The Ride
If you regularly follow the team, you’ll know that their mornings typically start early. This Saturday was early but not a 4 am wake up call. A luxurious 6 am wake-up time, this ride gave members a little extra sleep. Spring has also arrived. The day was starting off warm at 64 degrees. As the team members have come to expect, there was the PCC trailer with breakfast set up bagels, juice, and coffee — a perfect beginning to any ride. The site was hosted by Henry Hernandez, a PCC member. By the time the riders got going, it was a warm 68 degrees. Course choices today were either 46-mile or a 65-mile course. The 65-mile course had two groups this time, planning on a good clip of 20+ for one unit of riders, and another unit or riders traveling 18-20 mph. The 46-mile group planned a more sedate pace of 16-18 mph. Today everyone knew the day would warm up and it was sure to be beautiful and sunny. The team members chose the 47-mile route. One of the team members was still recovering from illness, so 47 miles was a good distance. East Orlando is flat and so was the route. Something to be enjoyed in Florida. The cyclists were led by two strong riders, Emma and Pily. They kept the group on track with a maintainable pace. The course has some long stretches of road, anywhere from 5-7 miles at a time. No intersections or stops for a long stretch of road is a luxury. That luxury was felt in this ride. The wind gave them the brunt force of her wrath. The wind is a usual occurrence, so this was no surprise. They say a picture is worth a thousand words; the video of the wind is worth even more. The first SAG stop was about 23 miles into the ride. The PCC tent and trailer could be found amidst the beautiful backdrop of Fort Christmas park. Snacks and hydration stood ready. Eric and his team set out a great spread of pretzels, pickles (a popular item with riders), bananas, trail mix, snack bars, cookies, water, Gatorade, and soda. After the SAG stop, the TeamOne riders started back for the last 23-ish miles. This part of the ride was a bit easier because they had the wind at their back for some of the way back. In Florida, if you have ever gone into a headwind, you can imagine how strong it was this particular day. Another thing that often happens with a headwind: it was hitting you in the face on the way out, and it hits you in the face on the way back just when you expect a nice tailwind. The headwind back was manageable, still not easy but easier than when the riders started this morning. After the ride, food waited for hungry cyclists. Today’s menu included teriyaki chicken and Quinoa salad. which was marvelous!! For those who may not know what Quinoa is … it is a protein-packed grain which looks a bit like couscous, is as versatile as rice, and tastes delicious on its own or with mixed greens like the salad today. This day was filled with great conversation, camaraderie, and the beautiful windy weather. Viewing Henry’s bike collection was a popular pastime after the ride as well. As always, PCC made sure cyclists had a great day!! Check out what they have to offer at their website: http://pelotoncyclistclub.comEvent Day Statistics
This is the course charted by one of the team members who participated in 46-mile route.For more details: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1679025895
Great job on the stories and the ride. Looks like it was a great day to be riding. We don’t have too much wind in Cali but the hills can be just as challenging. To Ride is to Live!
Hi CycleHerc,
Thank you for the comment … we have some members that lived in Cali for some time so they know all too well about those hills.