Re: [RBW] Why I like you guys

[James Warren]

Thank you for taking the time on that, David. Every time I've ridden with people on this list has been one of the best rides I've been on, and it's so cool that from here to Seattle, there are plenty of nice opportunities to get together. The Diablo garage sale ride was excellent. Big crowd of Riv Riders in Walnut Creek that might have been bigger than the crowd in San Diego last April.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: cyclotourist
Sent: Oct 10, 2010 5:27 PM
To: RBW Owners Bunch
Subject: [RBW] Why I like you guys

Yesterday  I'm out for a few hours of riding, and I see a couple cyclists ahead of me.  As I'm pretty slow, I'm amazed that I'm catching up to them.  Watch a bit more and I figure out they're looking at a que sheet and I'm guessing lost.

I catch up to them, and find out they're part of a quarterly "three clubs" ride involving three (!) of the local bike clubs.  They're basically getting to the right area, but tell me of the crazy route they had to follow to get to this point.  Lost several times, and receiving conflicting info from different pedestrians and drivers.

Their sheet is all messed up with some directions crossed out and new ones penciled in.  They tell me their club buddies left them in the dust 20 minutes after the start of the 50 mile ride.    Niiiiice...

I'm going in the same general direction and offer to show them where they need to go.  They're a little slow, but not that bad.  No reason to get dropped!  Plus it was sold as a recreational ride, and NOT a training ride.  Along the way I invite them to follow me on my intended route as it's 15 miles of beautiful back roads just a bit further up the road.  They tentatively agree to that.

We make it to the water stop, and run into a chunk of the other riders.  Everybody's kinda' standing around and not generally enthusiastic.  Not the friendliest lot.  And as for me, they were doing their best to pretend I didn't exist.  I didn't need them to bend over thanking me for helping their club-mates out, but a little "Hi, nice bike, how old is that thing anyway, you really ride a saddle like that?" wouldn't have been too tough on them.

I go and get water from the fountain (wouldn't think of using their precious bottled h20) and come back to hear them telling these two ladies how awful my route is, full of homicidal traffic and multiple construction sites.  I look at the two, shrug my shoulders and tell them it's a great ride.  Low and behold, my charges trust me once more and keep on going up the hill in order to drop into the valley.  We do this while watching the rest of the riders turn back and return the way they came.

We end up having what one of them described as "One of the best rides I've ever been on."  Success!  We hit the canyon and ride for at least four miles at 25-30 MPH without pedaling once!  Crazy cool tailwind that pushed us the whole way.  Minimal cars, some construction and plates on the road, but no biggie.  Lots of cows and horses to look at, a train goes by.  Just neat rural riding!

I guide them to their meet up spot at a coffee shop just as I get a flat.  I'm out front fixing it, while their club mates again do their best to ignore me.  In the meantime two of the baristas come out and ogle my bike, practically drooling on the saddle.

And that my friends, is why I enjoy our SoCal Riv rides so much.  The contrast is just amazing.  Lots of different speeds, but everyone seems to end up having a great time.  Thanks to everyone that's been able to meet up for one, and I hope you can make our upcoming Fall/Winter series. :-)

map here: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Redlands-to-Wildwood-and-San-Timoteo-Canyon


--
Cheers,
David
Redlands, CA

...in terms of recreational cycling there are many riders who would probably benefit more from
improving their taste than from improving their performance. - RTMS

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