Weekly Beatdown

It's getting cooler outside. This morning's commute was really comfortable. On the way over to the shop, I ran into two other cyclists. One was just riding over to the shop like me, but the other was a commuter, I guess also like me. I've been seeing more and more commuters lately. Maybe I've started a trend.

The ride itself was not so great. I've been digging being able to hang in with the A group, but they start late, ride long and it's almost dark when they're done. I was relegated to B1. I've described B1's crazy riding before, but what I have not mentioned how often you get chastised for doing completely reasonable things. I've mentioned instances of it before, but I didn't realize it was so chronic until today. It would take a complex animation to explain what I got yelled at for, but it involved me sustaining the paceline while the rider ahead of me jumped off the front and another rider came around on the left. "We don't need anybody riding up the middle!"

Rob got yelled at for bridging up to pull down a solo break, pulling around on the left to go for his own break and riding too close to the right hand column in a paceline, too close being less than 5 feet. We both got yelled at for pulling up on the left of a column of riders who got dropped from a break and wouldn't rotate, then pulling over to pull them back up into it. Apparently we were "rotating in the wrong direction."

Strange indictments aside, we kept a good pace and got back in good time so that part worked out.