Oct-30: Irregular, Indeed

Irregulars rides are on Saturdays (holiday exceptions, of course).
This was a Sunday.
A couple years ago, I might have noted today's ride as an "LT group" ride
Instead of an Irregulars ride.

What are "LT group" rides?
Essentially unannounced rides by me and one or two other Irregulars,
Usually on a Sunday.

As for why the segmentation -- I'll answer if anyone leaves a comment asking.
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Snapper and Ags had indicated they were going to ride at 10 (or 9).
Lee wanted to wait a little for temps to warm a bit.
Capt. LT wanted to ride after Church.
LT suggested Noon.

In the end, six of us signed on for Noon:
LT, Lee, Snapper, Ags, Smitty, me.

There we were ... ready to roll ... but no one had picked a course.
We wanted to ride for about 3 hours.
We picked an Irregulars oldie-but-a-goodie:
No one No one had done that ride in quite some time.
Well ... not exactly.
Turned out that Lee had dragged LT through the course -- reversed -- 7 days earlier.
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Some of us are bit off our best shape.
Others are in excellent shape.  Snapper and Lee and Ags come to mind on that score.

Some of us couldn't get our leg muscles to "warm-up".
The ride wasn't long enough.
That is my story, and I'm sticking to it.
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I kenna' sprint no more.

I tried to catch Smitty and LT napping at the CL on Cheek Rd.
Smitty was unfortunately watching his mirror, and
LT was beside me, AND
When I looked to check what gear I was in ... wrong flippin' gear.
I had a "go" anyway.
I was pathetic -- canNOT quickly accelerate when in too big a gear!
LT bested Smitty.

At least the causeway across the lake was a multi-colored avenue of trees.
Very nice.
And the lake surface was mostly calm.
Also very nice.

On Old Stool Tree Rd, Lt. Dave was slowly ratcheting up the pace,
Obviously inviting another sprint as we went into Granville County.
I obliged, or pretended to ... but it seems I kenna' sprint no more.
Smitty came from nowhere to at least make it a contest.
LT bested him again.

On Bruce Garner Rd, I decided to have a go at the Wake County Line.
Also, I knew that if I "sprinted" for the CL,
The others would pick up their pace,
And feel empowered (if they weren't already) to travel New Light at near-warp-speed.
That, too, is my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I thought I had caught them all napping,
Or no longer interested in county lines.
But Smitty caught me and claimed the last green prize of the day.

Then Snapper ignited his engine ...
And, for a bit, the other five were together, dropping me.
I couldn't bridge, so eased off to a pace I knew I could have held for another 50 miles.

Then Smitty slipped off the back.
The result of not enough cycling,
Too much time on his feet late at night earlier in the week,
And legs punishing him for those CL sprints.

I never saw it, but Smitty told me,
And Ags confirmed it,
Pretty soon Ags slipped off the back.

Leaving only a three-man train.
Lee and Lt. Dave held on until Snapper sat-up just before the turn on to Ghoston Rd.
LT told me (after the ride) that at one point he was hanging on to Snapper, doing 35 mph.
I didn't see Lee after the ride.
Snapper told me that when he sat up, he looked back expecting to see Ags,
But it was Lee on his wheel.

Lee can make a bike go when he is in shape and motivated for some fun.

All-in-all, a great day for a bike ride.
We finished the 47-mile "course proper" just before or after 3 pm,
Before or after depended on who you were and if you had to back-off the pace at the end.
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Oct-30:  ---> PUE:  Creedmoor-Grissom Loop --->; 56.7 m.; 3h,34m in-motion; 15.9 mph.  

Q-1 tot: _23 rides; 1822.2 m.; 123 h, 05 m; 14.8 mph.
Q-2 tot: _30 rides; 2604.9 m.; 174 h, 22 m; 14.9 mph.
Q-3 tot: _29 rides; 2479.2 m.; 161 h, 05 m; 15.2 mph. 
Oct tot: _10 rides; _924.0 m.; _61 h, 54 m; 14.9 mph. 
YTD tot: _92 rides; 7830.3 m.; 522 h, 28 m; 15.0 mph. 

As a small point-of-interest on the side:  today, I rolled past 29 thousand miles on my Trek Pilot 5.0 frame AND rolled past 24 thousand miles on my saddle. 

As I told Snapper early in the ride, I recently did something that made my saddle seem a lot more comfortable ... I lost 50 pounds.  ;-)