Rode the 5th annual West County de Tour yesterday. 50 miles of Erie county's finest paved over cow lanes with 2 HC* categorized climbs. Had 5 things working against me from the start: 1) 40 lbs of fat over fitness weight; 2) had not ridden in a group in at least a year; 3) longest ride of the season so far was 25 miles; 4) there was a 15-25 mile south wind; and 5) a portion of my handlebars broke off during mile one. (It broke off at the bottom loop of the drop section where the clamp for the brake level attached to it. 5 years of salty sweat on aluminum is not a good combination.)The handlebar thing was the issue that had me freaked. Of course, I could have abandoned and not done the ride as most rational folks would have elected. But in years past I've finished rides and even races on broken seat posts, flat tires, broken spokes, etc. I wasn't going to let a broken handlebar ruin 50 miles of pain, suffering and incessant headwinds. However, what freaked me was the nagging thought that the rest of the bars would break during one the descents off those HC climbs. We're talking about the total loss of control of 2 skinny wheels and nothing between my fat a**, rough pavement and rusty guardrail at over 40 mph!
Rode the first 30 off and on with a pack of 10-12 that kept dropping me and a couple of other chubbo's on the short stub climbs but waited at the tops for us. At the 30 there was a water stop but I left before the others knowing a long climb was ahead. Turned out they never caught me and I ended up riding the last 20 alone and actually felt pretty good. Well as good as any overaged, wrinkle butt, out of condition wheel jockey could feel.
HC = damn steep and long
