It was a pretty routine training weekend that started out chilly and ended up hot and sweaty. I'd been expecting Saturday's Giro Ride to be a really fast one. There were no races nearby, the weather was nearly ideal, riders are getting in shape. The ride was fast, but not quite as hard as I'd thought it would be. A few of the key players were absent, and the wind was moderate and only rarely of the crosswind variety, so I guess that helped take the edge off. Down at the end of Hayne Blvd., where we make a sharp turn onto Paris Road, there was water on the inside of the turn. Somebody back around mid-pack apparently tried to test the limits of friction there, and a moment after I'd rounded the corner I heard a commotion behind me. It was just a minor slip and fall, though, and before long we were hammering our way toward Chef Highway.
For the most part, the ride was a lot of fun -- just the right combination of work and play. On the way back I was riding alongside Eddie D. on the service road when his rear tire exploded. I'm not sure what he rolled over (there was a fair amount of broken glass around there), but it was one of those explosive kinds of flats. Half of the group ended up waiting underneath a conveniently located oak tree since it was starting to get pretty warm. After we got started up again, however, the pace never got much past the conversational level.
Sunday's Giro was on Mother's Day, so lots of good boys and girls were missing, but we had a pretty good ride nonetheless. The only exciting part was on Chef Highway when a gap opened and a small group decided to make a run for it. A few of us tried to give chase, but in general, the rest of the pack wasn't really interested. We got the gap down to maybe fifteen seconds, but nobody would pull through and so it opened up again. Oh well. It was fun anyway.
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