Tripleshot Cycling

More details tonight, but this promises to be a sequel like no other. We're talking "Empire Strikes Back"-level sequel, not "Break Dancing 2: Electric Boogaloo"-level sequel.
- Butt-clenching battles for survival!
- Narrow escapes from monsters big and small!
- Jaw-dropping familial plot twists at the gripping end!
- Singing & dancing little green dudes *
(Turn your volume up to '11' for this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30E)

So double-dab on the sunscreen**, bring an extra bottle of water (or git on with your Bear Grylls self***), and meet at Alpha Starbucks for 0730 roll-out.

* Likely to occur in your mind if you don't bring enough water - it's going to be a warm one out there.

**

***

The cunning plan:

0700, start gathering our forces at Alpha Starbucks.
0730, roll out to the Goose. We’ll practice some of the alternate paceline rotation schemes discussed recently.

0830, should be at Humpback Reservoir. Spirits and morale high.
0845, roughly mid-pitch up the hardest climb. Spirits and morale approaching absolute zero. Thoughts of mutiny are forming.

0945 or earlier, Rob peels off to head home.
0946, 90% of the group wonders if they should have followed Rob.
1100, reach the Kinsol Trestle. Thoughts of joining Rob evaporate in a fit of relieved giggles.
1130, lunch at Pizza Strada. All pleas by Martin to act civilly and politely while in TS kit are dutifully ignored.

1230, start heading to ferry. Predominantly downhill, KOM/QOMs crumble like castles of cards thanks to the kilos of cheese, dough and hops gurgling in our guts.
1315, Mill Bay Ferry. Bring cash ($8.80 for bike and human)
1350, ferry scheduled to depart.
1410, Brentwood Bay. People still with some zing in their legs can cruise back to the Goose via Interurban, Camosun trails, Panama Flats.
1500+, get home.
+0.01 second later, save ride to Strava. Add ironic double-entendred ride title of your choice.
+1-1000 seconds later, watch as them kudoz rain down, ya’ll!

It's so good just to see Greg is so pumped about this trip. I wish I could go.
Sadly I am heading to Thetis to this weekend so will miss the ride.
Greg, I didn't have the time to find the perfect gif (gift) to respond to all your heady excitement, and I'm glad you feel like a puppy dog before a big adventure so let me leave you with a few simple questions....

Thanks Greg,

Excuse my naivety but is the Alpha Starbucks the one on Douglas across from the Mayfair Mall?

Heads up I have some nerve irritation in my right arm. I figured out that I have been reaching and finally my body is complaining and letting me know my riding position isn't working. As long as I ride with a flat back with arms bent (like the pros do) the nerve doesn't get activated.

So I'll have to see how I do tomorrow using core and arm strength. I'll eat my spinach tonight

Val and I will see you tomorrow.

Tom

Yes, the Starbucks on Alpha street and Douglas.

Good luck on that spinach - SB may also have some green juice as a final boost!

See you and Val tomorrow!

Dear intrepid Great Trail Adventurers:

I hope your ride today was boffo! (You picked a warm one.)

Should you have any photos or video from the day to share, you can find a TS Photos gallery for that purpose here. Or here's a link directly to the uploading page. Let me know if you have any issues with the interface; it's pretty simple to use—even straight from your phone.

Patience, people!

I could hardly lift a finger, I was so tired and weak after that ride!

Twas an epic ride. Sunburn, pizza, dusty, great conversations, aching body when I got home, PERFECT

‘‘Twas indeed! Thanks very much for coming out: Steven, Scott, Rob, Tom, Val.

I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet the trail wasn’t - there WERE long stretches where it was just us, but we ran into single or groups of cyclists and walkers/hikers all along the way. Survivalist skills probably would not have been needed (but sunscreen most definitely was!)

We also agreed that doing the loop counter-clockwise is a humdinger (which means a group will definitely do it).

(Anyone know how to rotate an attachment?)

Thanks for the photo, Greg. Those exuberant smiles both warm the heart and generate a great deal of jealousy.

For GreatTrail3.0 I’m thinking of proposing something more technical, like riding full-steam up to Goldstream Heights and then winding back to Humpback on the unexplored trails off to the west. (Perhaps BBQ’ing at our place afterwards accompanied by Alan on his guitar and Rolf schuhplattering in his lederhosen.)

Finally, as payback for you purposely scheduling your GT ride while I was away, here’s me and my rented hardtail in the Alps from earlier today.(Thought I’d put one photo of Jill in sideways for you Greg so you don’t feel like the only inadequate one around here.)