When everything used is new again

Over the summer many of you who ride with me might have gotten tired of seeing me sport an OORR kit. Well, I was product testing not only for a RoadBikeRider.com review, but also for Tim Christian the founder of OORR (Out of the Rat Race). Tim is based in Australia and has created a company to produce high quality apparel with attention to detail using recycled materials.

OORR uses recycled plastic bottles and used coffee grounds in the construction of their fabric. Yep, sounds crazy, but I can attest to how soft the material is against your skin, how well it wicks, and that it provides great odor control.

I cover all the details on OORR’s women’s kit including fabric and construction here in a recent product review in RBR. Brandon reviewed the men’s version here.

At the end of October OORRlaunched their Kickstarter campaign and just recently hit their goals. There’s still time for you to support this campaign and have one of these unique cycling or running kits for yourself.   

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, we all have a lot to be thankful for. The environment is not something we can take for granted, so as cyclists we need to continue our quest to reduce our carbon footprint. I can’t help but worry what the next administration will do as they deny global warming and pledge to change policies that endanger our world.

There are a few things we can do in the next week. #OptOutside on black Friday. #SmallBusinessSaturday and #ShopLocal for the holidays. And most of all remember those less fortunate on #GivingTuesday.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy the ride,

Sheri

Over? The season isn't over until I decide it is!

I'm reminded of the scene in Animal House where they are put on Double Secret Probation. But they were determined to fight back. John "Bluto" Belushi's famous rant "Over? Nothings over until we decide it is." Well, that's how I feel about my season. The calendar might say mid-September but it aint over.

I'm still swimming with the Otters 2-3 mornings a week. You might need a miners helmet to see where you are going in the lake, but it still is better than staring endlessly at that black line at the bottom of the pool. I'm still biking, too. Not as many weekday miles as during the summer as sunset is pretty early. But still able to get in 50 during the weekdays and longer on the weekends.

What the lake looks like when we get in

....when we get out

To circumvent the early sunsets, I've invested in a helmet light. Yep, I look like a geek with it on. This will allow me to ride the trails near my house and come home safely after sunset. I'm also product testing a high viability vest for RBR which really glows bright when hit with light . Between my cross bike and the fat tire bike I'll be able to get some riding in for several more months.

This week I experienced my first night gravel ride. It was 2 days before the full moon, which meant a lot of natural light. I figured this event, hosted by a local bike shop, was ideal for trying out night riding. I knew the area/trail really well so if I got freaked out by the darkness or got dropped, I knew how to get back. Also the distance was fairly short...23 miles.

Sunset to the west, full moon rising behind us

So I dipped my toe in the night riding world. It was beautiful to watch the sunset and the full moon rise. It was quiet and peaceful which enhanced the experience. Sharing it with several friends also made it special.

Next month I'm planning to head to Missouri and check out the Katy Trail. Heard great things about it and hope the fall foliage wont disappoint.

Bottom line, don't hang up your bike just yet. There's a lot more miles to be ridden and many great events/invitationals to partake in.

Still enjoying the ride,
Sheri

Why I Tri

Last Sunday's race in Michigan was all about me and persevering through storms, tornadoes, flat tire,  and horizontal rain with a "never give up" attitude. This Sunday was all about the athletes of Dare2tri who persevere with amazing attitude, drive and that "never give up" attitude.

Today was the Chicago Triathlon which hosts over 9,000 able body and disabled athletes. I've never wanted to race in this event because of how huge it is. But today I had the honor to be an athlete guide for Ryan, a young man with Cerebral Palsy. Ryan was part of a corporate relay team which paired two athletes from a corporation with one of Dare2tri's athletes.

Chris was our swimmer and Laura was our runner. My only job was to get Ryan through the 15 mile bike course safely. And of course provide humor and an encouraging word along the way. But to be honest I had to do very little encouraging. As bikers passed us on Lake Shore Drive they yelled and cheered for Ryan. It really made me proud to be a part of this sport. It reminded me of last Sunday as I stood on the side of the road trying to fill my flat tire and riders asked if I was okay. Triathletes always seem to encourage one another even though we are competing against each other. Maybe it's because we all know the sport of triathlons is not an easy one and we recognize how a little encouragement goes a long way.

From left to right: Sheri (bike guide), Ryan (bike), Laura (run) and Chris (swim)

The 15 mile bike course was an out and back on two closed lanes of Lake Shore Dr. We weren't going very fast, so I took the time to take in the beautiful Chicago skyline and lakefront. It was one of those rare clear Chicago days, little wind, smooth water, but of course warm and humid.

I give Ryan a lot of credit, the trike was heavy and the inclines were tough for him. But he just pushed through it and enjoyed the downhills on the other side. We stopped about every 3 miles so I could hand him a water bottle. It was too dangerous to do a handoff while biking as he had limited use of his right arm and it really takes 2 hands to steer the trike.

I could tell by mile 10 he was getting a bit tired. His average speed dropped a bit and the adrenaline was wearing off. It was only after we finished the bike course did Ryan tell me this was the longest he ever biked. And where he practices there aren't really any hills. But, he never complained, he never gave up, and I was truly inspired by his tenacity to keep pushing himself.

Back in transition and done with the bike course

We had about 50 Dare2tri athletes competing over the last two days, all of whom share the same trait of never give up, never doubt, just get it done! There were also countless volunteers as guides or handlers that helped to make this happen. I'm so proud of these athletes and proud to be part of such a great organization.

I've been asked by a number of people about how they can get involved. Check out the Dare2tri web site. Consider attending our annual gala An Evening2Inspire on September 30th (details on our Facebook page). It's a perfect opportunity to meet the athletes and have a great night in Chicago. Or just ask me...I'm happy to tell you about my experiences over the last couple of years.

Today was not about the speed or distance for me, it was about empowering someone to go beyond their limits and achieve a new goal.

I truly enjoyed the ride today,
Sheri

MI Titanium race weekend - Guess I'm Titanium STRONG

I started this blog back in January 2014 to document my quest to knock off an Ironman AquaBike off my bucket list and the hopes of encouraging others to push their limits. Once finishing that race I decided, done that...don't need to do it again. But I still wanted to have a goal or two for my yearly training. This year I returned to Grand Rapids, MI to do a 1/2 IM AquaBike (1.2 mile lake swim and 56 mile bike...this one was 57 miles).

It was fun to share the adventure with my friend Michelle, two of my fellow Otters Jessica and Karie, fellow Pearl Izumi Tri Champion Gigi, and Jeff a Dare2tri athlete. Everyone else was doing the complete 1/2 IM distance tri. I was content with Swim, Bike, Done!! Jeff would go on to complete his first ever 1/2 IM distance race. Very inspiring.

In the days before and during race weekend I couldn't help on reflect on someone that was missing. Two years ago when I did this race, my friend Mark came with to compete taking 2nd in his age group. A remarkable triathlete who unfortunately passed away last year. We were the same age and it just broke my heart to lose yet another friend so young. You truly must live every day to its fullest as you never know what tomorrow brings. I believe Mark was there in spirit and even finding humor in what we endured.

Michelle and I left on Saturday morning in a rain storm. The cell stretched from Northern Wisconsin all the way to Southern Illinois and was heading east. So our 3.5 hour drive took a little over 4 hours and the torrential rains followed us the whole time. I equate it to driving in a car wash for four hours. Michelle was riding shot gun and would update me what color on the radar we were driving into. Just in case I couldn't see out the car window at the time.

We got to Grand Rapids and proceeded to the YMCA for packet pick-up. I was excited to see that my swim wave had purple caps. My favorite color. Plus the goodie bag had powder blue socks...Power socks!!! (inside joke ask me some time) These were all good omens. But within minutes of my excitement they announce a tornado warning and we all had to evacuate to the locker rooms for safety. Us and a 100 of our closest friends huddled in the locker room. We had no windows to see what was transpiring outside so relied on our cell phones to check radar. We were dab center in a bright red cell. Then the woman came over the intercom with panic in her voice "Three tornadoes are reported on the ground heading towards us and will be here in 5 minutes."  I was about at my wits end after white knuckling it for 4 hours in pouring rain and now waiting to get hit by a tornado. A man nearby had a little Yorkie with a service dog vest which was his comfort dog. I really wanted to wrestle it out of his hands since I needed some comforting.

After the all clear I get a text later from Gigi that she unknowingly drove right into the tornado. Oh our little storm chaser. It ended up the tornadoes touched down in Wyoming (MI) and southern Grand Rapids. Luckily no one was hurt, just property damage and power outages. We were fine and of course the sun came out.

We headed over to the venue and transition, constantly debating if we should rack our bikes or wait until the morning. After consulting Weather.com a few more times we decided to rack the bikes and cover them with plastic garbage bags, tuck them in for the night, kiss our babies goodbye and hope for the best in the morning. It did rain again but nothing too bad. Vermonster was safe and dry.

Vermonster all wrapped up for the night

After racking our bikes, Jessica, Michelle and I went to drive some of the bike course so I could show them the 13% climb at mile 3. But to our delight they had changed some of the course since 2 years ago and just lots of longggg rollers most of course and two 12% grade climbs tossed in back to back just for giggles.

It was time to go check into our hotel. Just before pulling into the parking lot we get a call from the hotel that they overbooked. Ends up they would offer to move us to another hotel and pay for our stay. The catch was they knew nothing about the hotel, plus it wasn't  a known chain. We declined since where we were was a known commodity and we needed a good night's sleep.

Then it was time for dinner. Could the day get any worse? Well yeah. I was served raw chicken. Well that meal was free. Fingers cross I wouldn't get sick.

The last bit of excitement for the day was a tattooing party. We got temporary race number tattoos instead of the regular handwritten Sharpies markings. BTW, these aren't temporary. Two lake swims and two showers and I still can't get these damn things off.  Totally open to suggestions.

A 5am wake up call and we check the weather. Rain starting at 1045am until 3pm. Lovely. At least we'll get the swim in. So off to the race we go, expecting the worse (weather wise) but hoping for the best.

You couldn't ask for better conditions for the swim. Smooth water and partly sunny skies. Michelle and I compared notes on the drive home. We both had our own "swim boogers" attached to us for 2/3 of the race. Those are swimmers who seem to think they are tethered to you and swim right up close and personal, sometimes swimming right in front of you or hitting you with every stroke. No matter what you do you can't get rid of them and unfortunately you can't drown them.

Out of the swim feeling great, made good use of the lightning fast volunteer strippers and off to transition carrying my wet suit. Unlike 2 years ago my legs felt pretty good and I'm not hyperventilating.  First 10 miles I'm averaging 18.3mph and enjoying yelling "on your left" instead of being the one yelled to. The course is hilly. Not the kind that you can go screaming down and back up the other side with little effort. These are long hills that you scream down and slog up the 5-8% grade on other side. It was also very windy so I was getting blown around a bit with my aero wheels. The roads had a lot of chip and seal, pot holes and cracks. So you had to use your best bike handling skills when flying down some of the hills.

I was in a groove, playing cat and mouse with this gal Renee I met on the course. Right at 1030 it started drizzling. Wait they said not until 1045am. Liars!!! Then at mile 31 I flatted. Renee made sure I had everything and kept going. By this time my average was 17.6mph. I thought it was just the sidewall but this morning I looked closely and there's a big slice down to the cords. I changed the flat in 3 minutes easy peasie. But then my CO2 inflator malfunctioned and drained both my CO2 cartridges. What happened next is what I love about triathlons. Every single rider asked if I was okay, did I have everything I needed, etc. I didn't want anyone to stop their race to help me. Figured the truck would be by quick enough to help. But no such luck. I found out later it was busy helping Gigi who had THREE flats along the course and needed a loaner wheel.


Then all of a sudden one woman circled back, pulled out her inflator and a cartridge, handed it to me and rode off. I had begged her not to do that because if she flatted she’d have nothing. But she insisted. The inflator worked like magic, but only gave me about 60PSI but I was in business. I took off like a mad woman trying to make up for the 20+ minutes I was on the side of the road.

As I passed each aid station I'd yell out "do you have a pump?" but no one did so I kept peddling. I finally saw the woman who gave me the CO2 inflator. She was fading in the strong headwinds. I pulled up next to her and quickly thanked her over and over, asked her name (Deana) and apologized that it wasn't a draft legal race or I'd pull her home. I left her behind and by mile 43 the clouds got black and the wind picked up even more. It started to pour sideways. I just kept my head down and pedaled. Praying I wouldn't flat again since I didn't have another tube or wipe out on the flooded roads. The goal was to finish this thing and finish it as fast I as could. But the wind and the rain had other ideas.

About 2 miles from the end, the sun came out and the rain dissipated. But no such luck for the wind. I battled the wind and continued passing these poor souls who were beaten down by the bike course. I just knew that I didn't have to run after this. So just continued to drive home. I pulled into the Finish shoot at 16.4mph average, soaking wet and a big ass smile. I'd had hoped for an average in the mid seventeens but with the wind, rain, hills and low pressure rear tire this was definitely acceptable. I ran across the finish line the best I could in cleats and was proud that not once did I want to give up. I was strong like Titanium.

Posing with medal and flatted tube

Not sure what's next. Part of me would like to do an Ironman AquaBike again. Part of me knows the time commitment is grueling and this body isn't getting any younger. I'll noodle it and decide by early January. For now, I'm just going to Enjoy the Ride...

Sheri

Getting my geek on

Yesterday I booked my trip to Las Vegas to attend the InterBike show in September. It's the largest cycling industry show in North America. There are 750 vendors representing over 1400 brands. I've always wanted to go and finally have the chance with RoadBikeRider.com and a Media Press Pass. This is so cool I'm giddy. Yes, I'm going to get my geek on.

As a female (and female cyclist) I know I'll be in the minority at this convention. As I perused the educational and technical seminars offered, in addition to the exhibits, I was taken back the anemic  women's specific track. A mere 5 seminars, one of which was a happy hour. Are you kidding me? This speaks volumes that the cycling industry is still male dominated. They are definitely missing the boat on the virtually untapped market of women cyclists.

There is one session with a panel discussion called "Influencers, Ambassadors and Athletes: Expand your definition and your reach". The woman that heads my Pearl Izumi Ride Champion program will be on the panel. I'm hoping I can take an hour and attend that breakout session.

But the majority of my few days in Vegas will be to check out the new technology, clothing, accessories, etc on the exhibit floor. Over the years I've accumulated enough knowledge about bikes, bike components, etc to hold an intelligent conversation. So it will be fun to get my geek on and mix it up with some of these reps.

But first I need to knock out this MI Titanium race on Sunday. Taper week has commenced and I'm enjoying dialing back my training a bit. But as all athletes know, it's tough not to continue with your regular routine. From past mistakes, I know I need to start my race with fresh legs and a refreshed body. Forecast in Grand Rapids is rain. But that seems to change daily. I hope we don't end up like the folks at the Racine Triathlon where storms forced the swim to be cancelled and the bike course to be shortened. Keeping positive thoughts.

Enjoy the ride,
Sheri

Paying it forward

Volunteering, paying it forward, and giving back has always been part of my DNA. Being an avid cyclist there are many ways you can leverage your passion and skills to give back. I recently wrote an article for Road Bike Rider highlighting some of the different volunteering options available.

You can read the full article here.

I hope this encourages many of you to think of ways you can give back...remember it isn't always about having to raise money...just giving a little bit of your time or knowledge goes a long way.

Enjoy the ride,
Sheri

Cycling apparel with a conscience

It's always nice to see companies with a conscience. One such manufacturer is OORR (Out of the Rat Race) out of Australia. The owner, Tim, is creating a line of cycling clothing made from 75-100% recycled plastic bottles.

What I find interesting is that the bottles are broken down and reformed into polyester yarn. This material can be recycled and reprocessed again and again without degradation to quality. It only takes three steps to manufacture polyester yarn from plastic bottles. While converting oil into polyester yarn takes 9 steps. So not only is OORR keeping the bottles out of landfills, they are also using less energy to produce the yarn that constructs their products.

 

OORR is in the process of producing prototypes of their jerseys and bibs and should be ready later next month. As a contributing writer and product reviewer of RoadBikeRider.com I'm lucky enough to be receiving one of the prototype kits to test out. I'm very excited to see how it feels, wears and performs.

Trek is another cycling manufacturer that is helping the environment through recycling carbon fiber. Back in 2010 they started partnering with Carbon Conversions to recycle 60,000 pounds of scrap metal each year. Read more about their process here.


Let's hope that more manufacturers in the cycling industry and throughout follow suit and start using recycled or sustainable materials for their products. We all have a responsibility to leave this world a little better than how we found it.

Enjoy the ride.
Sheri

Naked has no place in cycling

I would never use "prude" to describe myself, nor do I think anyone has called me one. Hey, in the 80s I hung out for three summers at a nude beach on Long Island. But for some time I've been bothered by the Assos ads for their women's cycling apparel. I kept asking myself, is it really necessary to have a virtually naked woman modeling women's cycling shorts, tights, and bibs in very provocative poses? Please, give that woman a sports bra or jersey. Have her sitting on a bike or next to a bike with clothes on. Don't have her half covering her breast and wearing a "come do" me pout. Common on guys!!! Really???

Really....Is this necessary?

So I was elated to read that Assos has a new CEO, Phil Duff, that started in September, who's married with three daughters. He has come forward to say, "We are now going to portray women the same way we do men...as athletes."  Amen to that!!! The timing couldn't be better as USA Cycling named Assos the official cycling apparel partner for their team. Yep, time to clean up their act.

Ella Cycling Tips did a recent interview with Phil Duff and it sounds like he'll take the company in the right direction. It truly amazes me that women still need to fight to be seen and treated equally. The cycling industry is so male dominated that it continues to be a battle all women cyclists should fight. As consumers you can do it with your dollars and your voice. Support companies that see women as athletes, not a sex symbols.

Check out the article on Assos. I'll be watching closely to see if Mr. Duff is true to his words.

Share your thoughts and comments about the Assos marketing and other cycling ads. Does it bother you? Do you think it's okay? Voice your opinion below in the Comments.

Enjoy the ride,
Sheri

When going it alone can make the adventure

Below is an article I wrote for my cycling club's monthly newsletter regarding my recent vacation. I thought I'd share it with you as so many people couldn't believe I went on my own. Well, it was go it alone or cancel a vacation. This girl needed a vacation and badly. It was a great trip and while I'm sorry that Mitch and I couldn't share it together, I met some great people and had a wonderful time.

Enjoy the read,
Sheri

When it’s time to kill the Groundhog

We’ve all been moaning and groaning about spring taking its own sweet time getting here and that Punxsutawney Phil must go. In late March, Mitch and I looked at each other and said we need to get outta here!! So we pulled out a map and looked what was a day’s drive from Chicago. Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina all looked inviting. I got to surfin’ the internet looking for invitationals and bike clubs. I found the Burnsville Metric Century in NC but it wasn’t until April 30^th. Too long to wait, need Spring NOW!!! I emailed the contact listed on the site asking if we could get cue sheets ahead of time and if there was a club to ride with. Immediately I received this wonderful email from Marc offering maps, cue sheets, himself as a guide PLUS bikes if we needed them. Wow, that’s southern hospitality.

Next I asked him to suggest places to stay since it was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. He provided a handful of suggestions running the gamut of prices and “luxury”. We opted for this cute cabin 3,400ft up in the mountains flanked by national forest. Marc had said that one of the owners, Mary, was a cyclist, so we booked the place for a few days. Mary, was beside herself we were bikers and insisted on taking us on rides each day. Not to mention she was a native Chicagoan. Bonus!!!

We had the first half of the week figured out. Next was where to go for the second half. I contacted the Louisville, KY bike club. But did not get warm and fuzzy responses about riding with them or lodging. So we opted for the Bluegrass Cycling Club in Lexington, KY. First off, the Event Director for the Horsey Hundred is also a Pearl Izumi Ride Champion with me. Second, she’s a member of the Bluegrass club. Third, they had rides day and evening just like the Wheelmen. So done deal. Arrangements made.

A few days before departure, Mitch found out he wouldn’t be able to get off work. So since I really needed a vacation, I decided to head out on my own. So began Sheri’s Quest to find Spring.

Day 1:

Weather in Chicago was low 30s and sleeting. So it was a lot easier to head out on the 650 mile drive across five states to reach Johnson City, TN. I wasn't sure how long the drive would take me so I opted to stay overnight in TN and take the remaining 50 miles across Iron Mountain the next morning when I was a little more fresh.

Day 2:

Ate a good breakfast at the hotel knowing Mary had planned a climbing day for us. So I took the narrow winding road over Iron Mountain into Bakersville, NC. The speed limit was 55 mph and all I could think of was WTF? There's no way to take some of these switchbacks at anything more than 20mph. I also started to get a little freaked out thinking this was the type of road we'd be riding on for the next few days.

Arrived at Bakersville, literally a one stop light town. Yep, I was in the middle of nowhere and that was just perfect. I found Bird Town Cabins at the end of a windy road and Mary was already in her cycling gear ready to roll. I continued up this gravel road to Little Bird cabin. Yikes, it was like straight up the side of the mountain. The cabin was beautiful. Full kitchen, sitting area, bedroom and indoor plumbing. The view was breathtaking.

I quickly got changed and we were off for our first ride. No time to get acclimated to the altitude or warmed up. Three mile climb off the bat. The scenery was beautiful until I turned the bend and there were two armed Sheriffs with a chain gang picking up garbage on the side of the road. Not something we see on our WW rides.

The ride was 35 miles with 3500 ft of climb, including three CAT 4 climbs. I definitely felt the altitude which was another thing I had not accounted for.

We had a quick rest stop at a cemetery that even had some Civil War veterans buried. Took a selfie by the sign and headed home. Post ride I got to feed their 3 goats and then enjoyed a hot tub to soak my quads.

Elevation chart of the ride

Day 3:

Woke up to rain. Crap there goes my 10 years of vacation karma. But by 11am the sun came out, vacation karma still intact, so Mary, Alli and I planned to meet Marc for a ride along the Cane and Toe rivers and then a 6 mile climb they call Spivey Gap. I was thrilled to meet Marc since he started this whole adventure. Very sweet man who's retired and training for RAM. Very strong cyclist, racer and for you men, has 20 bikes.

The first 11 miles we did about 1000 ft of climb. Then some downhill to the rest stop. The store we stopped at had everything a girl could want, live bait, ammo, a burn permit and indoor plumbing.

The 6 mile Spivey climb boasts CAT 2, 3 and 4 sections. I just put it in a small gear and started up. Marc would ride ahead and then do track stands in the middle of the road waiting for me to catch up. Only 2 cars passed us the whole time so he was safe to hang out there. Once at the top we were at the Tennessee boarder and the Appalachian trail head. We stopped for pics and then turned around and headed down the mountain. A little eventful for me as I tried not to wipe out on the sand and gravel that peppered the pavement from the earlier rain. But I also got chased by a pack of 3 dogs and dive bombed by a kamikaze wild turkey trying to make it across the road. The count was now chased by 8 dogs and 1 wild turkey in two rides.

Final stats for the rider was 53 miles and 2,600 ft of climb.

Elevation Chart

Day 4:

I decided to skip the ride today and just start my 5+ hour drive to Lexington, KY.  I said goodbye to my new friends and cute cabin in the woods and headed northwest.  I arrived in Lexington about 4pm and went for a walk on the Legacy Trail. It's a multi-use paved path that is about 15 miles with plans to expand.

I checked Yelp for a place to eat dinner and found where the locals go. Nestled in between horse farms, was an amazing BBQ joint with a fun vibe.

Day 5:

I decided to hook up with the Bluegrass Cycling club. They boast 1000 members and have a huge offering of day and evening rides. Today's ride was 5 minutes from the hotel and ended up being 12 guys and me. They split into groups depending on speed. One racer guy, Chuck, said just get on my wheel. So I did and about 7 of us set out as the fast group. They were a great group of guys and dialed it back a bit for me on some of the climbs. Had a nice paceline going through quiet country rollers flanked by huge horse farms. There were tons of foals out in the pastures which really added to the beauty.

Towards the end of the ride the guys asked if I had ever been to the Kentucky Horse Park. So we took a detour at the end and sauntered through the massive grounds. There are polo fields, arenas, cross country courses, you name it. It was a nice way to end the ride. Stats for the ride were 36 miles and 1700 ft of climbing.

That afternoon I went to Keeneland Race Track. It's always a rest stop for the Horsey Hundred but the racing season is over by then. So in seven years I've never seen the track open. After that I headed to downtown Lexington for dinner and Thursday night live music fest. I met up with a couple of the Bluegrass members and had a lovely evening.

Day 6:

This was my last ride before heading back home. David's Fork Baptist ride reminded me of our Honey Do. About 50 riders of varying speeds, going different routes and distances.  A couple of the guys I rode with the previous day told me to come with them. Some gal Sarah had a 26 mile route she wanted to try. They said the pace would be 17mph average and they wouldn't drop me. BTW, there was no cue sheet or map so they better not drop me.

Well, there were about 20 riders in a double paceline screaming down these country rollers. The first half of the ride we averaged 19mph. Thankfully they dialed it back a bit on the second half to 17/18 mph. Another beautiful ride with a great group of people. But my legs were tired and it was time to head home.

I'd say my Quest to find Spring was successful. The groundhog is dead and Spring has finally arrived in Chicago. This past weekend we had back to back 70 degree days, sunny and low winds. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Enjoy the ride,

Sheri