[BVC-CHAT] A newbie's $0.02 re. today's Pole Ride

[Kevin Baker]

Gary Varner wrote:

>1. I think that two "portages" necessitated by the construction on Rte 
>166 are preferable to the longish stretch of pot-holes and dirt that we 
>rode during today's detour route.
>
>  
>
I don't have anything against portages ;) but some of us wear a cleat 
system that doesn't do well for walking in dirt. Perhaps someone can 
check it out beforehand and find out if we can get across without having 
to walk on the stuff. On the other hand, it seems that the construction 
is past 1362, which is kind of late in the ride to be getting off the 
bike twice. We don't even stop for flats at that point.

>2. I thought that the pace on the final leg from Twister's back to town 
>was supposed to be quite moderate, like a recovery ride. 
>
it's supposed to be, but sometimes people get carried away. It seemed 
hard to me, but I assumed it was because I was knackered. Also, a 
moderate pace can mean different things, I thought today was a bit fast, 
but it's never much slower.

>But lots of 
>folks got dropped on that leg of the ride today.
>  
>
Well, keeping people from getting dropped is a shared responsibility. 
The riders in front should take care not to ride too hard, but if you 
are being dropped, it's your responsibility to let the people in front 
of you know that you're in difficulty. Some people might not want to 
slow down alot due to time constraints, but I, and lots of other folks, 
are happy to slow down to keep someone from having to ride home alone.