6/03/2013
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)
Chrissy’s big Adventure
It was supposed to be another warm day but somehow it looked more like June Gloom when I looked out of the window this morning. Still I was hoping I wouldn’t need arm or leg warmers by the time I left for Burger King. As it worked out it was just warm enough to ride without them as I walked out of the door. But things were not all smooth sailing because I had forgotten to charge my Garmin and when I turned it on I got the dreaded low battery warning. However I did have my old 200 charged so I quickly mounted it and headed for coffee with Digger.
When I pulled up I noticed both Digger and Dura Max were standing by the back of Chrissy’s SUV. Chrissy is a new rider that was joining us for the first time today. She has only had her bike since Mother’s Day and I felt a bit guilty tossing in Three Climbs east for her first ride. In my defense I will say I put the ride up before I learned she would be with us but still even the Marina hill is not a nice thing to do to a new rider. By 8:30 we had a small group made up of Surgeon, Digger, Dura Max, Chrissy and Me. We headed down Gilmore and onto Acacia.
I was glad it was a small group because it gave me more flexibility in modifying the ride because Chrissy needed to get back early. I took us onto Kirby and Surgeon took us onto Cypress and through the housing tract. I got back in front as we got to Sanderson and took us up to Wentworth before heading west past Hanger 1 and out onto Stetson. I got us to Warren road were Surgeon once again took over.
I managed to pull the group up to Surgeon’s back wheel and we followed him to Stowe and headed west. I got back in front and pulled us in a reasonable pace line all the way to Winchester for a regroup at the Country Store parking lot. Once we had rested and hydrated Surgeon took us back out onto Winchester and down to Simpson where I got the lead back and took us to Domenigoni. Once heading towards Searl we were back in an easy double line group.
As we headed for the dry wash Surgeon and I traded leads for a while before Digger took a turn at the front and we had gapped Dura Max and Chrissy just a bit. By the time we crossed the dry wash Digger had fallen back to ride with Chrissy and I was between them and Surgeon and Dura Max. Finally Digger had closed on my back wheel just as we were about to turn on Searl.
I mentioned to Chrissy that she might want to get in the small chain-ring before she started up the hill and then took us to the bottom of Seen dollar hill. Surgeon decided to give the hill a pass and as I started up Digger was right with me matching pedal stroke for pedal stroke. As we got to that first big left I was able to spin the bigger gear and Digger fell back with Dura Max and Chrissy. I gapped them by quite a bit till I got to that big right turn and noticed Chrissy was coming up the hill like a sprinter and was gaining on me. I managed to hold her off and make it to the top of Seven Dollar first but I was glad it wasn’t another half of a mile longer.
After Dura Max and Digger got to the top of the hill we headed back down to pick up Surgeon and move back out onto Domenigoni. We headed for State and the ride east to Ramona Bowl. We decided to skip Ramona because of time constraints and the fact that I had to get Chrissy back to Burger King by 11am. We hot footed it to Chambers and then over to Thornton to turn on Santa Fe.
We hit Stetson at a pretty good clip but time was slipping away from as so we stayed on Stetson past the High school and then out t Fairview before heading back to Florida. Digger and Dura Max went to Cranston Station while Chrissy, Surgeon and I headed west and worked our way to Lincoln to head home. Surgeon left us at Park and I stayed with Chrissy till she was back at her car. For her first group ride I was very impressed. I headed for home knowing that Chrissy was going to be a good climber if she sticks with it and the Huntress was going to be happy to have another woman in the group.
I was glad it was a small group because it gave me more flexibility in modifying the ride because Chrissy needed to get back early. I took us onto Kirby and Surgeon took us onto Cypress and through the housing tract. I got back in front as we got to Sanderson and took us up to Wentworth before heading west past Hanger 1 and out onto Stetson. I got us to Warren road were Surgeon once again took over.
I managed to pull the group up to Surgeon’s back wheel and we followed him to Stowe and headed west. I got back in front and pulled us in a reasonable pace line all the way to Winchester for a regroup at the Country Store parking lot. Once we had rested and hydrated Surgeon took us back out onto Winchester and down to Simpson where I got the lead back and took us to Domenigoni. Once heading towards Searl we were back in an easy double line group.
As we headed for the dry wash Surgeon and I traded leads for a while before Digger took a turn at the front and we had gapped Dura Max and Chrissy just a bit. By the time we crossed the dry wash Digger had fallen back to ride with Chrissy and I was between them and Surgeon and Dura Max. Finally Digger had closed on my back wheel just as we were about to turn on Searl.
I mentioned to Chrissy that she might want to get in the small chain-ring before she started up the hill and then took us to the bottom of Seen dollar hill. Surgeon decided to give the hill a pass and as I started up Digger was right with me matching pedal stroke for pedal stroke. As we got to that first big left I was able to spin the bigger gear and Digger fell back with Dura Max and Chrissy. I gapped them by quite a bit till I got to that big right turn and noticed Chrissy was coming up the hill like a sprinter and was gaining on me. I managed to hold her off and make it to the top of Seven Dollar first but I was glad it wasn’t another half of a mile longer.
After Dura Max and Digger got to the top of the hill we headed back down to pick up Surgeon and move back out onto Domenigoni. We headed for State and the ride east to Ramona Bowl. We decided to skip Ramona because of time constraints and the fact that I had to get Chrissy back to Burger King by 11am. We hot footed it to Chambers and then over to Thornton to turn on Santa Fe.
We hit Stetson at a pretty good clip but time was slipping away from as so we stayed on Stetson past the High school and then out t Fairview before heading back to Florida. Digger and Dura Max went to Cranston Station while Chrissy, Surgeon and I headed west and worked our way to Lincoln to head home. Surgeon left us at Park and I stayed with Chrissy till she was back at her car. For her first group ride I was very impressed. I headed for home knowing that Chrissy was going to be a good climber if she sticks with it and the Huntress was going to be happy to have another woman in the group.
No comments:
Post a Comment