gaines_weaver
06-02-2008, 10:32 AM
Thanks to all who came out to our first nearly hot ride in Johnston County. According to Captain Dave, we had 46 riders. Pretty amazing number considering that off the top of my head, I can count a dozen or more regular riders who weren't there. Thanks to Brent George for driving SAG. Those of you who haven't signed up to drive SAG please e-mail Martin Tetreault at martin@smithfieldlaw.com to sign up.
My particular thanks to Brent, as well as Jay Carter. For the first time in the 5 years I have been riding, I blew my rear tire. When I say "blew", I really mean "exploded". Blew through both the tube and the tire. I've had other flats before, but they were always discovered at the beginning of a ride. This was my first in-motion flat. I was with about a dozen other riders and they all stopped to wait. I easily could have changed the tire myself, but Jay jumped in and did it for me. Much, much, faster than I would have been able to. Someone donated a patch and we went on our way. Unfortunately, it blew out again just as I started up the last giant hill on Jordan-Narron (sp?). Darn, I was crushed not to have to drag myself up it. That's when Brent came and picked me up.
I tell this story so that you can use it to recruit other riders. It shows the biggest two benefits of riding with our team. The cameraderie of everyone stopping to help and the back-stop of having a SAG vehicle to bail you out when your own self-help is insufficient. I am really really glad I didn't have to push my bike up that hill and back to the Grocery Bag while wearing my cleats.
Safe riding,
Gaines
My particular thanks to Brent, as well as Jay Carter. For the first time in the 5 years I have been riding, I blew my rear tire. When I say "blew", I really mean "exploded". Blew through both the tube and the tire. I've had other flats before, but they were always discovered at the beginning of a ride. This was my first in-motion flat. I was with about a dozen other riders and they all stopped to wait. I easily could have changed the tire myself, but Jay jumped in and did it for me. Much, much, faster than I would have been able to. Someone donated a patch and we went on our way. Unfortunately, it blew out again just as I started up the last giant hill on Jordan-Narron (sp?). Darn, I was crushed not to have to drag myself up it. That's when Brent came and picked me up.
I tell this story so that you can use it to recruit other riders. It shows the biggest two benefits of riding with our team. The cameraderie of everyone stopping to help and the back-stop of having a SAG vehicle to bail you out when your own self-help is insufficient. I am really really glad I didn't have to push my bike up that hill and back to the Grocery Bag while wearing my cleats.
Safe riding,
Gaines