Club ride for a change

I managed to work out the details so that I could ride one of Larry Preble's WINGS rides this morning. WINGS denotes Westport Incremental New Goals Series, and is a group of progressively harder rides of various lengths, all starting in Westport KY, right against the Ohio River.

As I was doing this one solo, I took the Strada out for the first time in at least a month or two. It was good to get back on that bike, and enjoy its capabilities for speed (which far outstrip my own) and crisp handling. Oh, and it climbs faster than my other bikes, too.

Climbing is important for any ride starting in Westport, as anyone familiar with the area knows. KY524 loops into Westport, with each end reaching US42. Of course, since it's a Larry Preble ride, it's scenic as he can make it. We got to climb a few grades, and I got to use my small ring a few times over the course of the thirty miles I enjoyed today.

I felt VERY slow for much of the ride, but I found that by the time I was halfway done, my legs were warmed up and spinning comfortably. I was still slower than I like to be on the climbs (who isn't slower than he or she would prefer on EVERY climb?), but overall I felt good to be on the Strada, and I was wishing I'd had time to ride that far again.

Since I did the club ride, I didn't ride to work. I drove, so that I could make it to the club ride with the fast bike, and I'll haul it home tonight after showing some folks how to do things to their own bikes.