smackdown write up? this week?

I suppose I should.

The lack of turnout let me slip into a debate with someone on twitter who was 'curbing' group rides. Worthless no need why drive to them stupid serve no purpose Roadies are elitest d'bags only concerned with tubular deep section carbon wheels.

Yup. Then you got guys now who only race training races. "They know how to race" um no it is a training race and no one gives a shit. "Group riding is too sketchy" "road races/crits are too sketchy" "roadies are d'bags".

No I'm a CXr. Well first a bike mechanic. I never found my niche in the road scene. Dirtbag mt biker turned into Roadie by buying a Paramount and drafted onto the cycling team by Geo in college.

it came up that someone has been riding for half their life. Damn that's not much. If I go back to my first bike shit i've almost hit the four decade mark riding two wheels. and i'm only in my not quite mid 40s.

But then maybe they are only 20...  percentages. I guess some people start late.

the group ride thing. It is different now.

Roadies all nod. It is code. Right? One of my friends commented, roadies always wave, but almost none of the hybrid riders acknowledge anyone. That's his observation.

Last night after the smackdown a there were three cyclists working on a flat change. One cranking a tiny min pump with a turtled bike. I said loud and clearly "NEED HELP?" and the hesitation made me stop.

More code eh? If a cyclists is on the side of the road, always ask if they need help. Yes, even if you are late. Or have no tools or anything. Maybe there is a chance you can provide assistance, or if nothing else just the simple offer is enough to turn their bad day into a good one. Never pass a rider on the side of the road, no matter what bike they are on, w/o offering. Worst case you can't do anything, but if they know that you tried and can't help it is still exponetially better to have stopped than to have ridden by.

This group of cyclists was effusive with thanks for just offering. They had watched countless cyclists ride past not even looking at them much less asking if help was needed.  It wasn't. Or at least by the time i got my frame pump out and started switching it from soccer ball filling schrader valve to presta they realized the patch wasn't holding and the one with the flat was going to walk home and the other two were going to continue on.

Drives home two points to me. Always ask. Easiest way is the Ben Folsom Method "NEED HELP?" Simple, clear, unabiguous. The responses are equally clear. A NO is easy to interpret and you can keep going. Anything else and you f'n stop.

Back to smackdown.

I rolled up. It was awesome in the sun but the wind was brutal and cold. I was kind of hoping that no one would show and I could just ride back to the office, get my backpack and head home. But Andrew was there.

Only Andrew. Guess he's gonna keep me honest. He's also prep'n for Battenkill so this wed night thing is important but isn't his only thing and, as y'all know, he's a good 50# lighter than me and a former elite/varsity level lightweight crew dude. Aka #alllungs

Great, We've got big mr watts and the climber dude. Of course we went out. I assumed that Fox's comment about never riding his bike again were joking. But he didn't show like he usually did over on Broadway. Damnit. It really is just the two of us. "I'm gonna get my ass kicked."  Bottom line? I did. He crushed me on Pine. We road Rocky Hill together, but I think that was more him sitting on my wheel. He dissapeared on the second pitch of Hillside. And gave a solid power dig in his big (way bigger than mine) big ring and 11/12 cog downhill into the wind. I may have put some pressure on over on Walker but man. It was a good ride. Great ride.

Not the fastest ever, not the slowest but it was great. Almost from the get go i could feel my right calf a bit edging on the cramp side - i knew by a few other signs that I was slightly dehydrated. Not optimal. But I survived.  And even just the two of us we had a great smackdown ride.

Dissapointing turnout for a routine well advertised ride. Is it too hard? The beginners get dropped all the time, but hey, who knows. I'm going to keep doing it for a few reasons. One usually at least one or two of my friends shows up and riding with people you like is always something to relish. Second i know that even though I was destroyed by Andrew on the hills, it helps me. It pushes me beyond where I'd normally go with my commute and my riding.

There is value in the group ride.

Yes, a good group ride is more like a training race than a social tea party. And functionally can be better than a training race if the combinations are met just so.

I tired to take it easy riding in this morning to recover, It worked pretty well. But the ride home? Fuuuuuuck. First I was late so I had to push it. Second? BRUTAL F'N HEADWIND. It was a nice reminder that. nope, not recovered from yesterday.

Planning a Monday ride. Long Ride. Boston and back ride.

I miss the whole day in the saddle. Can't wait to be back. Looked for ride partners, got radio silence. Kind of like usual though.

There's a reason they've kept me in the basement w/o windows or social interactions in the IRL category for the last 20+ years. Reinforced by the lack of response. But hey, i'm used to it. finally figuring it out. Finally being okay with the guy left alone way off in isolation. I'm also sort of seeing part of a pattern with why i've wound up friends with socially awkward bullies. Wayne in first grade... it carries on - I only pick his name because I think last i heard he was not maybe the best roll model in South Kidsap county.

That bike racing woman who was a grad student then moved on said something about her two readers in her blog, and I definately think maybe she has more than two. Right now I'm wondering... shit maybe the 6 page views (as tracked by google) are two people clicking from three different devices/IPs. Would make sense.

This journey isn't straighforward. It isn't easy. But it is starting to make sense to me, and I'm more okay lately.

I'm also going to be talking at a fancy PRO meeting about nanoscape on may 1st. So that's pretty amazingly awesome too.

Life's a pretty f'n amazing journey. Even when it sucks it beats the alternative.

heddwch
G