7:00 AM. My wake-up radio comes on.
7:18 AM. I finally wake up. I feel like crap. No other Renegade has
confirmed for today. I had previously resolved to join the 8:00
triangle group, but at this moment I really don't feel up to it. I say
to myself that I need more sleep and I'll ride later... maybe. I put
my head down and close my eyes.
7:19 AM. My phone rings with an incoming text message. I know exactly
what it's about, though I don't yet know who it's from. Turnes out
it's Barry. Wants to confirm today's ride. I "reluctantly" agree. Best
decision of my day. Interesting ride. (Thanks, Barry.)
We're both still feeling tired. He's prepared to do any route I might
feel up for. I want to avoid steep climbs today, so we make a beeline
for the LIE. The 8:00 group already has more than 10 minutes on us and
I don't even consider chasing them down. So it's out to West Hills and
108. As we cross Jericho Turnpike a procession of about a dozen
Mustangs goes roaring by. Obviously a Mustang fan club out for a joy
ride. Hey, that looks like fun too.
As I get onto 108 I spot a large group of riders just ahead of us and
I try to chase (just can't help myself, sue me), but before I can
reach them Barry calls out that he needs to stop for a break, so we
reach the deli by the Cold Spring firehouse. Barry is bonking and
needs to recover. After our break we make a right onto Turkey Hill and
a left at the end toward Huntington, then a right onto Woodbury Road.
Quite a shortcut from our usual route.
Then it's back to 108 and Stillwell, Muttontown Road (with a pee break
interrupted by a mounted horseman), skipped the campus and back via
Wheatley. Then I make the mistake of mentioning to Barry that he's
looking at the last climb before we reach the LIE (actually I was
wrong, there were a few more, blame it on my oxygen-starved brain), at
which point he suddenly starts attacking, repeatedly. I do my best to
stay on his wheel. Between vicious attacks we discuss his tactics, so
I explain to him the finer points, as best as I know them. The attacks
continue on the LIE, where I give him a taste of his own medicine, but
I can't shake him off either.
We're nearing the end of the ride and I'm slowing down to the red
light at Shelter Rock Road. I hear Barry yelling to watch out for the
car, even though there are none before me, though there's one close
behind me. We pull away. After we cross the intersection I ask him
what that warning was about. He tells me that the car in question was
riding my bumper, getting too close for comfort. As we proceed he
launches one last attack from behind while screeching in my ear. He
had warned me he was going to try one last trick. I wonder if a
"trick" like that would ever fly in the pro peloton.
I'm quite startled by the sudden unexpected sound and in the first
instant think that it's just someone in an approaching car being an
asshole. It happened to me many times before. As Barry tries to pull
away from me and I give chase he inadvertently drifts from the right
lane into the middle lane and suddenly the same car that had just
gotten uncomfortably close to my wheel at the light starts blaring its
horn at us from behind and keeps blaring as it speeds by.
I have already experienced so many much more aggressive drivers myself
that this time I simply raise my middle finger. Barry, on the other
hand, goes somewhat bezerk, starts yelling profanities at the bitch
(yup, it was a bitch, not a shmuck) and actually shaking his fist at
her. Gee, I thought I was the one with the anger issues. Join the
club, Barry. Perhaps we really CAN both be The Beast.
Total mileage: 50. My average: 17.1 (just because we skipped the steep
stuff).
Still waiting to hear about Isaac's results from today's Oyster Bay Tri.
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