Race Report: Cronometro Sunday Ride
Sunday, July 12th, 2009
How did the first Cronometro Sundayt ride go? In a word, great. In two words, really great.
We arrived a few minutes early. I thought I was the first one there and stood in front of the store to see who else would come. In a minute, one, then two, then another two riders showed up. I introduced myself to them thinking we were off to a good start. Somebody said, "better check around back, I thought I saw someone back there". So I go around back, fifteen-twenty more people waiting, suited up. All counted, we rolled away from Cronometro with 30 riders! I couldn't believe it.
Many were experienced riders that wanted something other than the BOMB ride, something a little more relaxed. A handful were reasonably fit riders that had never ridden with a group. Since several other BD's came we decided to split into two groups, with the larger group of experienced riders going up the road to ride in the way they already knew how with David Supple being the master of ceremonies (How'd your group go Dave?).
David G. and I took the second, smaller group of about 10 riders and taught them to pace line, successfully. We began down Seminole Highway after Dave and I explained the goal of pace lines and a how to seminar with pointers about the important things (where to look, drop back to let the next rider advance, instead of making him come over you, etc.) and they were a little rough but everyone stayed together including a woman that did not want to try to ride in the line (never rode in a group or drafted at all) and she and I rode about 10ft off the back and she kept up all the same. We rode this way to Paoli and stopped there to see how everyone in our group was doing. Everyone was having a great time and said they were learning a lot. We rode up Range Trail and Whalen Rd. and resumed the pace line on Seminole and Viola! A clean, well functioning pace line! They had it and a couple of people told us "I've never gone that fast" or "That was a great ride".
If our smaller group had been everyone that showed up I would've considered it a success. We had a BUNCH of people there and I realized that Cronometro has done the best job I've ever seen of a shop fostering a cycling community. I think we should support this and also be careful to keep it disciplined. David Supple can tell us how his group went but with a group this large, it would be easy for it to turn into just another group ride and I could see that the riders we rode with saw real value in it and I think it was exactly what Cronometro's staff wanted.
-Dave Studner