taricha said:
Forgive me, but why would someone with over 1,000 posts and mod status in these parts just now be doing a first group ride?
More importantly, was it fun?
Yes, it was quite fun.
As for this being my first group ride, that's because I only recently made the transition from MTB to the open road.
tonyzackery said:
Congrats, Cyber!
Your innocence/ignorance is now gone. Your virginity is no more. I could use more eloquent and descriptive references, but I'll keep this G-rated.
Thanks Tony. Yes, I tweeted that I am no longer a group ride virgin...
tonyzackery said:
You know you're on the slippery slope to becoming a full-fledged, card-carrying road racer, right? Were there any sprints for town lines or such during your ride?
There were a few sprints by the two strongest riders, not for the town lines though, purely random. As far as racing is concerned, I might consider doing some time trials somewhere down the road, but I have a long way to go before I consider myself crit material. I'll be the first to admit I'm a lousy climber...
tonyzackery said:
How were your hand signals? Those of your companions? Make every attempt to not being that guy - he's the guy that runs into the back of his compatriots at the stoplight he failed to notice because his eyes were glued to the wheel just in front of him. I was that guy on probably my 3rd group ride ever, and it was my first ride with my current club - what a way to make a first impression. LOL!
My hand signals were just fine and dandy, I learned without being taught about warning others about potholes and sewer grates, I figured it out on my own when I saw someone waving to the right and going around them.
tonyzackery said:
I wasn't into cycling back then obviously when with the Pats, but as I recall that Malden/Beverly/Somerville/Lynn/Saugus area, I don't remember it being too cyclist friendly. Things have changed for the better I take it? I recall there being wide shoulders on the highways though. There'd be no way in hades that I'd get involved with one of those round-abouts on a bicycle - that's for sure...
It seems that things have definitely changed for the better, on the route we took the traffic was very light. I'll tell you, until that afternoon I practically forgot what the aroma of farm land was like...
We didn't go around any 'rotisseries' (as someone I used to work with years ago used to call them
), it was a nice loop from Beverly, through Wenham, Ipswich, and parts of Essex and Hamilton.