Dec-12: Tito’s Return

Nearly a month ago, Tito e-mailed that he was coming back to North Carolina in mid-December, and could I arrange for a Dec-12 “irregulars” ride. After Iva successfully pulled of his yeoman’s job to get Tito’s car and bike and sundries from Efland to north Raleigh, everything was falling into place for an excellent ride. That is, everything except the weather was falling into place.

Predicted temps were falling and falling and falling. Tito had already left the Galapagos via boat and plane and was spending a two-day layover in Quito. A breakfast meeting was decided upon, to be followed by a ride, if the temps moderated somewhat.

Friday Evening

I felt like I was in that commercial where the one guy calls and texts and e-mails and shows up in person to say “hi”. Iva did everything except the last. After several hours unconnected, I had a text message from an unrecognized phone number informing me that although he had been reading and writing “Brueggers” all week, he had been thinking “Briggs”. I also had a cell-phone message from the same unrecognized number informing me of the same thing. I decided to call the unrecognized number because I had a haunting feeling I had seen that number previously. Iva answered.

He told me that he was now on proper course for breakfast at Brueggers, despite the fact that he had been looking forward to a big breakfast at Briggs all week. Luckily, Tito had told Iva that he (Tito) could never ride after a big Briggs breakfast. (I think we found Tito’s cycling weak spot there – he couldn’t make it as a randonneur as those guys eat, and eat, and eat some more – at least that’s what I’ve been told.)

Iva wondered if we should do anything to make sure everyone else understood Brueggers. I said I thought it was too late and everyone else had probably understood Brueggers all along. However, given events at breakfast, I wonder if Iva called people to confirm Brueggers, not Briggs.

Some time after the phone conversation with Iva, I checked my e-mail (although I usually don’t bother after 6 or so on Friday). I found an e-mail from Iva. If you suspect that he was informing me that he had been thinking “Briggs” all week instead of “Brueggers”, then you have been paying attention.

Breakfast with Tito

It seems “irregulars” like eating better than cycling. Snapper, Wave, Duke, Iceman, BobH, Norris, Iva, LT, Smitty, Lee and Tito were all present. Including me, that made an even dozen for breakfast. We’ve never had so many for a ride (max is 11). Breakfast bagels and hot chocolate – just what was needed with temps somewhere around 25F.

We were able to get Tito to explain what he’d been doing in the Galapagos and share some insights and adventures. I am confident he has more for another day. In the meantime, check out the “Galapagos” blog to the right of this text.

As the time neared to “ride or cut bait,” Iva cut short the banter about certain people getting lost and using their I-pods or Blackberry’s and . . . finding the worst possible route back home after failing to follow a very well prepared cue sheet and . . . getting repeatedly lost. All I can say about the next moments is . . . thanks guys. But don’t think I’ll let you escape the “wrath of Martin” or the usual “irregular” “flat” courses (or the G-P-MVC finishes) in the future.

Btw, I later found out that Ba-room, the Mallet, Levi and Steve were with us in spirit.

The Ride - "Tour de Wood Valley" and "Tour de Park Ridge", with extra between and after

Smitty had an excuse that a contractor was coming to his house at 9:30. And he loaned me his full-coverage booties. Okay.
The Duke is cold gear challenged even more so than me. Okay.
At least the Iceman rode to breakfast and back home again. Round trip, 2 miles. ~ okay.
Wave “forgot” to bring his bike. And was not dressed to ride. Harumphh.
Snapper brought his bike and had his kit on. Christmas shopping? That was the Black Friday excuse.
BobH and Norris just disappeared! What was with that!?

Pretty much it was the case that the longer one had been on the “irregular list”, the more likely they wimped out from the ride. LT reported that thermometer on his truck registered 27F. (Fyi Smitty, THAT is WAYYYY below the “irregular” limit.) But we rode anyway. By the time we got to Ray Rd, everyone was pretty much feeling pretty good. The exception being that the gloves Tito had borrowed from Iva were not doing the trick. At a pee break, we thought he was warming certain important places, but it turned out he was trying to warm his hands.

The chill did not impact Tito’s riding though. He took his usual place alongside or just behind whomever was leading. Engaging in chit-chat. I even managed to be in front once or twice and actually got to chat with Tito while riding! 

All in all, it turned out to be a fun ride. For me, one of the best parts of the ride occurred on Victory Church Rd when LT picked it up just slightly as we headed for the Durham county line: Lee realized what LT was doing, and just started laughing. A few minutes later, as we headed southwest on Carpenter Pond, LT seemed to be picking up the pace again, and Lee asked if there was another CL just ahead. I told that there wasn’t, and that there would be only one more county line all day, and that it would be on Carpenter Pond Rd when we were headed the other way.

Fast forward. We were in a very nice line, heading slightly upslope near where Carpenter Pond becomes Old Creedmoor Rd. LT in front, then Tito, Lee, me, Iva. I realized where we were, and recognizing that Lee would want to have a go at the CL vs. Dave, I informed Lee we were approaching the CL, that it would be just around that curve just ahead, there, you can just now see the sign. I don’t how fast we were riding, but I realized the going was really, really easy and that I was in an middling cog and the 39-crank. I decided that when Lee went, I would go with him. I started to think that Lee was leaving it too late, but he timed it just about right. Lee went. I followed. Lee had his eye on Dave. I blew past both of them with gusto – Lee started laughing. It was fun and funny.

We were having so much fun laughing and joking about it that we missed the turn onto Old Creedmoor, and we had to U-turn. Lee laughing made my day.

This isn't exactly the course we followed, as the two co-conspirators each took us off the plan, and I missed a turn, but it is close enough.  Course profile and map.

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Dec-12:

Brueggers: “Tour de Wood Valley”-DocN-Kemp-Nipper-“Tour de Park Ridge”-“the neighborhood”; 31.4 m.; est 1625 ft climbed --> effort index = 47; 2hrs, 7min; 14.8 mph (hey! It was cold!).

1st Qt. tot: 20 rides; 755.3 m.; 47 hrs, 31 min; 15.9 mph.
2nd Qt. tot: 43 rides; 2124.3 m.; 134 hrs, 59 min; 15.7 mph.
3rd Qt tot: 36 rides; 1947.2 m.; 121 hrs, 48 min; 16.0 mph.
Oct tot: 9 rides; 551.4m.; 35 hrs, 41 min; 15.4 mph.
Nov tot: 8 rides; 372.3m.; 23 hrs, 49 min; 15.7 mph.
Dec tot: 2 rides; 70.4 m.; 4 hrs, 40 min; 15.0 mph.
YTD: 118 rides; 5821.1 m.; 368 hrs, 24 min; 15.8 mph.

Rolling 12-mos.: 125 rides; 6130.5 m.; 387 hrs, 5 min; 15.8 mph.

Some people rode a bit farther than we did. See MikeD’s report here.  I found the photo mapping feature interesting. Short-cut to the photo mapping here.