Big Wheels Keep On Turnin'

The 2009 Audi Best Buddies Ride started in the rain and ended in the bright sunshine. Fortunately, the rain was gone after 25 miles or so. The roads dried pretty quickly, and we had a fine day for cycling overall.

Here's my ride for the day:
We started at 7:30 with the controlled start for the first 10 miles. I started at the back with several others and allowed the pack to exit the start area in front of me. We waited a few minutes, but this allowed us to start riding without having to stop for riders in front of us. Time wasn't my main concern on this ride. The whole ride took me 7 hours and 39 minutes. I rode for 6 hours and 11 minutes including a 15 minute walk over the Sagamore Bridge (as my cyclometer recorded that elapsed time.) That means my riding time was under 6 hours. Many things contributed to the difference between total time and riding time:

• traffic lights
• police managing traffic
  
• rest stops (water refills)
  
• chatting with Dermot and Tricia in Marshfield
• talking to the WheelWorks mechanics at the rest stops
• taking photos (on and off the bike)
  

Dermot and Tricia surprised me in Marshfield. "Hey Greg!" They timed things perfectly and were waiting on the side of a slight incline. All the better to get some pictures of the riders. Dermot snapped a few of me, too. Here's one that makes me look like I know what I'm doing!
We talked on the side of the road for a while. I snapped a few pictures of riders, too. You'll see those shortly with more from the ride.

This was a quick ride for me. I purposely didn't worry about speed or time. I experienced no mechanical issues on the ride. I did experience some intermittent foot issues at 62 miles and then again off and on for the rest of the ride. (This might be due to my ramping up quickly to be able to ride 100 miles at the end of one month. I'll work on this for a few weeks to see what's going on.) I was hot at the end of the ride as I hadn't ridden much in the direct sun this year up until the day of this ride. I was normal after a hot shower. Then a 15-minute massage. No issues Sunday.

I'll share much more about the ride including the finish this week. I have lots more photos, many taken while riding. This one was taken when we were riding down Morrissey Boulevard shortly after the start.

Cheers,

Greg