Saturday rain out - Sunday ride report

This write up is brought to you by Lee Duncan - Sonic Boom

Saturday was a rain day, so 15 to 20 riders joined forces in the Brueggers parking lot Sunday to enjoy some cycling fun.  At first it seemed like a sleepy group recalling their leisurely schedule enjoyed the day before -- when there was no point getting out of bed.  No Biking No reason to greet the day.

As everyone gathered, one man stepped forward to give the commencement address.

A typical out and back was the order of the day, with a few showing aspirations or loyalist sympathies for CSH.  With orders in hand, the brightly colored mass road through the common trapping route out of Cary Canyon and onto the open road.  There were essentially 3 ride leaders for the day:  a Roses leader, a Double AA+ group, and that of the infamous and rowdy Thorns.  The early hours of the ride were peaceful and somewhat cool, but everyone knew we had limited time to get back to the bike shelter before the summer furry returned.

As a participant of the Thorns, it was an invigorating experience speeding down Green Level West with the wind flowing gently between my helmet vents.  It was clear as everyone organized that the riders had grown familiar with the riding style of those around them-- and positioned themselves accordingly.  The riders were fluidly conforming in response to the terrain and obstacles with almost telepathic precision.

Up-up-up went the cyclists - slogging themselves towards the Tobacco Trail Sandhills and onto the main hideaway of White Church Promenade.  At the stop sign everyone caught their breath from the vigorous pace and ensured all those that wanted to be part of the group were shepherded back into the fold.  As the riders turned left onto Pre-berry Patch Parkway, no one sprinted for the county line; recalling the myriad of mechanical issues experienced from hitting the pot holes and road debris in previous Olympic Trial events.  By this time the sun was starting to rise higher in the sky and was now a growing threat -  and with this..there was more copious water bottle usage among the wily bunch.

At the end of Martha's Chapel, the Core Thorns Brigade headed left while a small adventurous few headed off to Lystra mountain in search of the great yellow Buddha -- and the rest is history.  The riders traveled approximately 30 +/- miles at a 18 - 20 MPH pace.