Stay out of trees!

The roof is done.  Long live the roof.  Here are four ride reports and more photos from our tour.

After a week of touring and then a week of hard labor with no riding to speak of I went on that most classic of Iowa City Classics last saturday, the Amana ride, prepared for the worst.  This ride is a no holds barred slugfest with a heaping pile of B roads and, right in the middle, some fine beer from the Millstream Brewery.  We met at the Hopson house and enjoyed strong little coffees and rolled.  I knew at the first B road I was in trouble and this feeling was confirmed miles later when the group split and I found myself unable to pull through with the single speeders.  Finally dropped they waited for me and I got dropped again.  Lots of beers then and the ride back in was about the same but for I had some sort of drunken B road crash in addition to getting dropped.  Long, demoralizing day.  I was able to connect with Brian the painter out in North Liberty so I could cry on his shoulder as we rode in.  Thanks for being there Brian!

Sunday there was a road ride with many of the same folks and I went for that as well.  A much more subdued affair and I was happy to roll a slightly modified cheese house loop.  It still felt hard to me, maybe I need rest?  Maybe I stink?  Maybe I need to ride more?  Chequamegon looms and I am confused!

Tuesday night I went on the College Green A ride and was delighted to see not one but two tandems there and a big fast group, too.  The West Liberty loop got the call and I was not too excited about it as it is a fairly challenging loop.  Unless you sit in a lot…  So we were rolling south out of town and going pretty fast and people were in their big rings and then we turned east and I rotated for a while before going to hide.  I did some more work before we got to West Liberty and then on the section north I took all my pulls and surprise surprise, I actually had some good sensations!  On the Herbert Hoover Highway heading back west I still felt okay and did some more work and as we crossed I80 I got dropped.  Not a stellar ride by any means but I was happy to have (finally) had some of them good sensations.

Thursday night I again hit the A ride and the group was much smaller and the weather was wet.  Not raining really, but wet roads and it misted some and after a while nobody knew where the water was coming from but it was all over us.  We did the Edens loop and it was a nice steady and strong rotation I thought.  I even attacked once!  Tee-hee, it was weak but I can’t remember the last time I attacked on the ride.  So I took most of my pulls and after four rides I am feeling like I might be able to put in a good ride at Chequamegon in three weeks.  As long as no important pieces fall off my bike this time.