May 27, 2023

SMALL RING, SMALL DETOUR, BIG FUN

THERE'S A LOCAL RIDE I'VE DONE A THOUSAND TIMES, which is why I don't do it that much of late. We hit it today because my pal TimmyV texted up...

... I'm outta shape and need a hard ride.

Perfect, CV is a ride he knows well and knows how to get home.

A mile from home, I realized my front derailer was dead. Same as yesterday, only this time I'd charged the battery...

... good thing there's lots of vert, little flat riding.

We picked up Charlie and met about 30 fire breathers, soon we'd be feelin' that burnin' he'd been yearnin' for.

The first little pitch I stretched my legs, looked back and saw a gap.

Hmmm.

I pressed on, made a light they missed.

I coulda waited, but I was really wanting to ride hard and the group didn't seem that interested.

After 8ish minutes, I eased up and waited and waited and waited...

... they were missing all the lights before the canyon.

We all dropped down the corkscrew, leanin' hard and singin' brake pads, pouring out onto the downhill run before blasting up the other side of the canyon.

I was about 7 guys back.
The pace was heating up, finally.

With zero warning, we hit a road closure. Stopped. Trees down. Turned around.

This is where it got fun.

Paralleling the road is a paved stretch through a campground, which turns to dirt for the final 1/2 mile or so.

Surprisingly, only a few of us knew the route.
A few roadies, balked and bailed out.
The rest loved the detour.

Back on the climb up the canyon, things got going again. It felt so good to be sweating, hearing my heavybreathing, watching the leaders ride away over the top...

... reeling them back in by the 120 degree turn at the bottom,
and hanging on.

Ryan, Chase and I opted for the extra credit, 20% pitch over the very top before regrouping with the rest.

Tim's text came through,
I'm done.
Fried.

I'm glad he got me out,
I'm glad I kept going with only the small chain ring.

It was good to see the friends,
good to get pushed hard,
good to test the legs.