First weekend in May

Saturday May 1st.
Large group assembled for a ride that presented head winds, heat, humidity, and hills.
Those in attendance included:
Kevin Smit – GOG
Theresa Smit – Mother Theresa
Ron Clanton – Ron and Tracy rode their tandem and helped lead the ROSES.
Tracy Clanton
Jay Brainard – lead the ROSES on an interesting scenic ride, that included a paved section of the Tobacco Trail.
Rob Robertson
Phillip Burton – rode with the ROSES
Sarah Matejowsky
Emil Velasquez
Steve Sparano – Sporadic Steve – ended up riding with the ROSES – not his original intention however.
Tim Devinney – The Love Train
Lee Duncan
Jill Fitzgibbons
David Bridenbaugh – Mr. Bridenbaugh
Shawn Richardson – Killer Bee on his Fixed gear bike
Gina Hicks – first time riding with the group
Shae Beacham – first time riding with the group
Monica Catalano – first time riding with the group
Janice Sitzes – first time riding with the group – rode with the ROSES
Christy Miller – Pink Triassholette
Jeff Giordano – Claim Jumper
Kevin Goings – first time riding with the group
Brad Davis
Steve Marks
James Lavin
Patty Hunt
Lora Spell
Todd Pechner – Slow Todd
Christine Pechner

Those riding but not with the group included
Doug Augustine – Rumble strip – he tried to position himself on the route to jump in as the group went by. This would have worked if the pack rode the advertized route. A last minute decision to change the route at the start prevented Doug from being able to ride with the group. Sorry Doug.

Steve Cope - Capn Carbon. Arrived late. He did not read the email fully to see the earlier ride start. He did apparently read enough of the email to get an idea of the planned route. He took off late to chase the pack down. He took one wrong turn from the advertized route and ended up completing 50 miles solo on his fixed gear bike and finished ahead of the pack who only completed 37 miles.

OK so the ride started off with the pack suggesting the ride not go thru APEX as advertised due to the town celebration that was already underway. To avoid the potential traffic the decision was made to head away from Apex and more towards Durham.
Kevin accepted the suggestions to change the route and then announced “We will do Stage Coach”. Some of the regular riders (mostly the Thorns) nodded with both acceptance and understanding of were all would be headed.
After a brief welcome to the new riders and a short explanation of how the pack rides the group headed out of the parking lot. The first to head out was Sporadic Steve. He missed the very first turn and regrouped on the other side of the parking lot with the rest of the riders. All ready the group was chaotic. GOG was already racking his brain on how to control the pace with several strong riders itching to be turned loose, a large group of riders looking for a pack to ride with, and some riders already planning to short cut the ride due to time and training constraints. Not having cue sheets for the riders does make it a challenge to accommodate for all.

In his attempt to suggest a route Kevin had provided hints as to his plan for the days route in the email he had sent out days earlier. In doing so he did not research any issues that would be encountered such as the APEX Peak Celebration, or the closing of the bike path that parallels Green level. So maybe it is still best to make it up as they go. It does provide for a reason to stay together as a group, and also allows for flexibility of responding to challenges presented along the way, be they bike repair, rider fatigue, or road closings. So until something forces a change do not expect a Cue Sheet from this group. Just show up and expect to have a fun, safe, no drop, lots of Banter type ride, that also strives to provide something for all skills of riders.

The pack rolled out onto High House with several riders charging hard on up the road and forming a tight draft line as they then made the turn into the Preston Neighborhood. It was at that corner that Slow Todd and his Wife Christine were there waiting for the pack to arrive. These two riders had ridden from their home towards the start expecting to meet the pack on the way out.

Riders were already strung out for several blocks as they swept through the Preston Neighborhoods. Just at the base of the first small climb of the day the Love Train was yelling from the back of the pack that there was a flat. The Love Train had been riding with some of the new riders to welcome them into the Thorns and Roses when he detected one of the riders had a low back tire. GOG immediately announced he was slowing to assist. As he did so Jay and The ROSES went by. “I am taking the ROSES and going on” she announced. This was the first fracture of the group. Several of the Thorns were already way up the road, leaving GOG, The Love Train, and maybe a half dozen others to assist with the low tire. Both the rear and front tires were pumped up using a very small micro pump. It did not make sense to waist a CO2 cartridge to just top off the tires. Once tire inflation was completed the group headed towards the climb out of Preston and into the roundabout.

At this point GOG was expecting to lead this small band of bikers on the route that he had communicated to others at the start of the ride (the Stage Coach route). He and those with him were pleasantly surprised to see all but the ROSES waiting at the next stop sign. Once assembled the group then waited and waited and waited for the unexpected amount of traffic to clear for their turn. “IT is a make up day for School today”, someone in the pack announced. CRAP another unexpected situation.
Finally the road was clear and the pack made a slow left turn onto Lewis Stevens. Immediately the THORNS fell into a single file pace line. Some of the other riders stayed near the rear and allowed themselves to be gapped along with GOG. Others paused and then made the jump across the gap to the lead pace line. Within 500 yards the group came together again for an instant as the stop sign and traffic prevented the Thorns from attacking the turn onto “Ron’s Pull”. Once onto Ron’s Pull the Thorns assembled with others attempting to fall in line behind them. The Thorns clocked 27 mph on Ron’s Pull with others feeling good just to keep them insight as they pulled easily away from the pack.
GOG had pulled in line behind Jill Fitzgibbons and Kevin Goings and worked to maintain a tight gap on their rear wheels. The pace was strong and steady; the peddling style from Jill was hypnotic, as her cadence did not vary as they pulled the pack along up and down the rolling hills of Ron’s Pull. “You have a very smooth cadence” GOG shouted up to Jill.

The group was back together again at the next stop sign. “OK you know the route, you can turn the Thorns Loose whenever you want to” GOG instructed Killer Bee. The look on Killer Bee’s face suggested he had just been handed a mission he could not complete. “I don’t know the route” he mouthed back at GOG. “Mr. Bridendaugh you have the rains, take the Thorns with you when they are ready to be released” GOG said with confidence that the mission had been accepted by Mr. Bridenbaug.

GOG led the group away from Ron’s Pull and onto Carpenter Fire Station. Slowly the pace line formed with riders easily moving past GOG who was deliberately working to place himself into the middle of the pack. This spot would allow him the opportunity to monitor both the front of the group as well as keep an eye on the tail end of the pack. The rush along Carpenter Fire Station splintered the pack as expected, with GOG falling deliberately back towards the rear to ensure all were ok and to make sure those riding with the group for the first time would see that he is still in sight and for them to know the next turn. The Thorns were no longer interested in looking back as they rode on hard towards Yates store and the right turn towards O’Kelly. GOG knew once on O’Kelly the final split with the Thorns would be completed. The Thorns would attack every hill generating an insurmountable gap for all those less talented. The only chance to regroup with the Thorns would be if they waited long enough at the Lystra Gas station as they would likely debate the virtues of climbing Lystra and attacking each other on Big Woods.

At the turn from Yates Store onto O’Kelly the Thorns were circling waiting and anticipating their launching pad and anticipating which among them would be the one to light the fuse for them.
Just as GOG rolled up to the intersection the Thorns were off. Others just watched as the Thorns launched themselves into the next set of hills. After a short rest and a drink from the water bottles those remaining head out to meet the challenge of the hills on O’Kelly. “How can we short cut this ride, we are tapering for a triathlon and do not want to try and do the whole distance today” asked Jill.
“You can turn left at the end of O’Kelly onto 751 and go back to the strawberry patch ” Mother Theresa instructed. “Yea that will cut off at least 5 -7 miles” added GOG. “and that has the least amount of hills if you turn early at the gas station instead of going all the way to the strawberry patch” Mother Theresa informed.

Now into the hills of O’Kelly each rider was left to their own climbing skills and techniques. The hills acted as if a pair of hands pushing one rider forward and holding one rider back as if to say more space was required between riders.

At the top of the last climb on O’Kelly the Thorns and all others were surprisingly brought back together. Some of those who had been ridding with the Thorns and others who had been riding strong ahead of GOG were pointed back towards the direction just traveled. Other Thorns and Thorn want a be’s were poised to take off once GOG had arrived at the end of O’Kelly at 751. GOG waived good by to the Thorns as they quickly turned to head onto 751 and then Stage Coach. The others were headed back to Cary on the roads just traveled. “We all are racing and have other time constraints so we are headed back” announced the Pink Triassholete. “We are headed back also but are going to turn down 751 and back to the Strawberry patch” announced Jill Fitzgibbons. There were now 5 ride leaders. Fantastic. GOG can always count on others to take the lead and make sure no one rides alone. Thank You all.
Jay was leading the Roses. Mr. Bridenbaugh was leading the Thorns. Jill Fitzgibbons was leading a group to the strawberry patch. Pink Triassholete was leading a group on an out and back route. GOG was leading a group acting as sweeps for the Thorns. To the untrained eye it would appear the ride had collapsed into chaos when in fact the spirit of the ride lived on through the leadership of the others, and accommodated for the varied needs of those in attendance. GOG had lost control of who was riding with who, but he did have an account that all would have someone to ride with.

All the groups said their goodbyes and wishes for those racing to have a great experience.

GOG was now riding with Mother Theresa and Rob Robertson as they continued on the planed route towards Stage Coach and Lystra Gas Station. The three rode, with Mother Theresa bringing up the rear. They all sailed into the left hand turn onto Stage Coach off of hilly and heavily trafficked 751.
Just then GOG spotted a lone rider headed their way. It was the Love Train. He had pulled off the back of the Thorns and was circling back to check on the status of any others who may have fallen off the back of the Thorns. The Love Train is another of the regular riders with the Thorns and Roses who can be counted on to provide leadership and to help keep the spirit of a no drop ride alive. Now the sweep was 4 riders strong.

The group did not ride as a pack but rather spread themselves out along stage coach keeping each other in their sights as they rode to their own abilities. At the end of Stage Coach The Love Train, who had been riding strong up ahead, was seen catching up to Patty Hunt. Patty was at the end of Stage Coach and ready to make the left hand turn. The two of them knew where they were headed and The Love Train had already ensured GOG, Mother Theresa, and Rob were all accounted for. Patty and the Love Train hooked up and charged on ahead challenging each other to match or better the pace each was attempting to establish. GOG, Rob, and Mother Theresa continued their steady pace as they watched the two riders up ahead continue to pull away. Now onto Old Farrington the three trailing sweeps continued to push and respond to the head winds and hills. Rob was riding strong and pulled slowly away from GOG and Mother Theresa. He was caught as he waited at the next stop light. From there GOG set the pace to the gas station at Lystra were the Thorns were anxiously awaiting their arrival.

“Any one want to do Lystra” called out Mr. Bridenbaugh. It was nice of the Thorns to wait for the sweeps to arrive to allow them the option of climbing Lystra. It was also nice of them to wait and clue GOG into where the Thorns might be headed with out him. It was also nice to wait so that those Thorns not wanting to climb Lystra could join any of the Sweeps who also did not plan to climb Lystra. So as best GOG can remember those electing to climb Lystra included: Mr. Bridenbuagh, Killer Bee on his fixed gear bike (with no hand breaks), Slow Todd, Lee Duncan, and maybe others.
Those electing to head for home included: Claim Jumper, Patty Hunt, The Love Train, James Lavin, Steve marks, GOG, Rob Robertson, Mother Theresa, and maybe others. GOG was already starting to bonk and his memory does not serve him all that well anyway.

The two groups said their goodbyes with Mr. Bridenbaugh and his group expecting to climb Lystra and then push hard to catch GOG and his group before they could reach the parking lot at Brueggers.

The remaining pack headed home doing a good job of staying together down Farrington and to the turn onto Martha’s Chapel. It was on the long gradual climb up from Lake Jordan on Martha’s Chapel that splintered the group. James Lavin set a power pace, not falling below 19 mph, as he pulled those who could suck his rear wheel all the way back to 751 and the strawberry patch. “We will take the turn onto White Oak Church and then the left onto Green level all the way back into Cary” announced GOG as he told the others to go on rather than wait as he wanted to make sure Mother Theresa was OK. She and the Love Train rode Martha’s Chapel together. The group was now split into two with Claim Jumper, Patty, James, and Steve all powering on ahead, with Patty grumbling something under her breath about those D&#* hills on White Oak and Green Level.

Rob, The Love Train, Mother Theresa and GOG all rode together in no particular order or pace. The Love Train and GOG discussed the rear cluster noise coming from the Love Trains bike. It sounded like the bearings in the rear axel were shot and needed repair. This was the reason the Love Train elected NOT to climb Lystra. He feared the wheel would come unglued on the climb or worse on the potential 50 mph decent.

Just as they made the turn onto White Oak and head down into the trough of its hills they came upon Claim Jumper, James, and Steve as they were all helping Claim Jumper fix a flat. “Where is Patty did she go ahead” asked GOG. “NO she stayed straight on Leweter Shop and for home” replied Claim Jumper. The group had splintered yet again. Apparently no one went with her to make sure she did not ride alone. After the flat was repaired the pack headed off and up the climb on White Oak to the turn onto Green Level with its fast downhill and crushing uphill into the outskirts of Cary.

GOG, and Mother Theresa brought up the rear as they rode the last part of their 37 mile ride into the parking lot at Brueggers. There they were surprised to see Capn Carbon who was already back from his late start, solo, fixed gear, 50 mile ride. Apparently he went past Doug Augustine (Rumble Strip) so fast he did not recognize him as Doug was strategically waiting for the Thorns and Roses who were suppose to be headed out his way, for him to jump on with.

The best laid plans.
Hopefully all got out of this ride what they were looking for.
Hope to see you all out there again.
The Thorns almost most caught GOG and Mother Theresa who were headed into Brueggers as the Thorns were rolling into the parking lot.

The ROSES all complemented Jay for the route she elected to take them on. The route apparently included paved sections of the Tobacco trail as well as many of the roads regularly traveled by the cyclists. They covered 30 miles on thier days ride.

Sunday ride was attended by about a half dozen riders. Kevin and Theresa and several others were not in attendance as they elected to ride the HILLY, WINDY, HOT Raven Rock Ramble. A well organized ride that should be on everyone's choice for organized rides.