Sanford, FL – PCC 16 – TeamOne Cycle

Saturday morning November 18, 2017, TeamOne members (Diana & Z) joined other cyclists for the Peloton Cyclist Club (PCC) Ride #16.

The start time was 8 am. Starting the weekend with a fall ride invigorates the soul!

PCC (http://pelotoncyclistclub.com) is a fun and unique company that has set out to unite the cycling community. TeamOne members joined in for Saturday’s 38-mile course of quick-paced group riding through Sanford, FL.

All PCC rides are fully supported with mechanical and nutritional support before, during, and after the events. PCC has designated fully stocked SAG stops along the route to meet every rider’s need.

The Ride

Fall seems to have finally included Florida this year. Temperatures from the hot summer have cooled down. Humidity lowered itself as well. The morning temperature of 56 degrees at 6 am was a welcome change. TeamOne cyclists were on their way to Sanford’s Fort Mellon Park early. Navigation was a little tricky once they were close. A 5K run made any GPS directions obsolete. After trying to ask several people how to get to the park, the team members used their own sense of direction and found the PCC trailer just a few blocks away. Success!!

Eric, Tim, and Rustin had already started setting up. They know breakfast always starts a ride off right. Today the set up included bagels, granola bars, bananas, juice, and coffee.

The planned PCC route was 38 miles. Cyclists today would ride as one group. The pace: 18-20 mph average. Warmup time lasted just two miles before the pace increased. Now exhilarating speeds of 18,19,20 were on the radar!

The first and only SAG stop was about 20 miles into the ride. The PCC trailer was ready and waiting for the group. Hydration! Water and Gatorade were at the top of the list. The snacks were, as always, plentiful and varied. Bananas, trail mix, snack bars, and cookies were quickly consumed. The sun was out, shining, and the temperature was mild still.

After the SAG stop, all the riders started back for the last stretch. The day was an incredible day for riding. The best part was the perfect temperature! Wind played its role, as usual. Tree-lined roads filled the route in many areas. Some of the route took the riders along the roadway. The group always takes extra care on the roadways. While usually the drivers are courteous and give plenty of room, today many drivers seemed to be in a hurry so the group took even more care was even more cautious on the roads. The pace continued at a consistent 18-20 mph rate, in spite of the wind and red lights. They finished with an average of 18.4 mph.

Post-ride celebration time at Fort Mellon Park, across from the Robert L Evan National Guard Armory, made a great place to gather. With plenty of room to spread out, the group shared stories of other rides, including the Horrible Hundred. That event was the next day, and many were planning to participate. Sugarloaf, The Wall, The Bucks – these hills became a topic of conversation. Not to be left out, stories of 3-Gap and 6-Gap and the mountainous terrain filled the day.

Along with the conversation, riders enjoyed a delicious lunch provided by Chef Ray of Craving’s by Ray Vega. The menu included a pasta bar with 5 cheese marinara penne, cheese tortellini, grilled chicken, turkey meatballs, and a garlic butter pasta with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and mushroom. Alongside the pasta bar, fresh bread and beautiful spring salad made for a complete meal for the hungry riders.

As always, this day was filled with great conversation, camaraderie, and the beautiful fall weather in Florida.

PCC made sure cyclists had a great day!! Tim, Eric, and Rustin plan out the event, including providing course routes pre-ride, to make each ride so much fun. The ride is worth every penny. Where else can you get breakfast, lunch, snacks, a ride back if you need it, route planning and full SAG support for minimal cost? Check out what they have to offer at their website: http://pelotoncyclistclub.com. The next ride will be the Holiday Celebration Ride- Don’t miss it!!!!