Come Ride With Me!

And by the way, sponsor me for Bike MS. Last year I raised just shy of my $1000 goal. Show everyone that the economy is bringing sexy back and blow the top off that this year, people. No donation is too large.



Anyway, last summer I always thought of these rides as 'training rides.' That's given way to cycling being one of my favorite activities. I love riding solo, but I don't miss a group ride if I can help it. I thought of it as a workout in the beginning, now it's either an invigorating meditation (riding alone) or a rolling social club.




And cyclists that I've met so far, are just good people. Case in point, and this has happened more than once: I'm grinding up another long hill near the end of a 17 mile ride; I left earlier than the group because I know I'm far too slow to keep up with anyone in the group; the hill looks like it's five miles high, so I only look a few feet ahead as I grind it out. I'm going to take this fucker, no matter what. I'm completely isolated in this mode, aware of the occasional passing car, but mainly I'm breathing and cranking and waiting for that moment when I realize I've made it up the hill. Then I hear, 'Good job,' from a cyclist passing me. Or a voice behind me, 'You're almost there.'

These are obviously much fitter riders than me, because at this point on the hill, I'm breathing far too hard to manage speech.



Anyway, Curtis suggested after the Trek ride on Monday that we meet at the Brewery early and leave at 6:00, make it a 'no drop ride.' This has been an idea I've tried to get going for awhile now, crash the Prairie Village Yacht Club's party by leaving early enough to get back to 75th Street before they're already paying their tabs. Which is another awesome thing about cyclists, as a group they seem as likely to party as to pedal.



So far, Roj has been the only taker. But here we went, the four of us, and for the first time since September we had a Sherpa who knew the actual route. I knew broad outlines: Lamar down to Town Center, Tomahawk to Lee, but I got fuzzy on the beginning and end. I've gone north to Gregory and then taken 71st to Lamar, I've taken Somerset to 79th and come back up via Brookside Blvd and Oak, but the only other time I've ridden the whole official route I was chasing this smokin' hot chick I'd just met and I guess that blurred my retention of the nuances of the route.



Roj has been installing a derailleur, shifters and cables, the stuff of grown up bicycles on the 1978 Mongoose BMX he insists on riding. He kept having mechanical difficulties, and reinvented the English language a few times on the back half of the ride. I couldn't always make out what he said because of traffic noise, but at one point I heard: roar of cars MONKEYFUCKER roar of more cars.





Anyway, we got to 103 and Roj was falling behind. There was a steady stream of Brewery riders who assured us BMX wasn't far behind. Curtis turned off at a school on 103rd, and I thought, good idea: we haven't seen Roj for awhile, let him catch up. But then as soon as Julia caught up, they took off. As me and Roj pumped up Lee, I said 'I think we got dropped.' He said something about needing a new knee, or maybe something about his gears fucking monkeys.



We managed to find our way through the end of the route thanks to a few gents with gray hairs (who probably should start with us a half hour before the official ride). Then we went to find Curtis in the Brewery to bust his balls but he'd slipped us yet again and gone to Kennedy's. And the first thing he said when he saw us coming, 'I never said it was a no-drop ride.'

Liar!



Anyway, come ride with me tomorrow night (even you, Curtis), it's an official Team Lockton training ride, which means it's a great social event.

Ride Leader: Kathy Calvert (Team Lockton rider)
When: Thursday, June 3rd
Time: 6pm
Where: Meet at Kathy's house at 7925 Roe Avenue in Prairie Village
About 6 houses south of 79th St. on the east side of Roe. Parking is limited so if the driveway is full you can park on 80th St.(on the West side of Roe).

Ride Length: 15-20 miles

If anyone has questions contact Kathy at 913-485-5458.

The weather for Thursday looks like mostly sunny and low 80s. Perfect for a bike ride. Hope to see you there.

I'm not sure about the route other than the distance stated and the starting point, but I'll be there with Hawaiian shirt and Pearl Izumis on.