Ride Data
Distance: 47.00 miles
Year to Date Disance: 1691.69 miles
Time: 2.25.55
Avg. Speed: 19.3 mph
Max. Speed: 44.5 mph
Ride Description: Macatawa Cycling Club Monday night route (Hamilton / Bentiem edition)
Riding Partners: Mike Mortorff, Steve Lambert, Kirk Walters, Mike Clark, Paul Nelson, John Jasker, Rick Kraai, Randy “The Original” Boltman, Jessica Osting, Kelly (I don’t know her last name yet), and several others.
Notes on the day: Slightly smaller turn out this evening than last week. I didn’t feel really much like riding today but I got some friendly encouragement from Sara to ride. She reminded me how few Monday’s actually remain until the daylight fades and then soon after the weather. I rode into the Aquatic center very slowly averaging 16.1 for the 4 or so miles. We then also rode out of town on Central as a group at a very easy pace. It didn’t take long to realize once we were on Lincoln that this B group wanted to roll and roll pretty seriously. In the end my average ended up at 19.3 – I would guess the actually ride minus the ride into the Aquatic center and the warm up out of town was really a 20mph pace. As the night went along I felt better and stronger on the bike. Mike truly seemed tired on the bike last night. Usually he says that in email and then dusts the streets with me later at night. Tonight was different. There were two climbs where he didn’t really even chase Steve or I up the climb. Although I knew he would challenge up the hill on 24th Street to the light at Waverly. Sure enough he got Jasker to pull him up to the front in time to dust me off.
I fell 1/2 mph shy of my downhill speed goal of 45 mph. I got 44.5mph on the gradual long downhill stretch. I kicked it up chasing Paul Nelson on the downhill. I went early and knew I had no chance of winning the sprint but that wasn’t the point or goal. I still had gears left. I am rethinking my goal for this downhill. I think I might be able to get 47.5 mph on the stretch with the correctly timed jump on the group and perhaps a great Chris D lead out 
Very fun ride tonight.