After 5 days in a bike shop, I finally end up on a bike...
Though sleeping in was the original plan, I found a group ride that was leaving less than 1 mile from the house, @ 9AM, so I gave it a shot. Having not been on a bike in the cold for a long time, it took longer to decide what to wear than to arrive at the starting point of the ride. Fortunately temps were up in the 40s (I know, it was 80 in LA)... so I managed to select my kit accurately and was actually wearing a lot less than the others on the ride... As well as fewer/no flashing lights, neon clothing, CamelBack, saddle bag or mirror; it seems I was dressed well for the weather, but not fully accessorized....
Columbus Adventure Purists was the group that organized today's ride, which in BTR cycling speak was essentially a BRBC ride. Pace was steady, most of the 14 riders did not endanger my life or their own, and the terrain was a good mix of river road and St. Francisville (all with out having to get in the car).
Although, I did leave my bike and the pump in the car, so it did have a bit of a road trip feel.
Having spent the past 3 weeks packing up my cycling inventory, I realized this morning I did neglect to pack a few items:
- the charge/upload cable for my Garmin (which was of course nearly dead)
- an extra water bottle. only had one, but managed to squeeze 60 miles out of it.
- I did have a spare tube and a CO2 cartridge, but no nutrition...
No big deal, I have my trusty Mavic cyclometer and cadence sensor mounted onto the bike... which spazed out on me about 2 hours into the ride. Three hours and twenty minutes into the ride, I was now sensing an eminent bonk in my future. Fortunately, ten minutes later we were back at the starting point and there was a taco truck with a gorilla smoking a pipe. At first I though that might have been the bonk messing with me, but $8 and 5 minutes later I had two tacos in hand and almost enough water left to subdue the effects of the middle bottle in the photo. If you cannot read the very official label (freezer tape) it says "burning hot sauce".
Ohio, hot sauce... how hot could it be? I did likely put an excessive amount on, in search of additional calories, but I can attest to the accuracy the name/warning label indicated.
Don't trust a gorilla that smokes a pipe... or maybe you should?
