How are we already at the end? Could it be that we just spent 10 weekends in a row out logging miles getting ready for the big ride? Say it ain't so! That is the secret (at least for me) that training for the BIke MS is a huge part of my summer, and a huge part of why I enjoy this ride so much!
Saturday (courtesy of the awesome Eric and Laura who captained the ride! Write up by Eric)
Seventeen riders set out from O'Neill's just after 6:00am on Saturday morning to tackle the Clockwise City Loop. The peloton included a hardy bunch who had already met at the Tramway and Central Smith's at 5:30am before riding to O'Neill's. We kept everyone together and on course through construction in the Ridgecrest and Rio Bravo areas. We greeted the sunrise as we rode up the South Bosque to our first stop at Tingley Beach. There we had to keep an eye on some suspicious-looking ducks who were a little too interested in our bikes.
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| Back off ducks! |
As we warded off potential fowl play, we were joined by one more rider. Matt L. arrived, fresh from last week's service as Super SAG Wagon Captain, to bring our strength up to eighteen. Matt had ridden from home and dropped the hammer to catch up.
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| Team picture! |
Refreshed and ready to resume, we continued North join the Bosque fray. The ride North was mostly smooth. Runners and walkers tended to part like the Red Sea for Moses when they heard eighteen of us were coming. (Public service announcement: Remember to stay single file on a busy route like the Bosque. Bunching up and going two-by-two makes it a lot harder to navigate past slower traffic in the right lane without encroaching on opposite traffic in the left lane).
The highlight of the Bosque leg was a surprising potential recruit. A pigeon didn't like us passing it, and it decided to try a little formation flying with us. It did okay for a minute, but couldn't hang with the peloton any longer. The pigeon needs proper training, but we liked its moxie. According too the internet, there's a precedent for cycling birds.
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| Trailblazer |
We left to Bosque behind to head for Tramway via Alameda, Guadalupe Trail, and 4th St. The Tramway climb was the main event, and everyone conquered it in good form. A large number of riders tacked on the bonus slog up to the Sandia Peak Tramway station. During the cruise down Tramway, most of the early contingent peeled off for home, while the rest made a stop near Evil Gary's new hacienda for delicious cookies (Thanks Bex!) and a water refill.
The remainder of the trip South and West saw three flat tires (I suspect pigeon sabotage). Special thanks to Ryan H. for his assistance with all three (including mine). Kudos also go to the homeowner who came out with a floor pump to help with one tire change.
Flat tires fixed, the peloton headed for O'Neill's for a successful completion of the season's last training ride. Next week is the big one. Two days. 150 miles of riding to end MS. Bring it.
Sunday (writeup courtesy of the awesome John M.)
We started out with just three riders: John M., Rhea, and Ryan E, gathered in the cool, cloudy pre-dawn gloom at O’Neill’s. It was dark, but otherwise very nice weather, staying in the 60s for the first half of the ride.
We headed out the usual way, with a detour to get across Central, but a quiet trip up the diversion channel trail, over to 4th and a short stop at the train station next to the traffic circle. From there, we had a fairly leisurely trip up to Bernalillo, but again witnessed the strange prevalence of skunk carcasses on the road, not so unlike the aftermath of last year’s raccoon uprising on the same road! We saw at least half a dozen dead skunks on that road.
We went past the gas station to our destination of Kaktus Brewing, took a quick picture, and then back to the gas station for a bathroom and refreshment break.
After our rest, we headed back at a much faster pace! Sadly, we saw a dead hawk on the road. But, we also saw a possible Penultimates first: an entire mattress on the shoulder! We didn’t let that slow us down, and the fine weather and a fast pace convinced us to extend the route by going down the Bosque trail.
The trail was not too busy, and we kept a pretty consistent pace of about 20 MPH all the way down to I-40. We would have taken the Mountain exit, but construction there forced a detour alongside I-40 that got us to Rio Grande, eventually. From there, we slowed down to apparently hit every light red as we tried to get through Old Town, Martineztown, and Downtown, mostly along Mountain and MLK, eventually hitting UNM. From there, it was a quick spin back to O’Neill’s.
Ryan, of course, was still fresh, and planned to put in more miles, but my legs were feeling the burn from a challenging flat ride – my favorite kind! 47 miles, total, and a nice end to the training season.
