Sunday -- the day was expected to bring nice sunny conditions, temps up to mid 40s with less wind than the day before -- PyZahl got up at 6am, because in addition to the usual morning procedure he had to prepare his bread for the last rise before baking in the late afternoon, and stepped out of his door at 7:30 to get plenty of time to get to the start of the ride -- what usually takes him a good 35 minutes and leaves some time for a 2nd snack and some small talk...
He was shivering in the cold for the first miles, as temps were still little below freezing, frost on cars and a few frozen puddles, but the rising sun felt good every second he got exposed in between the shade...
At the meeting location the early group was assembling and left... the "big boys" group was growing to a amazing number of at least twenty riders and some of the so strong racers were in between calling for a tough ride. He will better stay away from the front, especially as he rode hard the day before.
And they moved out and picked up speed instantly. He already got little into pain keeping up passing back into Rocky Point, but luckily, it seam they eased up already a bit, that was good. Further moving speed was just fine and the impressive long pace line -- nice to view -- was woooshing along... only got to a short stop here. One flat behind.
Before they continued flying east. One more misshapen to one of the group at the bottom of boy scout hill -- as a explosion like sound must have destroyed a front tire some riders behind PyZahl. They waited up at the next traffic light, but it seamed a unlucky one as they gave up fixing it -- one down -- and proceeded east.
Little cross winds going south, but still good moving, just fine for Py :-)
The whole ride could have been just fine, moving back north west in a big group into the wind would have made it more or less non existent. But at the end of the first (the bumpy) section of Mill Rd, at the turn, he grabbed his water bottle, which somehow at a little bump slid out of his gloves. OK, keeping cool, and proceed riding not to generate any troubles while riding in the middle of a big group at some speed, he proceeded leaving it behind. About a mile later he made the decision -- to sacrifice the benefit of the great big group -- about at little over half of the ride, told the group leader he is leaving to get his bottle -- it was clear at that point, nobody would wait, so he was on his very own soon. He returned about a mile, picked up the still half full bottle -- he would really need it later -- and was back en route about 5 minutes later -- impossible to catch up, he also lost more and more time on them, as especially into the wind all the way back, it was a pain full long ride, but he finished the usual route. His very only chance would have been a pretty soon flat ahead, but he knew, chances for that were small, very small, but it gave him a little hope and motivation to pull as fast as he could on Mill towards South Rd... but some where out there he fall back to a slower pace, no way.
But so what, a beautiful day for a longer ride. It was a different one -- scary fast full power ahead start -- great fast pace line out east -- and a long slower pull back.
Py's
ride stats -- the three levels are clearly visible here.
That done, some energy refilled with lefter over pasta and a goodie from Tildas Bake Shop with a smooth Cappuccino, he really felt better and took a short nap... listening to his favorite Radio Station
DRS 3.
