When last we left the story, Barry and I had been dropped by L&L & co. on the slightest upslope. This episode covers what happened the next time we encountered L&L & co.. (By the way, the chronology could be backward, but this way makes for a better story.)
A few weeks before the ride in question, I had suggested to Barry that he try raising his saddle just a tad. Barry had a stroke where his right knee flayed way out to the side and maybe the adjustment would make it easier for him to transfer more power to the wheels. (At the time of the suggestion, I was unaware of certain rather serious tendon, etc. issues in Barry's right leg.)
Within the first five miles of our ride, Barry commented that he thought he was going to need to adjust his saddle and "push it back" further from the handlebar. In response to my inquiry as to why he thought that, Barry told me that he was finding that he was constantly sliding back on the saddle to get to the correct correlation between sit bones and saddle. "Ah", said I, "that is an indication that you need to move the saddle forward; the sliding backward is because you are recognizing that you're sitting on the horn instead of the wide part of the saddle; and you have keep repeating doing that because, after every conscience adjustment, your body is sliding forward to get to a more comfortable position without you being aware of it."
We stopped at the corner of Carpenter Pond and Coley while Barry made the adjustment. While fiddling with the saddle, L&L & co. (this time with another female and two male riders) zipped past, followed quickly by another group consisting of Margo, John, and a third rider quickly loosing contact.
Barry asks "should we catch them?"
"Okay", I respond, "they are going to be on the flat of Carpenter Pond and Leesville and then the downhill of Doc Nichols, so we can use our gravity advantage on Doc Nichols to catch them, so there is no need to expend too much energy on the flat."
We did catch the combined group on Doc Nichols, just before / as they reached Olive Branch.
Zoom down Olive Branch to the bridge and then, despite the fact that I'm going faster up that little hill than I ever have (about 15 mph), Barry goes around me and stays on the "wheels" of the four women like there was a bungee cord connecting him. (I should point out here, solely for purposes of understanding the story, that usually, if I climbed that little slope up to NC-98 @ 12 mph, I would be dropping Barry like a hot potato.)
Reach the highway, then zip across to Patterson. Turn and start down the first slope. Margo and John realize they are missing their third member, and I mention that I last saw him back at the corner of DN / OB; Margo and John peel off to go find the lost rider. (As an aside, they did not find him. He had stopped at the fire station near Patterson / NC-98, thinking he was having a heart attack from trying to keep up at a pace beyond that which he was in shape to handle. The end diagnosis was: panic attack. So, in the end, that side-story turned out okay.)
The L&L & co. and Barry & I continued on down the first downslope of Patterson. Gravity advantage keeping us in good position. First upslope on Patterson, and again Barry drops me like I'm going backward as he stays close on the "wheels" of the three women. I manage to re-close on the flat and second downslope of Patterson. This pattern replicated itself on the second upslope and third downslope.
Then, the third and last upslope on Patterson. I am working that slope for all I am worth, climbing it faster than I ever had, Barry slightly ahead of me, trying to still hold the "wheels" of the women. Then it happened.
Barry suddenly "went backward". He had used up his entire supply of natural testosterone, and was now toast. L&L & co. went on ahead. They were still only 150 yards or so ahead of me when they got to Cheek Rd. I have been told that Larisa asked Lynn if they should wait for us. Lynn told Larisa "Martin says Barry can't climb a hill to save his soul, let's go on."
Barry was at least 100 yards behind me when L&L & co. made the turn onto Patterson. I thought about stopping at the church there to let Barry catch up, but I decided to drive the lesson home a bit deeper. I kept going and left Barry suffering 100 to 200 yards behind me all the way across Cheek and most of the way up that side-road hill we always climb instead of going straight up Old Weaver. I finally decided that I'd had enough revenge on him for following the women's "wheels", and waited.
We did learn that day that I had been wrong about Barry not being able to climb. He can. With the right incentive. But, even then, only until his testosterone gives out.
So, now when I accuse someone of "pulling a Barry", you will know what I mean.
Snapper's e-mail comment:
Damn Barry - you going to let him embellish like that without any rebuttal?
My e-mail response:
But, Harv, here's the thing: every word of this story is TRUE, perhaps the only "vignette" of the whole bunch with NO embellishment. Truth is stranger and more rivetting than fiction, you know.
PaulS's e-mail comment, made prior to me response above:
You mean to say you doubt that was a fully accurate description of the events! I’m shocked at the suggestion.
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