Sunday Feb 14 LSD Alternative

[barton bourassa]

Leave Fairfield Starbucks at 7 AM. Up the Peninsula this week: https://www.strava.com/routes/3955514

90 to 95 K.

Just to be real clear, this is not "Barton's" ride however flattering, or not, that might be. This is a posted TSC ride, an alternative to the Sunday TSC social ride (see the Rides tab on our website and look at the information on the Sunday ride). I just post a route. One week Metchosin, the next the Peninsula. When spring comes and it is dryer the route will likely take us into the Highlands and even the Malahat and Goldstream.

Like all TSC rides, well except for the most friendly cut throat ride of all, the weekday A ride, oh ya and the Saturday Sufferfest, this is a NO DROP RIDE! I am not quite sure how many times this has to be said but I guess it is many, so again, THIS IS A NO DROP RIDE!

We go the pace of the slowest rider in the crew. Sometimes that happens to be me! If it is me or whoever is the slowest, I have a responsibility to stay off the front, no pulling, just drafting so that as the ride progresses I can stay on and not hold the group up too much. I know that if I go on the front early, I will be much more tired and have a more difficult time staying on later in the ride.

If you are stronger, pull longer but pull STEADY. Take a look back every once in a while and make sure everyone is still with you. Don't surge. Don't jack up the pace. It will be a far better ride for you if you keep the pace even than if you have to hold up or even stop to wait for us slower folks.

And for goodness sake, if you get to the top of some our great climbs, don't put your foot down and rest while I am struggling to finish the climb, come back down and go back up with feeling! Time and time again we have seen the stronger riders get to the top of a climb, have a nice rest, a couple minutes later the weaker riders get to the top and the stronger riders are all nicely rested and ready to roll and roll they do! Meanwhile the slower folks are tired but good to roll at a STEADY pace!!!! Chasing down the quicker riders is just no fun!

If you really find this uncomfortable or really cannot adjust your pace to that of the group, you need to find another group. And the group you are with can change from week to week. Some days everyone is doing great and are really cruising. Other weeks not so. It is vital, it is central to the Tripleshot Cycling Club, that we ride as a group. We work together. We take care of each other. If that means your ride is 25 K/Hr rather than the 27 K/Hr you may have hoped for, so be it. This club has group rides. It is about the group first, second, third, last and everything in between.

This took almost as long to write as the bloody ride does! I don't want to come across as an ass. But you have to remember that what makes our club great, what makes it different, what makes it special is that we ride as a group, for the group.

See you Sunday,

Barton.

[Rolf]

It might not be the "Barton ride", but I'm still grateful for your consistent leadership and passion for effective and enjoyable group riding, Mr. B.

I've been loving these rides. Notwithstanding their relatively easygoing pace, they've been the best thing for my legs in years. I hope my cold is well and truly gone in 39 hours and I can see you at 7 Sunday.

[sailor]

Barton, I too am grateful for your leadership, passion and (perhaps ebbing) patience. Love your rides (or should I say club rides that Barton organizes), even though I realize it is much like herding cats, to use a tired cliche. I think the bottom line is that plenty of people keep turning out so they must be pretty good despite the occasional hiccup. I plan on voting with my feet (wheels?) again this Sunday. Thanks for putting up with us.

[Paul C.]

Right on Barton and others.
Thanks for those reminders.
See you Sunday for some enjoyable and sociable LSD. pc

[barton bourassa]

Great ride. Really great. We had Penny, Roxanne, Maureen, Mary, Paula B, Martin, Tim and I with a few extras at the very beginning. Very steady pace, no mechanical issues, a quick stop at the Coop on W Saanich. The best part was the speed on Interurban. Martin and Tim set it up so we got to the turn onto Interurban as a group then slowly and steadily picked up the pace until we were just flying, as a group!! Then things went nuts in a really good way! The sprint began in earnest with the bunch of us. Even Mary (!) was in the mix for her very first time ever and we weren't fooling around!

Average speed to the Goose, 27 K/Hr.

Thank you!

Barton.