who were sucking my wheel on my roadie, must feel inferior having a guy on an MTB keeping up. So they do whatever they can to drop me, even pull over to the other side of the road to get me off their tail. Been feeling good on the bike so I can say that most of them, I can beat anyway ha ha ha! About 3 that are still too quick. I can catch up but they can sprint away after I burn my energy. Of course, finishing 50 yards ahead of a guy on an MTB with knobbies while riding a top of the line roadie is not saying much.
So these punks keep wanting to make a competition out of it. So guess what, the last few times on my roadie, I just pounded them ha ha ha! No, you can't compete like you thought. Just because I was being nice didn't mean we were equals as I let you ride my wheel ha ha ha!
So this ride, the group started out like a bat out of hell. Actually a few fast guys that I know are going to do their own thing as usual. Probably better me by 1 mph on a 60 mile ride. So I just fell to the back at the start and watched the fools think they were racing. Soon I was up with the usual people, second group and a big group behind me. I think Mike held back and pulled that group. Of course we all know it is senseless trying to go all out with the clowns on your wheel knowing instead of helping, they will sprint around till they fade 1/2 mile later. So it was understandable that he not put in too much effort. Though he said after the ride that he was having a hard time. No energy, stiff, not sure why but he held back a lot today.
But I was with a group of about 1- guys. Not sure what happened to some of them but the others, they would suck wheel then sprint around. It was kind of funny because we kept reeling them back in. It was Tom, Craig, and I. We were rolling pretty good together. So at one point, we kept catching up to these other guys who were fading but thinking they were going somewhere. Every time we would catch up, they would suck wheel but would not contribute to the group. These guys really annoy me!
So finally they faded so much they had to drop on the back and stay there for a long while. Then Craig did a long turn at the front, good pull! But the other 2 guys with us, 4 now, rolled around him as he waved them to the front, and sprinted off. I was right on them but then noticed Craig faded and could not increase the pace just then. So I watched him fall back about 30 yards. Well damn! I can't get myself to be that moron that ditches a good man. I didn't think it was fair after the effort he put in at the front.
So I fell back to help him as we were hitting the windy section now. He hopped on and somewhat recovered but with the underpasses, he would fall back a bit so I would slow again. A slow process but we had closed a gap of about 100 yards down to 15. But finally, we hit a stretch long enough and windy enough to catch the other 2. I knew I could but didn't want to leave Craig. I don't like being that a hole I complain about.
Craig told me later he appreciated the move to help him out. Of course man, he deserved that much! We did lunch then on the way, back, the clowns get up front again, the group clowns lifting the pace. A couple of riders did 44 and thought it was noble to race the others who were doing 72, okay! But some of the group and those other riders were pushing the pace. A few of us did our own thing knowing we would catch up anyway. At one point, a couple of them raced off and opened a gap of about 100 yards. I was laughing inside knowing it was only a matter of time and even the rider that did half the ride, I'd have no problem reeling her in too! The problem with being a wheelsucker is that once your ride fades or drops you, you're toast! But before they could fade, Craig did a good effort to maintain distance with them. When I was ready, I got up front and pushed hard after working into the pace, again not wanting to drop Craig as he was the best help throughout. We had one other rider with us that always wants to compete with me but knowing he's pretty much a wheel sucker or will sprint around me, I pretended he was not there knowing he wouldn't, probably couldn't help. I hate to compete with people when we are supposed to be riding together but at this point, I just wanted to reel in the other riders, which we did. Broke their spirits! Ah, before we hit the regroup, the others faded and seemed to want to hold back. OK, forget it, at this point, it is every man for himself. I did have the other guy on my wheel who left the group earlier. I pulled him quite a ways before the regroup and was well ahead of the others. Then I pulled to the side and asked the guy to help. He refused, what! So I pulled some more then later moved over again and said be a good team mate. He finally took the front ha ha ha! For a bit!
Then after the Pic golf course, we headed up to the base of the mountains. I held back some trying to pull the group knowing it would be more difficult on this section. I was trying to set the pace, concentrate on what was going on but then they started talking and falling back. OK, I hesitated a few times and they would get back on doing well. But then would start talking again so I was like F this! I just took off and left them behind. At the top of the dam, I got a cramp in my hammy ha ha ha! So I figured this would be a good place to wait and get video of them coming up the hill.
I guess Erik was having problems. Not sure why but his nose started bleeding. I had 179 PR's on Strava and I think trying to keep up, or within sight, he outdid himself so his nose was suffering ha ha ha! Either way, he had about 100 PR's as well but if it makes you sick, what good is it? So we stopped at the top and took a break as Nadine spoke with some women she knew from the Monday night rides.
I think Erik was in a rush to get back so he took off early. Again, instead of helping the group, he took off and seems to have lifted the pace. I somewhat held back for the group but again, they were farting around and I wanted to get back too. So I took off and knew I would pass Erik and his bloody nose ha ha ha! So I headed after him then I noticed Mike was on my wheel. So we did a little teamwork across the dam and blew by Erik. He usually tries to jump on but I think at this point, he had already outdid himself so no way was he going to get on. Mike and I worked together the rest of the way. But those little climbs at the top were getting me. Mike looked good but I had to slow for a couple of minutes to catch my breath before resuming our pace. Mike looked good but said at the end he was done. That was cool, I had a 17.0 average at the end but went up just a little bit more to make sure I got in 72 while he stopped at the park where we started. So after the ride, I had a 17.0 and he said that was good as he only had 16.4 and was suffering. Hey, I did ok after all!
But anyway, those fools who keep trying to compete I think get their souls crushed whenever we do a real ride. Yeah, the 25 on Thurs is fun but these fools make the mistake of thinking if they win that ride, they're top dog. Ha ha ha, that is funny. I've done enough riding to know that there is always somebody faster. So why they compete with me is funny. Many times I am taking pics and video so finishing ahead of me on the 25 is like gold to them. So now, getting tired of them trying to compete, I crushed their souls ha ha ha.
And of course after the ride, they are all patting each other on the back, giving each other kudos on Strava, and liking each other's stories on facebook. It seems when I let them win the race that isn't there, they are all happy. But after getting tired of their crap, I compete back, not that it is that much competition but letting them know they still don't compare with the Beanz, they get their feelings hurt and seem to make it a point on the board to avoid my posts and only give each other likes ha ha ha!
What a bunch of babies! They're gods when you let them keep up but after not helping, it's time to crush them and they don't like that. More mileage, more effort, I'm feeling good and if they couldn't beat me then, they ain't going to beat me now. I don't even know why they feel like they have to compete. Just a bunch of babies who don't know how to RIDE TOGEHTER I guess!
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