Pedaling With the Pack

   To begin with, I’d like to point out that the MS150 ride on Saturday was a well-organized event with adequate rest/feed areas at appropriate intervals. I’m not going to complain about the lack of gluten free things to eat, because I’ve learned to expect the minimum. There was a great police presence along the route to help the cyclists through intersections, and friendly volunteers were out to encourage riders, as well as help direct them around obstacles or dangerous areas (New Jersey road conditions…YIKES).

 

 

   Our Wanna Ride Bikes team (named for the punchline in the famous “How many kids with A.D.D. does it take to screw in a lightbulb?” joke) all finished the 105 mile ride at a slower pace than we would have liked (explained later), but more importantly, with no bike or bodily damage! Our Cannondale-bicycles-only squad consisted of my wife Sue and me, brother-in-law Jay, sister-in-law Sandy and her husband Todd. After spending Friday night together in a hotel, we parked our cars at Todd’s parent’s place in Cherry Hill, NJ, then pedaled about five miles to the starting line at the Woodcrest train station. The event course was about 79 miles to Ocean City, but we continued another 20 miles to the Stone Harbor residence belonging to Sue’s parents.
   When faced with all of the supporters lining the finishing straight, Sandy couldn’t resist putting a couple bike lengths on me for a finishing sprint. She caught me by surprise, and I admitted to her afterward how ridiculous I felt making the effort to edge her out, and in way too small of a gear. I felt somewhat like a circus clown on a mini-bike, not having enough time to wind up a more appropriate big gear in reaction to her move. I should have just let her go, instead of flailing my legs around like an idiot, but I got caught up in the excitement, too. I apologized to her afterward and joked that I should have been tested for doping before the ride - “dope” being the key word!

 

 

   I think we all had good enough legs for the full 100 miles, but most first-timers, which all of us but Todd were, struggle with the sore butt/nearby anatomy that comes with nearly seven hours in the saddle. We all agreed staying on our bikes and not taking such a big break at the event finish line would have been a better idea. Although we enjoyed some of the snacks, collecting swag and mingling with other finishers, we cooled off a bit too much, tightened up and found that getting back into the previous pace was tough.

   The problem I had with the MS ride is that the event may have outgrown itself, with thousands of people, many of the lesser-experienced variety, jamming the roads. Maneuvering in tight spaces is difficult even for skilled veteran cyclists, so any intersections or feed zones were an adventure! The difference in pace among hardcore cyclists and the occasional rider created some hazards as well. There was a definite lack of cycling etiquette, as slower cyclists, who really should have been to the right, were passed on either side without proper verbal warning. I found myself startled several times when I announced that I was “on the left”, going by someone, and caught another (unannounced) cyclist right along my rear wheel, trying to buzz by us both!
   This was a charity fundraiser ride, not a race, no timed finishes, no award or cash prizes given out at the finish line. Everyone’s main goal is to finish in one piece, and hopefully with your bicycle in the same condition in which you started. At the same time, the MS150 should be a fun, social event. Certainly when the conditions are safe, sharing a conversation side by side is no problem, but riders were often fanned out across the road, three or four across, making it impossible for faster-paced cyclists to pass.
   Because much of the route was open to traffic, cars had an even more difficult time getting by, and to the drivers’ credit, most were very patient, and we experienced little honking or yelling. Mind you, there was plenty of yelling by other cyclists, especially from our team, to move over to let the traffic pass! Signs that warned participants to refrain from “swamping” (surrounding) cars were completely ignored, making turns, or really any movement, by the motorist impossible. It was also frightening to see a group of cyclists in a paceline attempt to go around a large pack of slower cyclists by using the oncoming lane of traffic and cause the cars rushing towards them to swerve out of the way. It’s no wonder a majority of drivers have a prejudice against cyclists – many of them ride like idiots!

 

 

   Cyclists definitely need to work on their patience and put aside their efforts to “win the race”. I’ll never understand why at intersections cyclists, even if they are of the slower pace, move around fellow pedalers who are stopped in front of them. This is like going to check out at the market and having someone push your cart aside, as if you’re not there, to get to the register. These must be more of those “special” people who go around everyone who is merging on the highway just as a lane is about to close for construction, or more annoyingly, use the shoulder to get around the congestion. What kills me about these cycling budgers is that they will work their way to the front at successive intersections, forcing us to pass them repeatedly – and it never fails that they suck at getting into their pedals and cause a panic…argh!
   Todd suggested getting up earlier would help to avoid the larger number of slower cyclists, but if you are a regular reader, you know how much I love morning rides in the first place…NOT! As much as I recognize the importance of charitable causes, I’m thinking the smaller attendance of the club-sponsored rides is the preferred alternative for me.