It was cooler this morning! That's something to savor right now as the city moves from its brief Spring into its long, languishing Summer. By "cooler" I mean it was below 70F -- just barely. I wore two jerseys just to keep the chill off for those first couple of miles. We had a pretty significant group today, especially considering that it's Friday. I think that yesterday morning's wash-out kept a lot of people in bed, so they were trying to make up for lost saddle time today. Indeed, the pace was a little faster than usual for a Friday, although perhaps it was just the perfect weather that had people fired up. Anyway, I noticed Scott was pushing the pace a bit this morning, and of course John and Bob and pretty much everyone else were kind of sucked into it too, which was good, really, because it kept us at a respectible 22-24 mph instead of the default recovery ride speed of 19-20! 
So yesterday I finally broke down and got a new set of clip-on aero bars. Nothing fancy, of course, just the standard Profile T2 aluminum clip-ons, but since I stripped out one of the bolt holes on my old ones, it was time. The ones I'd been using the last few years were old-style triathlete type clip-ons, which put the arm rests up way above the handlebars, but I kept using them because (a) they were free, (b) I hate having to spend money on stuff I only use a few times a year, under duress, or (c) both a and b. Maybe I'll replace my old skinsuit next month. Who knows? Miracles happen. Speaking of cycling clothing, I got my official '07 NOBC team shorts yesterday (thanks, Laura!). They are a little bit shorter and smaller than standard, which actually works out pretty well for me, although I think some tan-line adjustment may be required.
So yesterday I finally broke down and got a new set of clip-on aero bars. Nothing fancy, of course, just the standard Profile T2 aluminum clip-ons, but since I stripped out one of the bolt holes on my old ones, it was time. The ones I'd been using the last few years were old-style triathlete type clip-ons, which put the arm rests up way above the handlebars, but I kept using them because (a) they were free, (b) I hate having to spend money on stuff I only use a few times a year, under duress, or (c) both a and b. Maybe I'll replace my old skinsuit next month. Who knows? Miracles happen. Speaking of cycling clothing, I got my official '07 NOBC team shorts yesterday (thanks, Laura!). They are a little bit shorter and smaller than standard, which actually works out pretty well for me, although I think some tan-line adjustment may be required.Sunday there's the Cuba Road Race up near Meridian, MS. Actually it's nearer the town of Cuba, AL (population 363). It's a good three-hour drive from here, so the question is whether to get up at 4 am Sunday morning or go up Saturday night instead. As usual, I haven't made any plans! Hopefully I can find a teammate or two who is going. This race will have all of the Cat. 1,2,3 and Master 35+ riders riding together in an 83-mile road race. That should prove to be rather confusing since there will be separate prizelists for Cat. 1/2, Cat. 3, and Masters. Anyway, I hope I will be able to find my way up there. Last time I rode that course it was fairly hard and we were doing one or two lap fewer, so that's something to think about.
Meanwhile, back in the Crescent City, things are pretty busy lately. This is the first weekend of the Jazz Fest, which means that there will be a lot of faculty and staff out "sick" this afternoon. You can't really blame them, though. You don't get too many single-ticket chances to catch Rod Stewart, Steely Dan, ZZ Top, Norah Jones, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Irma Thomas, Harry Connick Jr., Jerry Lee Lewis, Better than Ezra, etc., all within an easy bike ride from home. Since the weather will be spectacular this weekend, it should be huge this year.
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