Monday, 11 July 2011.
Woah! I finally got a reminder of what real work is on the bike. Just after negotiating the drop, curve, and rise underneath the Findlay Avenue Bridge, a cyclist in a blue kit—and with shaved legs—whirred past me. I said, "Mind if I hop on?" and jumped into his slipstream.
For a few moments.
He continued on, knowing that I had pulled in behind him, and his tempo increased just a bit. For a moment, I was with him: 25 mph and 108 rpm.
Then he feinted to the right as we whipped around a decaying bridge abutment, and I caught the wind. My strenght failed, and I dropped back as he rode on.
I stayed near him, but never caught the slipstream again, and managed a salute to him as he turned and climbed the ramp to the Green Bridge, still ahead of me by 100 yards. I'll keep looking for him again, hoping that the next time I'll be up to riding with the Young Turk for more than just a minute.
Ride conditions
Temperature: 87 to 94°F at 18:35
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:42:50 for 12.04 miles
Heart rate: 125 bpm HRave, 153 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 12 cyclists, 10 pedestrians, 2 dogs
Here is a playback of the ride.
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