OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

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larry podhora
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by larry podhora » Wed Mar 15, 2017 7:40 pm

I agree completely. We have tried this several times and it always seems to get bogged down with riders who are somehow confused about the "challenging' new system. This is easy and should be made compulsory. Anybody who cannot figure it out will be assisted by others - politely at first. In addition to the safety resulting from 2 riders abreast at any one time, there is the benefit of changing partners throughout the ride (making new friends?) and challenging the group to ride in a dynamic pace-line. Also, it does not stigmatize and alienate the odd numbered rider having to ride alone somewhere in the group (most usually at the back).

There are a couple of provisos: 1. It is important that the left rider actually decelerate slightly rather than the right rider accelerate because otherwise there is a build up of speed and old pharts like me get dropped...2. This should NOT be a CONTINUOUS rotation. In other words, the two riders up front spend some quality time together before the left rider drops back. There is thus no continuous rotational movement - this could be saved for the really radical groups who are bored out of their wits. 3. Pulls at the front should be a reasonably timed since the person moving from the right still has to stay up there. 4. Of course, the rider at the back left needs to move right at the appropriate time - ie: when vacancy develops.

When its time to "single up", we do NOT let the entire left line slip back. We just mix it up the way we have always done.

Simple. Really. Cheers.

trevor
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by trevor » Sat Apr 01, 2017 3:41 pm

1/4/17: The Return of the Saturday Ride Report

Back by popular demand, this weekly ride report serves many purposes. Some are listed below:
- to out the wheel suckers, the fenderless, the inefficient crap flaps, the surgey, the riders who bark with no bite, the ones who show up part way through the ride with an earbud in, ie the ones who need to be outted.
- to summarize the action of the ride and provide some clarity, honesty, and authority on who the hard men (and women) are.
- to have some lighthearted fun in the process

Today's edition of the VW/OBB Saturday World Champs began in the damp, conditions that have been all too common for us here to start 2017. Cherry blossoms are out and spring is (supposedly) in the air but the composition of the peleton consisted of (mostly) fenders and winter rigs. A mellow cruise out the peninsula and the merging of a waiting group at Lochside saw the first group swell to 20+ hardy souls. We safely made our way to Tulista dividing the group the the HWY and reconnecting at our pee stop before making our way on to the peppy end of the route. Several riders who joined us late were annexed to the back of the group until road conditions proved more favourable for their summer set-ups to join in on the fun.

Notable absences of some fit and fast dudes should be noted with racing over the border and on the mainland resulting in a less aggressive Lands End, Craig's Hill, and airport segment. The expected Panorama hurt (on this day aka the Hui Drop Zone ;)) was doled out by a few riders whose names escape me (a few on summer bikes no less). A lack of cooperation in behind meant a splintered chase but a regrouping through the turns and the group was down to 10 or so riders. Specifically myself, Ian, Megarath, Andy Pitre, tri-guy Martin, and a few others.

The group stayed together with little action (with a few dropped no less) for a windy Interurban and halfhearted sprint led out by this reporter. No idea of the podium. All in all a ride that reiterated how summer bikes, fast wheels, and snappy rigs are long overdue.

Until next time.

trevor
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by trevor » Sat Apr 15, 2017 8:31 pm

4/15/17

With the promise of a clear radar on Wunderground summer bikes were the norm on this mid-April edition of the OBB Saturday World Champs. Friendly faces and long-time Wheeler ambassadors Joe Gard and Tom Skinner made a rare appearance. Three large groups departed OBB and rolled out along the waterfront. By the time we hit QA the clouds opened and we were greeted with Father WInter's unceasing grip (albeit warmer than the past few weeks). All was dry again by Cordova Bay and we cruised out to Tulista uneventfully, socializing along the way.

Plenty of legs looking to test their mettle got going for the snappy side of the ride. Sure enough the opening pitch at Lands End saw Wheelers Ian and Duncan go to the front and on the attack. This would prove a sign of the day as for the remainder of the ride it was a rare sight not to have Duncan at the front working for a split. Lands End was high-paced but stayed relatively unified until Craig's Hill where Tom couldn't help himself (riding on his sister's bike no less) as he put in a "small pull" (his words). A bit of a divided group and a long strung peleton rolling through to the airport were slowed with the typical headwind as we turned left on our way to Panarama. Again, a cohesive paceline meant a larger pack to take on the climb. Tempo set by Stephane and a drafted bus by TRT Kurt (tisk tisk) and we were rolling over the crest with a small move by Nick Friesen, Duncan, TRT Ty and this reporter only to be brought back promptly by a whittled chase. From here on out things turned into the Eugene show as he unloaded several relentless accelerations off of stop signs and out of lulls, each one taking a committed effort to bring back and putting hurt on the group. After one such dig TRT Kurt and Ty tag-teamed our guy Euge and forced some savvy teamwork to keep him in contact (you're welcome my friend ;) ). A brisk Wallace and uneventful Red Barn and Observatory meant a high paced Interurban and sprint of about 12 riders. With TRT Ty on the front leading out teammate Kurt I put in a good effort to break clear of the group over the final 500m. A single glance over the shoulder and the move looked like it was going to stick but little did I know Kurt was about t drop a significant watt bomb and blow me off the road followed a few bike lengths back by Duncan. A solid sprint from the back of the pack from Eugene brought him over the top nabbing the 2nd step of the podium out of Duncan's grasp.

A nice cool-down along the Goose with Tour de Bloom plans the topic of discussion, sunshine on our faces, and coffee on our minds, twas another classic version of the OBB Saturday World Champs.

Hard Men of the Day:
3. Nick Monette on his CX bike mashing the pedals on the front of the ride.
2. MegaRath who continues to be the only female I've seen make the moves and finish with the lads. Much respect.
1. Duncan Bryson for the aforementioned workload.

Eugenehahn
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by Eugenehahn » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:11 pm

Thanks TMac. Solid move by TRT. Even better teamwork from Wheelers crew.

trevor
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by trevor » Sat Apr 29, 2017 4:11 pm

4/29/17

A thinner strand of strong men for today's edition of the Saturday World Champs with RTR on the mainland. With all of the action coming in after Lands End this report will cut to the chase.

Loads of aggression was demonstrated on the quiet roads of the peninsula this morning with Eugene countering a move by yours truly on Craig's Hill. Eugene kept the watts high through Brentwood Bay and it was groupo-compacto at the winds of the airport. A 5-man rotation (Cody, Eugene, this reporter, Nick, and Brendan) with a string of baggage was a sign of things to came with Panarama looming. At the base I made an uncharacteristic move on a hill and got immediate separation. Holding tempo I was brought back before the crest and the anticipated snap from Cody took Eugene and Nick over the top. A few turns to bring it back and we had a small group of 7 in to the corners only to be slowed by traffic and forced to put a foot down allowing a few of the dropped riders to catch back on. The action stayed lively with accelerations from this reporter, Nick, and Eugene all the way to the Red Barn - kudos go to Eugene for his solo-prowess through this stretch (a sign of events to come). As we sped over the Observatory Rollers there was again a small lead group of Cody, MegaRath, Garth, myself, Nick, Brendan, and Eugene. Through the bend on to Interurban another timely Eugene seated acceleration gave the two of us some space. A few swaps in the wind and things were looking promising. I took one last effort hoping to send Eugene on to glory. Sure enough the wiseman held it to the line with the other 4 left to battle it out for the remaining spots on the podium.

Needless to say it was an excellent Saturday in the saddle. Well done all.

trevor
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by trevor » Sat May 06, 2017 3:55 pm

5/6/17

Sun. At last. Sun.
Bare legs, arm warmers, wind vest, sunglasses.
Sun.

The report could end right there as surely this is all that matters. But the reality is our readership tunes in each and every week to see who was the hammer and who the nail. So without further ado...

A good 50-60 riders could be seen making their way out the peninsula en route to our Tulista stop. Notable absences of regular strong men due to Tour de Bloom and the Masters race tomorrow meant some keen cyclists wanting to see if they could hang with the front group as we made our way towards Lands End. A disjointed paceline and a lack of commitment by the group (most wanting to save their legs for the second half of the effort, no doubt) saw 6 riders rotating and keeping the pace high. This reporter stretched his legs at GET SOME! with no takers willing to play. Again on Craig's Hill and again through Pat Bay finally splitting the group I found myself alone off the front. Tubbs bridged across and it was on to the airport stretch and back together again, groupo compacto. Taking a page from last weekend's script I kicked out of the roundabout and gained some space at the start of Panarama. Perhaps gaining an advantage as a solo rider at each stop sign the gap opened all the way to the crest. Over the top a small group was working hard (well done Alex, Dave, et al) and nearly made contact before I kicked again and held them off into the valley before Tubbs caught me (again) at the Newton Heights turn. Here a smaller group formed that remained together for the rest of the ride. Huge kudos to Wheeler strong woman Deb for making the cut. Monster.

An uneventful paceline with minor accelerations and yo-yo-ing took us to Red Barn and in to the final kms. A bit of a clustermess coming up to Interurban campus and this reporter came around to cash in his chips. A nice gap through the final rollers and into the sprint only to be caught at the start of our last kicker. All good as Wheeler sprinter Logan hollered "Not to worry Trev. I got this!!" Sure enough, he got it with Tubbs a close second.

A nice cool down back through downtown with the sun on our face and juice in our legs.

Good times.

DuncanBryson
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by DuncanBryson » Sat May 13, 2017 1:07 pm

5/13/17

A large contingent of riders showed up for this weeks edition of the OBB Saturday ride Belgian classic edition. Fenders were few and far between, and most people were dressed for a reasonably warm, cloudy day. Around ten minutes in the first drops started to fall. Riders remained hopeful that the rain might only be a small patch, but the further away from OBB we got the wetter and colder it became. Wearing nothing but an optimistic bib and jersey combo the cold set in pretty quickly. I decided to head to the front and pick up the pace along the highway in an effort to get a bit warm before our stop at Sidney. Despite spending most of the highway on the front it didn't take long behind a wheel to get completely soaked. More big pulls towards Sidney ensued, and were followed by the quickest stop I've ever seen at an OBB ride. Despite a quick rollout the bunch was pretty chilled from our stop. Mitch from Smart-Savvy and I put in some efforts again to warm up, but the pace slowed down towards the ferry terminal. Feeling pretty cold after a brief stop at the lights I decided to light it up on our descent towards the fast part of the ride, with TRT Kurt in tow. We put in some good digs, but were caught by a greatly diminished pack after only a few minutes. The pace remained reasonably high along the peninsula, with everyone keen on staying warm. Towards Panorama evidence of the high pace began to show as the number of riders pulling through shrunk drastically. Mitch, Kurt, Brendan, and I kept the pace going up Panorama, and created a bit of a gap with Mitch driving the pace over the top, but we were reeled back again on the descent. After Panorama the pace relaxed somewhat, but quickly built up again with only a few riders rotating. The rain was taking a toll, and few seemed keen on making any serious moves. Brendan drove the pace past the observatory, but no splits opened up. Pro city's Mike put in a couple attacks as we headed towards the sprint, but was unable to keep much of a gap. Towards the final push Kurt put on the gas and strung out the front couple riders, only to be overtaken by a hair at the line by sailor Max. With everyone thoroughly gassed and soaked through we skipped the usual coffee stop, keen to get home. This was definitely one for the hard men (and women, shout out to Megan for crushing it as usual).

aruss
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by aruss » Sat May 20, 2017 11:48 am

Quick report from the peleton for mass followers.

A perfect storm of recent cycling accolades combined with gorgeous weather made for a quick tempo out through Gordon Head and Mt Doug. Those wishing to save their legs for the Windsor Cup 24hrs on the horizon parted ways with the peleton that continued to roll briskly by Island View.

Lands End begin with Matt Sharpe and two others on the attack. Strong man Monette aka Domoulin reeled things back set a rolling paceline in motion. Johnny Watkin should be mentioned here for his strong efforts in this section, coming to form for Master Nationals no doubt. The first firecracker went off at GET SOME with this author taking the bull by the horns. A gap was formed that Doumo and one other kept up Craigs Hill before we were grouppo compacto once again. A slight cross wind through Pat Bay and the airport kept most riders honest leading into Mt. Doom. Aussie Bailey led the troops at a strong pace up and over Pano. This author congratulated him on his effort and then proceeded to attack him over the false flat to The Valley. Doumo, Raph and author held a slim gap to The Valley before being reeled in. The Wallace portion was quite quick, highest speeds the peleton has seen this year. Leading into West Sanny things lulled up for the looming Observatory rollers. After a pull by the young Joey (Bailey) this author attacked again on the Observ riser with Doumo on his wheel. Again though the chase was having none of that and reeled them in at the start of the descent to Interurban. Doumo led things out of the corner off West Sanny and put in a strong pull that one could rebuttal. As the pace lulled slightly this author did his best slingshot by the group and went on a big gear assault. Looking back to see if anyone else had escaped the clutches of the peleton he was deflated to see Doumo grinding out a massive turn on the front to bring him back. It would be a sprint and boy was it ever! Brendan led us into the final pitch where Joey was first to launch. Raph got on his wheel with this author on the tails of the slipstream. Doumo was late to respond and had some work to do, but that is what he does best. Doumo brought himself level with Joey with 50m to go and they went pedal for pedal to The Line. This author, acting commissionaire for the finish, gave the result to Doumo, no bias whatsover. Overall a ripper of a ride, setting the stage for more to come.

trevor
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by trevor » Sat Jun 10, 2017 1:52 pm

6/10/17

The foreboding clouds unleashed some torrential anger on this edition of our weekly OBB World Champs so how did we respond? With race bikes and a blistering pace no doubt.

Coming through Gordon Head we felt the first drops of what was to come. This reporter opened it up with an aero tuck on the Ash descent and kept it rolling through Mt Doug in hopes of finding the other side of the rain as fast as possible. Needless to say I chased that blue sky hard and before we knew it the tone was set: fast, hard, and unlike our typical Saturday routine. The rains was nasty and came down in sheets. The group, a small smattering of committed riders, found ourselves at a dry Tulista in record time. We rolled out after a short pee stop, 14 strong, and headed for the sharper end of the ride. The second half of the jaunt was high pace with a few snaps as the tempo proved too high for any souls to brave poking their head out in to the wind. The usual splintering over Panarama, a paceline through the peninsula communities, and before we knew it we were lining up for the sprint with this reporter leading it out. The winner shall go unnamed as they displayed a nasty habit of sitting on and then kicking for the line. The proof is in the effort guys. Not the result.
Kudos to those at the end with hard man points going to the Ians and those on fenders, Rich and Brendan. Good times and good coffee.

Agoraphobic Cyclist
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Re: OBB-WHEELERS SATURDAY RIDE REPORT

Post by Agoraphobic Cyclist » Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:36 pm

Big thanks to whomever rode back to Mitchell's to let the B group know that there'd been a crash on the highway, so to take Lochside.

Please forgive me if the policy is not to mention crashes. Just speaking for myself to say that if there is to be discussion please make it separate from this, and constructive.

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