This picture is all I have from today's Oval Ride. I was on the "rivet" too often to pull out a camera.Seems I was working super hard today to just maintain contact with the group....by far the worst I have felt on this ride this year. With an estimated 50 riders in the group today you would think that the ride would be easy at times, but for me, it seemed I was fighting the second we left town. I dangled near the back for the duration that I was on the ride. Yes, I said "duration" meaning that I did not finish the ride with the group. As we were riding into Berthoud...a little over 2 hours into the ride....the shoulder we were riding on had a section that was washed out. Think of a series of 6 inch deep holes in the pavement. I hit this section at 30 mph. Thankfully, I was hanging on tight to my hoods, or I would have went face first onto the pavement. The noise that resulted from hitting this section of road had me wondering if my DT Swiss front wheel would detonate later down the road. Only resulting carnage was a tire that would go flat about quarter mile later. Damn it!
My Oval Ride was over. The group does not wait for anyone....so I pulled over and fixed the flat. By the time I got the flat fixed, Carney and Luke Harris caught up to me after having lost contact earlier in the ride.
The entire ride today was sketchy. There was just this weird vibe among the group. A lot of near misses as well as a crash going up the Windsor "Wall". Yes, I said "up". All things that rarely happen on this well oiled group ride.
I get a redo next weekend.