As is the case for this ride, we had a lot of teams present: Wells (Linda & George), Willard/Hamanaka (Walt & Claire), Allison/Boyd (Judy & Malcolm), Nicolich/Snope (Susan & David), Isherwood (Larry & Brenda), Prudhome/Cook (Cheryl & Mark), Troike (Ed & Trish). Lessard (Mary & Ron), Bird (Bob & Helen), Kristol/Brandriss (Dave & Marji), Kornbluh (Mel & Barbara), Cochrane (Marie amp; Richard), Ruhling (Catherine & Bill), Soanes/Hodnicki (Glen & Diana), and Connolly (George & Van).
The B-Fun-DOGS had representation with Teams Bird, Wells, Kristol/Brandriss, and Kornbluh riding together forming a nice line into the October winds that swept across the pine barrens. For a few miles we held the front. That was until the A-DOGS got nice and warm and powered ahead, disappearing behind the turns of the road.
George was thinking about the technical aspects of the skills the B-Fun-DOGS have developed since the Tandem Weekend where Teams Adam, Bird, and Wells started working together on the ride back to the hotel from the lunch stop. There were times sitting in the draft when it got a bit warm. On a day like today, in the middle of October, that lack of breeze is welcome to keep you warm. Over this past summer, teams Adam, Bird, and Wells learned a lot about working together to make the miles easier--the goal, of course, was a successful completion of the Seagull Century. We have now done that and the lessons learned are still with us. None of us are the tandemists we were at the beginning of the season. No, we don't ride as fast as the A-DOGS, but we don't have to, and nobody expects us to. After all, tandeming is all about having fun. Don't feel intimidated, come on out and ride with us.
The Pines ride was different from the Seagull in the sense that it was much quieter. Nobody was singing; actually there wasn't all that much chatter between the teams. But, the miles rolled under our wheels and we traded leads on a regular basis. Everyone was doing good. We even picked up teams Cochran and Ruhling who had gone out ahead early on. They blended into the line as we headed towards the rest stop in the middle of the ride. At one point Team Kornbluh drifted back, leaving only four teams to finish the first half of the ride. We learned later that Mel's back was acting up and that is why they backed off the pace. We hope you are feeling better Mel.
We all caught up at the rest stop. The A-DOGS had been there for a while (nobody was sure just how long that was), and we all chatted and took care of necessities. We also stoked up on the goodies that the Kornbluh's had provided. After a while we started getting chilly, so we rolled off onto the roads. The best part of this day was that we had headwinds most of the way to Batso, so we got tailwinds on the return leg. That was a real blessing. Somehow, Team Kristol/Brandriss got separated and had to pedal about 14 miles to catch up to the B-Fun-DOGS -- sorry guys it wasn't intentional.
As we came to the final few miles the pace picked up, and, in the last half mile, George just couldn't resist putting on some additional speed. Shifting to the big chainring, we tried to get Team Bird into a finish line sprint. Well, the traffic light put and end to those aspirations.
Clothes changed, and eating lots of pizza and salad, we all chatted. This had been a really good day.
Now transition season is in full swing. There will still be rides to share -- perhaps a renewal of the famous "Pancake Rides" of past seasons, and maybe some new rides that will test us and keep us going as the daylight gets shorter and the weather becomes colder. The good news is that the first of the "Pancake Rides" has been scheduled. There are still lots of opportunities to be out there with your fellow DOGS.
Linda & George Wells
Leaders - Doubles Of the Garden State
PS: A short note on drafting and pace-lines. Some people have concerns about pace-line/drafting. Linda and I also had the same concerns until we learned some of the rules and practices of pace-line/drafting. To being with there are two different kinds of pace-line/drafting. The most common is that which bicycle racers use to go even faster than they could. The other type is a group of equally matched riders sharing the work of punching a hole in the wind. While both have a degree of danger to the rider who doesn't pay attention, the pace-line for speed is probably the most dangerous. The main element in pace-line/drafting is to keep the pace steady, not to make any sudden moves, and to signal/call out your intentions before you make any moves. The B-Fun-DOGS as well as the A-DOGS have ridden long miles in lines without an incident. This is due to the fact that we ride using the rules and are courteous to each other.
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