Remember the soapbox I was on about Wiggins a couple of days ago? Well, it appears that a geyser has erupted and even the writers at All My Children couldn't write a plot like this. Team Sky and Sir Bradley Wiggins are BREAKING UP!
Here's the article:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/tales-from-the-underground-the-honeymoon-is-over-for-sky-and-wiggins
I mean, their relationship did last longer than Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries - but this was also a fairly quick dissolution. I can't really say that I'm surprised. And it's probably just as well. Wiggins wasn't happy and was seriously underperforming and Team Sky has a lot of money and sponsorships at stake so it's just best they part ways somewhat amicably now. (And apparently this happens a lot more than just this one episode - but I'm still new, remember? So it's all glitter and unicorns and exciting to me!).
See ya Wiggins. Someone'll pick you up quick I'm sure. Not to worry dude; just put your big boy pants on.
So - exciting event tonight for me! My very first ride at the Spin Pizza Bike Night!
I'd been reading about their events on Facebook but just haven't been able to make a ride. I decided early this morning that I was just going to show up and see what happened. Spin Pizza has rides throughout the week at their various locations around Kansas City. Some are 12 miles, some are 20 and others are just for mountain bikers too. How awesome! Here's a picture of just a few of the riders prior to taking off:
This is an eclectic group of people. Some have fancy bikes (that really perked my interest); some are competitive cyclists; some have sponsors and do this on a weekly basis and others are just along for a slow, leisurely pace. I love that they're accommodating to all types of people. Cycling should be fun, most importantly. And these people that show up week after week? They love being a part of this group ride. (By the way, one rider had on a Boulevard Brewing Tank 7 kit that was super awesome…I'd love to get my hands on that kit - so colorful!).
I decided to just do the 12 mile route in Overland Park tonight since I hadn't really ridden on the road, or with a big group of people, since the Tour de Cure two weeks ago. I didn't really know what to expect so keeping the miles to a minimum seemed like a good idea.
There were probably close to a hundred people there tonight to ride. Some to do the 20 mile route (they set off a few minutes before us) and others to do the shorter route. But you know what? Make no mistake: it's not really EASIER. It's just SHORTER than the 20 mile ride. It's still challenging. I climbed some serious elevation tonight.
I thought that the hills ride a week ago was brutal when I gained a couple hundred feet of elevation. Tonight? Elevation gain of 595 feet. Talk about BURNING legs! But while it was rough and a big challenge, I met the challenge with an attitude tonight. Kind of a "I don't care how big you think you are, I'm gonna take you down" kind of sass. I just made sure that I shifted prior to starting to attack the hills and I dug deep and pushed hard.
Here's my Strava info from the ride: (13.4 miles in 1:05:29)
https://www.strava.com/activities/58049001 - Check out the elevation map if you want. Up and down, up and down!
It was fun riding with other people. I mostly just ride alone so it was a nice change. Some people take their so-called "role" of following riding rules a little bit too seriously but their intentions are good, so I'll cut them some slack tonight. After all, I'm new so what do I really know right now? All in time I will learn. However, I will NEVER have a mirror on my bike or my helmet to see objects behind me. That's just plain dorky and silly. I will also not put a bell or dingy thing on my bike to let people know I'm passing them. Calling "to your left" will suit me just fine. Those garnered a couple of chuckles out of me tonight.
When I got back to the Spin lot tonight, I finalized my Strava app data and looked at it to see how I fared.
YOU GUYS - - I EARNED QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN TONIGHT!!!
Oh, what's that? What's QoM (Queen of the Mountain)? Never heard of it? Or King of the Mountain, for that fact?
Google.com says this: The King of the Mountains (KoM) is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification. For women's cycle racing, a similar term, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used.
UM - EXCUSE ME?!?
Is this really even possible? Well - YES IT IS. And I earned it tonight! SQUEE!!!!!!
Burn rubber and eat my dust, people! This just made me giddy. This was a particularly hard climb between 135th and 143rd St in Overland Park and my whole body felt the agony of finishing that climb. Sure, it wasn't a mountain and we weren't in a race - but I don't even care. It won't last and it's probably a glitch but for a few glorious seconds, it made me the happiest cyclist!
All in all, I really had an absolute blast at the ride tonight. I definitely am going to make the Monday night ride part of my regular schedule. Being around others who enjoy the same activities as you? Well, it just helps fuel the camaraderie of the sport and the desire to get your ass in the saddle.
I can't think of anything better, really. (Well, except for the delicious salad that I ate after the ride. Spin knows how to make a Sonoma Chicken Salad. Wow).
Happy Cycling!
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