brenty didn't come, but it was still fun

hoo boy.

went on a group ride today at lunch. solid bunch of adults who were considerate, pointed shit out, hammered 'till their teeth shattered.

oh man ... i forget how fast non-racers race.


i went socializin'.

- - -

there's this mother of a little hill called boony doon out here in the sCruz. It's only a couple miles, but man ... straight pitch into the 25t for me. The group rode hard to get out to it on hwy 1 with this chick Natasha Perry taking pulls every chance she could at the front. i was impressed.

You turn off 1 into a curvalicious little road that meanders and babbles like a brook - rolling and tumbling through trees and canyons. And just as you're figurin' the rest of your life should be painted these colors, you glide around a final corner to face a sum'bitch of a hill. It's one of those climbs that isn't steep enough to stop you from going fast, but not shallow enough to allow you to fake it. le ouch.

my legs were still sore from the weekend's pedaling, forcing me out of the saddle most the way up trying to match the efforts of a few of the local hardmen. One guy in a Giro jersey was nutting it pretty good and I was thinking ... oh man, i bet this guy doesn't even have a racing license and he's gonna drop anchor on my ass. but, thankfully, he pulled off and left over for some uber-pedaler with a bicycle trip jersey.

there are folks who turn the cranks ... and you know they've been doing it a long, long time. this guy was one of 'em. salty hair with smooth, tanned skin. full of energy, but someone you can sense has left years of pain out on the roads.

i liked him.

he rode like a beast. he had nothing but good things to say if you wanted to talk, and didn't need to talk if quiet was the better option.

class.


sometimes, i likes me some socializin'.