Yea I should probably work on that. Plus, with different saddles its really hard to get setback the same because the "sweet spot" of the saddle is not in the same spot with relation to the rails. Idk, it's not really worth my time at this point honestly.

Mine is 8:25 - 3:35. Because of all the snow it got bumped to those times, but next week goes back to 8:35 - 3:15. Out the door by 3:30 to where?

On that note, off the bed.

To ride, where else?

Iunno. I assumed, but whatever. I go from school to work (3 minutes if I get stuck at all the lights ;)) and get off between 7 and 7:30. It's hard for me to ride other than friday and saturday when I'm off. This summer though, I should be able to work 11-7 (ride in mornings!), except one day when I will work 10-6 so I can do a group ride after work! Love it.

My kid wants to go to Columbia. And the scary part is she might have a decent shot at actually getting into the school. I told her to tell the interviewer that her Dad went to NYU and he thinks that Columbia friggin blows.

You know when I see those decals for all the pricey colleges on cars, I always think that if it wasn't for that stupid sticker on the back window, maybe this car wouldn't be a Honda. Maybe it would be a BMW.

Tell her if she goes to Phoenix University she can surf BikeForums during class and no one will care.

This evening I show up at a nearby LBS group ride. I know going in that the ride may be an overshoot because (1) my group riding experience consists of a few small social-type rides, and (2) it's billed as an "A/B" ride with an average speed 2-5 mph faster than I normally ride.

But hey, why not?

I immediately establish my Fred credentials at the outset by (1) showing up late so that I joined the ride in progress a block from the start, and (2) eschewing standard bike weenie style and wearing a tank top.

Anyway, I merged in near the front of the 20 or so rider pack. I really didn't want to be at the front, but I was essentially boxed in for a couple miles so you gotta roll with the flow.

Frankly, being boxed in takes getting used to. I envisioned Pcad-esque crashes.

Things went relatively well for the first four or five miles. I even took a pull. The group was in a fairly consistent two-abreast pace line and it was pretty straightforward to simply follow the wheel in front of you.

But then the organization and speed of the ride seemingly become more erratic. Eventually the four-lane road we had been riding turned into two lane. I quickly succumbed to the rookie mistake of letting too big a gap open up in front of me and got dropped.

But I continued fighting on and rejoined the pack when it got to a couple stop signs.

I was still trying to go with the flow thereafter when I had my most gloriously Fredtastic, "we're going to yell at you" moment. Although I had been studiously observing the group, I had not yet picked up on the paceline rotation. And so, as I was cruising in the right line with a gap in front of me, I was notified--repeatedly--that I needed to be in the left line if I wanted to lay back.

Oh, the humanity.

Shortly thereafter I detonated and was dropped--I thought for good. But when I finally got to the next stoplight (near the half-way point) I happened upon three other dropees. I hooked up with them and availed myself of some drafting as we rounded the far side of the loop and headed back to the bike shop.

We shaved a couple miles off the normal route and eventually rendezvoused with part of the group. I hung onto the back for a while only to get dropped again on a slow climb. (I subsequently learned that they like to dial it up on that stretch. That kind of thing is good to know in advance).

I got saved by one more stoplight; the last couple miles were cool down so I was able to finish the ride not in last place!

Is there a moral to this story? No. But if you're going to ride in a fast group, (1) know the paceline rotation, and (2) stay glued to the wheel in front of you.

The End.

One can only hope.

When I am so thin that my own Mother is alarmed and asks me if I'm ill, I am almost fit enough for cycling. Why do I even participate in this stupid sport?

My mother asked me if I had tapeworms.

this is very worrying. velo is trying to become a road nazi. i have arranged to ride with road nazis. are we nuts?

I don't know why you guys do it. Just doesn't sound like much fun being in a group. Guess I need to go get my testosterone level checked.

Actually i wont be joining a real group. I'm just meeting up for a ride with a couple of riders i got chatting to on seperate occasions whilst i was riding and then arranged to meet for a ride intermittently. Their recovery ride and my hard ride. My plan is to get 5 of us together and to do a paceline to do a fast century. They seem willing because I know the local roads better but that puts me in a difficult position. I cannot be dropped; I have to lead the way so I'll be busting a gut.

i've noticed there's a lot of riders around here who don't want to join clubs because of time commitments or whatever but like the occasional group ride. same as me.

I see a possible bumpersticker market in this.

Tour de Cure tomorrow..... might rain! :) Here's to an epic ride!

:beer:

What did you hate about them? I've heard people complain about cruds but the problems they mentioned could have been solved by the tips video on the crud website.

The odds of you Frediots becoming anything resembling a true Road Nazi are similar to those of the BP Chairman not making a total ass of himself in the coming week with yet another mind blowingly stupid head smacking PR gaffe.

Who says I'm not one already?

It does take getting used to when you're used to having the open road at your own pace. But if it's a faster group it's a way to push yourself and it does make the miles go faster.

You did when you revealed your Fredian slip on the group ride.

http://static.open.salon.com/files/a...1234363884.gif

I see what you did there.