The Green Team – My view from the bike

The Green Team is on the way to College Station, TX. Last night was a great experience. The other rides have been fun, but in the darkness we truly began to gel as a team. We are ready for our last opportunity to ride together this evening.

I’ll be honest, I knew we had a good bunch of people for the “in-between” times. However, I wasn’t so sure how it would be on the bikes. I have been very pleasantly surprised.

Jerry – he is a BIG dude. Normally that translates into some problems climbing. Sure in that very steep first leg he struggled just a little, but he was right there with us. On these flat sections he is a God-send! He is powerful and because he is big, he punches a huge hole in the wind. I’ll ride behind him any day!

Meggan – I call her “Meg-a-watts”. She is my favorite wheel. Her cadence is like butter. Oh, we both share a sadistic attraction to climbing. I now understand why her nickname given by others is “Afterburner.”

Bo – again, I was surprised after that first night. Bo fell back a bit on that ride and I thought it might be the way it would be for the week. Now I call him “The Closer” or “Horse”. I found that by the end of the ride when I am feeling tired and I look back I find Bo right on my wheel. Then he is around me chomping at the bit heading for the barn.

Then there is Nikki. After her very hard fall that first night and the subsequent pain and stiffness, I would have expected to hear someone complain or stay in the safety of the vehicles. Nope, not her. Tape her up and prop her on the saddle. She IS going to finish this memorial ride for those she loves and supports. I’m not getting in her way!

Me? I feel like this is MY team. As the most experienced rider, I feel some responsibility to their safety and success. After finishing the century last night – three of the five on our team got there very first – I was beaming like a proud papa.

In case you are wondering, there is a video up of the day. You can find it at LowCadence: http://wurl.ws/zYai