Today's ride if a novel would be titled the "Ugly, Better, Good, Flat".
Rider Leader: John Gorman, was joined @ the IHRT White Plains start by: Kenny Statom, Rodine "Wes" West, & cycling from home Jan Tucker & Mike Bivens, joining us on the route were: Janell (tire flats) Saunders, Jim/Jane Hudnall, for the posted B - 40miler.
Diane Gorman, Judie Artman, and Jerry Finan started from the IHRT White Plains and rode together on it for 26miles.
Well the "Ugly" was leaving @ 8:40am from Bowie in a dense fog, (which made seeing the traffic signals until almost passing them a challenge), which already had this "safety 1st" rider leader saying "well at least we can ride the trai"l, but was doubting doing open road riding. Well arriving at the White Plains lot the forecasted above 40 degrees and projected 50s, sure didn't seem to mesh w/ the cold, cloudy, windy feel in the air. As riders came, we all hoped by the time we went up the IHRT to turn left onto Hawthorne to Chicamuxen that the fog would lift. AND yes it did, so the planned 40 miler was intact.
So now, the chapter "Better" was unfolding, we split into a forward, middle and sweep packs going up to and then down to the Marina @ Smallwood Park,( most were avging a 15.77 mid to better than high B pace), and now with sun out and the "Good" chapter began to unfold, to allow some transition changing in garb. We proceeded to go down Chicamuxen making a L onto Smallwood Church Rd and all enjoyed the nice straightway and quiet conditions, now w/ a little more warmth. Things proceeded just fine taking another L to the long straightway on Mason Springs w/ another break @ the Pisgah Store, we decided to just continue on Mason Springs back down to end @ the TL of MD-224/225.
Ok, are you still reading.... Well unfolds the "Flat"... the rider leader (who was in the back all day any way), figured he and another rider would depart a tad before the upper Bs, and figure they'd pass us enroute. So I and Wes were peddling away, I began to find it strange that upon hitting the rollers, that my mirror showed no relfection of the group. I did wait at the bottom of hill at Chicamuxen for about 10mins and never saw the group, I thought perhaps those upper Bs decided to do some add on miles or something, but with the posse of experienced riders, I knew they were in good hands. As I learned from Kenny's arrival at White Plains, poor Janell Saunders had another flat a 1/4 mile upon leaving the Pisgah store, then apparently after getting that repaired she had another one shortly after that, Mike, was going to cycle home and get his truck and transport her back.
(Stats -ams, are a funny thing: (at least for me any way), as expected the inclines thru Smallwood Church/Mason Srpings are going to bring the ams down. But it's always interesting coming back R off of Livingston to the IHRT how there's a considerable head/cross wind & a mild incline on those final 10miles that really cuts your ams-mph down about 2miles from what you had been doing all day. )
Ride Leader #s: 40.30 miles, 14.55 ams, riding riding time 2:46 GREAT Group ride today w/ a good blend of riders w/in the B-range to support ea other's paces.
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.568131509869516.145911.147336598615678&type=3
Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1966098
