Paceline Practice Ride

Paceline Practice Ride Report
-Rick Metcalf

"We had 8 cyclists tonight including 3 first time ever paceline riders. Normally I don't like an east wind on Tuesdays because we ride west from the park and have to fight the wind on the return side of the ride. Tonight, with more than a third of our riders on their first paceline ride an east wind was perfect. We were an ugly sight, uneven with big gaps and anything but smooth as the wind pushed us west, but by the time we turned back east we were much better. Our 3 new riders were getting the feel of it and just in time to fight the now head wind. We were a much smoother team the last 10 miles and the new riders gained an appreciation for the effectiveness of a tight paceline. Just 6 cars tonight. We hope YOU will join us next Tuesday!"

This was my first TAB ride as a member and for the season. It was also my first paceline practice ride. Jimmie said it would help prep me for the MS Bike-to-the Bay.

The ride was mostly uneventful except for operator error with the Garmin. I improperly started the third lap for the ride home. So I corrected this by updating the time and distance home. The rest of the values don't reflect the third lap correctly. Fatigue may have lead to this spastic brain fart.

Rick instructed the new guys including me to stay within 1 to 3 feet of the rider ahead. He also said that the paceline would be filled with gaps and not flow within a near constant speed. But that would improve by the second have of the ride. The wind made the ride a challenge for me in so far as I would get dropped. I couldn't feel the draft. When I was dropped the guys would pull me back to the line witch was cool. Unfortunately, he had to slow the paceline down from 20 mph to 19 and again to 18. While it help, those "huskies" kept ramping up. Oh, well. By the time we got back to the park I was just about done. However, one last short hill climb as I lead the pace did me in and I was dropped as the paceline came back around and left me "having burned my last match."