Day 33 – Highracers Unite!

Saturday, November 22nd

Milton, FL to Milton, FL

Before I tell you about today’s amazing ride, I have to share another link my boyfriend sent me: Best of Both Worlds.  Who knew such a niche interest existed?

About a week ago I received an email from a Bacchetta rider who’s a regular on the Bacchetta forum and noticed us on the blog.  He invited us to join in on a local ride out of Milton, so we loosely planned our schedule around that, not knowing quite what to expect.

It was cold when we awoke this morning, and we started having second thoughts about spending our morning riding instead of resting.  But we at least wanted to meet Troy, who invited us on the ride, so we left our packed panniers at the motel room and headed out, garbed in several layers (including the magenta tights!).  Everyone met at the trailhead to the Blackwater Heritage Trail just behind Truly Spokin, the local bike shop we visited yesterday.  Troy, the one who invited us, introduced himself and several of the other riders and thanked us for coming out to join the ride (which squelched any loitering intentions we had of skipping the ride).  While we waited for more cyclists to show up, Dad and I tried to answer all the curious questions we got on the ebike upgrade to the Agio.  Some of the riders seemed very interested in the motor and I wish we had had the chance to let them try out the bike, but soon it was time to get going.

We heard that usually around 50 people show up for the weekend rides out of Milton, but today the cold weather kept all but 15-20 at home.  We took off down the trail, and I stayed toward the back since this was my first group ride (or if you count three as a group (Dad, Fred and me), this is my first big group ride).  I wasn’t sure of the etiquette for large-group riding, so I just wanted to stay out of the way.  Happily, without the extra 30-40 lbs my panniers normally add, I didn’t need to use the electric assist for the first several miles of the trip!  I could just pedal along and still keep up with the everyone!  Except for downhill runs, it was the first time in over a month I’ve been able to ride without having to use the motor.

I tried to keep an eye on Dad, since he had my cell phone and I had no idea where we were going, but when we reached the first hill, as everyone else cranked their way up the steep incline, he scooted out from the pack and tore ahead.  About 15-20 lbs lighter having left his panniers in the motel room, he flew up the hill.  It looked so abnormal to see him zip up this vertical face of pavement.  He caught up with Doug who also rode a Bacchetta highracer and they followed another biker who took a right turn at the top of the hill.  By the time the rest of us reached their turnoff, they had sped too far down the road to hear us yell “Wrong way!”  I volunteered to fetch them and had to crank up the motor to catch up with the two.  I told them they were following the wrong biker and weren’t on the right route for the ride, so they whirled around and zoomed back to the main road, while I tried to catch my breath and turn my bike around at the same.  By the time I accomplished this, they had already almost rejoined the ride.

“Jeez.”

I pedaled back and wondered what I had gotten myself into.

The group regrouped just after turning left off the main road, me bringing up the rear.  Dad and I had to stop to take some layers off after climbing the hill (and – for me – having to rundown two fast guys), but everyone else was ready to go, so they took off and Dad and I played catch up again.  Only, since the whole group was pretty fast, it took awhile to catch them.  Thankfully, the day’s leader – Fitz – waited up for us at the next turn, to make sure we wouldn’t go the wrong way.  I don’t know the route, but Fitz led us through some beautiful areas – mostly lesser-traveled highways and county roads.  The route had an excellent mix of elements – steep climbs, rollers, tight turns, s-curves, and flat stretches, too.

About halfway through the ride, we stopped at gas station to regroup.  My stomach rumbled in exasperation, “It’s about time!”  I’m used to eating throughout the day since we normally ride from around sunup to around sunset and have to get our meals in sometime.  So I was getting really hungry on this ride, but there was no way I would have stopped to eat because I was barely keeping up with them anyway.  (Hundreds of miles from home and lost in the country with no phone, no money, no chargers and just the clothes on my back would have been bad.)  Dad and I shared some chocolate chip cookies, a stack of Fig Newtons and a banana while all of us stood around chatting.  Troy suggested we meet up for dinner later in the evening and called his wife to make the arrangements.

Soon, everyone was ready to go again, so we took off.  I kept to the back of the group for a while, but on a whim decided to catch up to Dad, who somehow kept ending up near the front of the group.  Enjoying his freedom from his panniers, he pushed up a hill faster than the rest of us and he (along with Troy who was right behind him) missed another turn in the route.  Doug and I yelled to get his attention and when he rejoined I had to tease him about all the bonus miles he was logging today.

After meandering through more scenic hills, we turned onto a nice, flat road.  I pulled in behind two upright riders, knowing Dad, Troy and Doug were just in front of them.  I rode right behind the upright pair until they began to flag, and when I passed them, I expected to scoot up to join the three highracers except they were waaaaay down the road!  At least half a mile.  I decided to catch them and began pedaling.

I went to full throttle (which was set to pull about 460 Watts at the time) and kept pedaling as fast as I could.  Slowly, I left the uprights behind, their bright green vests eventually disappearing in my mirrors.

Now I was alone.

I couldn’t see the group behind me and I couldn’t be sure it was the highracers in front of me.  I just kept chasing a recumbant-shaped shadow on the shoulder up ahead.  About 20 minutes into my solo trek, I started singing to myself with the little breath I wasn’t using to push the bike.  I tried to remember to put it on pause around cars and pedestrians so I wouldn’t weird anyone out (as if the magenta tights hadn’t already done that).

I pedaled harder than I think I have this entire trip, and finally, saw the trio’s profiles turn a corner.  I pedaled even harder and almost caught up to them before they came to a stop in a parking lot as the road dead-ended into another.  I watched them slow down and turn around and saw the surprise in their faces when I slipped into the parking lot, just behind them.  I wanted to tell them they were ridiculously fast, but all I could exhale was “Ya’ll are ridiculous!”

The four of us blew through Milton, turning more than a few heads as we went, and breezed into the parking lot behind Truly Spoken.  What a ride!  I checked my stats and over a very hilly, fast-paced 56 mile ride, I averaged 18.3 mph, using only 9.7 Watt-hours per mile and only 6.83 Amp-hours!  Wow!

Today’s Quick Stats:

Bike              Distance (mi)    Average Speed (mph)     Trip Odometer

MiniWini            56.09                    18.3                          2221.0

Sti(ck/g)           56.22                    18.5                             –

Stampedes: 2

Roadside Pees: 2