RRRR 2.0 recap

What a ride.

It worked out, went well. We had 45 or so people +/- and a range of abilities that went from incredibly fast to just happy to be riding and looking for the challenge.

I headed out a few minutes later than planned. Relaxed morning. But light on the coffee I stuck with one cup, then filled a bottle with some instant coffee (hey it is cold and turns out, it tastes just like puting fresh good coffee in a bottle and drinking it a couple hours later) got dressed and skipped the sunscreen (tan line activation). One burn in three or four years is probably not the worst thing I've done. Actually has faded pretty well as of this morning. Not so bad.

Rolled out, felt slow. But timing wasn't so bad. Got there after Roger and Lesli but before most people. Got a large coffee from 7 Stars and chatted, worked on saying hi to people, welcoming them. Got a IG story with Softswerve as she rolled up but didn't post till after the ride. David B ran the reg/sign in like the smooth warm and welcoming pro that he is. We collected some extra cash at the start for 1PVD and rolled out as a group. The stoplight actually made the first split. I wound up rolling out with the last of them as Syl was kitting up and getting ready to go. David B was still in street clothes and wound up riding sweep with Giulia, at least until... i'll get to that.

Wound up with Lesli and Roger at the start there, we all promptly blew through the stop sign just like I had asked everyone not to and of course I got a bit of grief for that. Waved at Walter A in his front yard (derdowski shoutout), and headed down.

Everyone missed the first big red arrow and didn't turn until after the tracks, but I stopped and got the group in the right space. Then What? a tube? Half way down the first track section was an inner tube. Looked clean and flat. Best pick it up. Who knows. Also no sense in littering. I roll back up catch up to everyone walking over the railroad bridge, I ride it and am w/in this last group. We hit the first side section, I help navigate a bit, a good intro to how the course is marked for everyone, and then help a few with a sand bypass that skips a super fun but super sketchy downhill and some sand stuff, and by doing that found the best 'whoops' around, like no need to pedal perfectly spaced pump track. So fun.

We all gathered to re-group at Waterfront Drive and headed on to the next section, the road  transfer. One of the few.

Yeah this ride isn't RdR level lots of road linking single track. This is lots of single track linked with a little bit of road. Syl had caught us by then and I took point and he agreed to drop back for now to ride sweep. we had a pretty large group at that point. Maybe half? 18-20 or so riders.

We hit the secret trail behind the park off Pawtucket Ave, cut through the neighborhood and over to the trails in Hunts Mills. At the fresh stuff along the creek/reservoir run off, I took some folks around to skip the rocky section. We got to the parking lot on the Seekonk side north of the road and Jack M had a flat. We waited for the stragglers to make it and Jack changed the flat, and my big Zefal HPX 4 got its first use. After a few minutes of socializing we sent everyone on. Soon Jack was back in biz and we headed off to catch up. And we did. To the tail end of everyone. Until we hit Jim with a flat tire.

He urged us not to wait but Jack wasn't having any of it and I was good with hanging and well, that turned out to be good. His spare tube wasn't holding air and that one that I picked up (Jim actually saw it fall out and the guy who dropped it said 'I have another one' and kept riding) worked. And he used the frame pump.

While that was happening Giulia and David rode up, truly riding sweep. Once Jim was underway we got our shit together and the five of us headed out. Only to join up with Softswerve and Syl and a couple others trying to figure out what to do with her bike and the broken fork. Like cracked ALMOST in half at the fork crown. Like Fuck that's BAD broken. Giulia and Softswerve walked out and made it to G's place to get a different bike for her to ride and finish the route, the rest of us headed onwards. Eventually we wound up catching up with the Chapman crew in the cemetery. Headed around up to the north section. Played in the sand there. Used the frame pump again maybe? Getting hazy about the middle use of the pump.

Hit the tracks and headed south. Syl and I had been taking turns riding sweep now that we'd lost the official sweep riders with the broken fork. David B helped a bit but he wound up being somewhere in the middle most of the time. Riding sweep isn't always the most fun, you're not riding your pace, but it is rewarding and gives you a nice sense of purpose, even if it means getting to the end of the ride 2+ hours after the leader. Yeah. Graham was on the money saying it would take some people over 4 hours to do the ride. I think we maybe did it in under 4 but my Garmin crapped out and didn't record the file so WHO KNOWS. Damn technology. It was pretty uneventful. The Chapman gang was def on a more relaxed pace, chilling and regrouping for a bit, quite a bit. But it def made it more social and fun and relaxed and was awesome. At one point Mitch got a flat. Took a bit to change, tire wasn't seating well, I actually took over to try and get it set up right. He didn't have a pump, but did have a tube. That took a while. The mosquitos found us and I figured everyone was long gone, we were going to improvise and backtrack to the bike path to catch up, but just as we decided to do that Syl shows up. They were all waiting for us on the tracks. And off we went into the scrub zone sand and the last root section and then through the farm field and back to G&G's house.

We ate some food, hung out, Burke even had time to ride home, shower, change clothes and bikes and get back before we rolled in.

It was a good time. It was a great ride. I guess it is a positive sign when everyone asks if we can do it again and soon. People made new friends, got to know others better and some just had a kick ass fun day on the bike that benefited a really important 100% volunteer run organization.

I think we'll do it again soon.

Heddwch,
G