That Was A Good One

I finally had a chance to do a Thursday evening group ride, and it was great! I missed the June rides because I was in Pennsylvania. Last week, bad air quality caused by wildfires in Canada and Minnesota prompted the ride organizer to cancel. There were no weather worries today. Even the wind cooperated. I rode to the start location and then home from there after the ride, adding about 3 miles to the official route. That made today’s ride my longest so far this year: 36 miles. I’m still living in that 25- to 30-mile range, but my average is starting to creep up. Today’s ride also was my fastest so far this year: 18 mph. So, no, it was not all Zone 2. I spent roughly half of the ride in Zone 2 and most of the rest in Zone 3. Speed on the flats was not an issue; dragging myself over the hills was the stimulus that pushed me past Zone 2. Today’s 1,237 feet of climbing was my highest total so far this year.

One of the more interesting stats from today’s ride was my average cadence: just 73 rpm. That’s really low. I wasn’t aware of the number during the ride, but I was aware that I was turning the pedals far less frequently than my fellow riders. And that doesn’t count for much. Do I dare say, “Different strokes for different folks,” or is that too obvious a play on words? I was pushing a bigger gear. By itself, that fact is neither good nor bad, it’s simply different.

As usual, today’s ride was offered with two route options. I had planned to do the shorter route, but as we approached the point at which the routes diverged, everyone agreed to complete the long route. Now, having completed it in good style, I would be disappointed if I had cut off early.

If you’re not already familiar with West Bend’s group ride on Thursdays, then check out the Washington County Bicyclists page on Facebook.