You know… I think that big hill was approximately where my 2016 mileage “rolled over” to 3,000!
Anyhoo, thank you all for a fun ride! After our initial roll-out and before the 1st pit-stop we seemed to separate into “those with cleats” and “those with human shoes” which meant some fun riding with Korembi and LSP. I fell behind pretty quick after the first stop while fiddling with my new gearing (the new bike is a 2x and Furiosa was a 3x).
My decision to plow on ahead after stop 2 was based partially on my own experience with legs getting cold on long stops, partially on the lack of food at stop 2 sending my system into a “do not miss food again” mindset, and partially on the assurance you all would pass me anyway. I hope it was by no means construed as an antisocial guesture.
I think by the end the new bike and I settled into a rhythm (though we need more adjusting). I had to relearn climbing and gearing, but fortunately this course and the weather was a lot more forgiving than Tour de Fredrick last year. I finished a lot faster and stronger and felt pretty good the next day (albeit sleepy)
Thanks again for the camaraderie!