“Ride #61: Half Century with Graham, Augie, and Andrew (Watty)”

Anyway, Augie (who works at MCC now) and Andrew haven't been riding much. Seems like Augie's just starting to get into it, and Andrew used to ride a lot but took a couple of years off.

I don't have the energy tonight for a full recap, so here are the highlights:

Graham was his usual rock-steady self. He pulled all of River Road (he always does, for some reason), and didn't call Andrew through for the pull until a little after crossing 184 onto 201. Andrew and Augie pulled for about 1/3 of 201 (between 184 and Wintechog), and I did the rest. Once we hit Wintechog, though, there wasn't much point in me leading... that there's a big hill.

This was actually my second time up these hills this week (I did much of this ride on Monday, solo), and I felt strong. Not *light*, which is really my biggest problem, but at least strong.

Augie's funniest comment of the day came shortly after one of my pulls (if I'm remembering correctly). He said that I should be measured in hands instead of feet. Hah! Finally, someone comes up with something original! Got a good laugh out of that one.

Once we'd made it to Wyassup, Augie and Andrew were starting to ask how many more hills there were. I explained: one more on Wyassup, then Town Farm (steep!!!), Oral School, and finally Clift St. Just three more! (Edit: Learn to count, Seth.) Nope, they didn't want that, and both said they'd be heading home. So, I razzed them both. "Hey, if I can do it, you guys can do it!" Graham liked that, and teased them both about letting a big guy like me (with unshaved legs!) finish while they called it quits.

It worked! Both of them turned with us onto Wolf Neck, and thanked us later for pushing them to finish it.

After a lot of encouragement (and cajoling), we convinced Andrew and (especially) Augie that they really did want to climb Clift St to end the ride. Don't think less of them: this really is a very tough ride, and neither of them have been riding much, as I said. Augie suffered on Clift Street, and when he made it to the top and we were all together again I said, "Augie! See what you can do when we put your mind to it!?"

That was *my* funniest line of the day. :-)

Ernie wasn't there to make us start really late ;-), so we made it back in plenty of time and I went all the way to MCC to chat with the guys for a few minutes before heading home.

I told Augie and Andrew to find the site by searcing for Mystic Cycle Seth on Google. Hey guys... post a message, say hi! (That means you, too, Graham, if you ever bother to go online again.)

Stats: 59.93 miles (96.48 km) in 3h 16' 24" for an average speed of 18.30 mph (29.47 kph).