also known as the Wooden Wheels Mountain bike team. Today we rode one of my favorite loops, the Tour de Chester County. The ride is usually just under 3 hours and has 4 "Matt Doyle Category" climbs, although the riding is never flat. Let me explain something. I haven't ridden a bike 3 hours in all of 2005. Yeah, I was in for a beating but I was looking forward to being on the bike and hanging with my friends.
Riding on the road with mountain bikers is an entirely different experience than riding with roadies. Let me explain. Roadies understand the concept of the group's strength being greater than the solo. Every rider understands their obligation to help the collective pack ride faster and more efficiently, until the end of the ride when all hell breaks loose. Mountain Bikers on the road hold no such illusions. Don't get me wrong they understand the logic of the pack, and frankly in most cases are far better bike handlers, however, there is always the urge to be at the front, pushing and to put the wood to the other riders. Our conscious starts telling us that we are somehow doing something wrong if we aren't attacking or pushing the pace. We were fortunate today as we had Tom Mc, the Wooden Wheels Den Team Mother, to help coach and guide us in our pack riding and trying to help keep us all together. Tom is great. Green Trek John, who coincidently was riding his black specialized allez, was the strong man of the day as he led up each and every climb. I'm not sure he even has a front derailleur, as he was in the big ring all day long.
1 comment:
Ha! So true what you say about mountain bikers! If I'm not gasping for my last breath I feel like I might as well go home and watch tv. Now I'm into this zone training stuff. Lemme tell ya, having to stay in zone 2 is like hell, especially when another roadie (or worse yet, someone on a hybrid) starts gaining on you.
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