I had a great time at the "Mineola Metric Century" bike ride today.
It started out cool but with full sun it was bound to warm up and it did, it was just right, about 67 deg.
I saw a few folks from Marshall including Micheal from Mount Pleasant.
Once the ride started mrbill was feeling pretty good, had to push the cop car out of town.
Really enjoyed the first 10 miles with some pretty good riders, we were cooking. Not long before my 36 mile cut off about 8 of us were riding together, we came to a hill, everyone starts jocking for position, I'm near the middle of the road. I've got my eye on a guy who I think is the best in the group, once we get into the hill folks start slowing, then I see him stand and jump, I do the same, I tell myself, I'm going to stay with this guy. We top the hill together and somehow I managed to stay with him as we pulled away from the group, a few minutes later we caught and hooked up with another 4 riders, we were rolling and it was a blast and then came my turn off for the 36 mile route, started to hang with the boys but I was afraid that eventually they'd hurt me.
I looked down the road I was supposed to turn on and there was no one in sight, I was the first one to the 36 mile cutoff, I didn't want to ride on alone, probably get lost, so I went back to the rest stop and thought I'd wait for Jerry. I waited for a minute, decided it would be to long to wait for Jerry I started looking for the next person doing the 36, first I say Joe, I let him go, then came Diane, she looked like a good rider, I took off after her. I caught up to her, introduced myself and we proceeded to chase Joe, a couple of rollers later we had him.
The 3 of us rode together until the Queen hill, a good one with an 8 percent grade. This climb was funny because you start up gradually with some turns so you don't actually see the main climb untill the last minute.
I told Diane, "it seems like we're climbing, it starting to bite a little bit," and then we come up on this sign telling of the hill, come around a little bend and there it is, a good hill, I waited on top for Diane and Joe. On the other side of the hill was a rest stop, and that's where we left Joe.
Me and Diane finished the ride together, really enjoyed riding with Diane, really spunky, just kept coming back.
Towards the end she kept talking about not having much left, but she stayed with me until the finish, where we shook hands at the line, first ones back on the 36 mile ride, thanks Diane for helping make my day.
I didn't see Jerry after the start but he did call me when he finished, I was in the car on my way home.
So it was a great day, a ride I descibe as, Full of rollers with a couple of good hills thrown in and some wind for fun.
I'll do this ride again, if I'm in condition, lots of hills.
