Rich Weisbecker Memorial Ride Parts 1 and 2

Well this will be as close to a race report as you will get for me for awhile. We started out planning for a century. Each year since ...gee at least early 2000's Rich has organized a century ride ( plus!) for his friends. I have found some of the folders he kept for the FALL CENTURY CHALLENGE, with the original route and with the original screen for the bike jerseys they made. See Rich was into riding WAY before we met and married. I would like to repeat the route he did on the inaugural ride when I am better organized in 2013.

Each year the rides have been different, depending on the cast of characters and the weather. With me being in the picture for the  last 4-5 years I of course had to have a "short cut" depending on how trashed i was from some race or what i had upcoming. I think one year I had the Irongirl Du so doing 100 miles the weekend before was surely contraindicated and Rich put up wth my " I need to stop at 60" whining, and of course some other ( men) were happy to stop too!

But this year, unlike other years, we had no crashes, no broken anythings no body off the back and lost and no toes or fingers lost to frostbite. WE had hoped to do 100 saturday but the forecast was not good, and as it turns out we did the right thing, aiming for 70 on friday AM and 30 on saturday to make it a 2 day century. Well mother nature didnt rain on us on friday but met us with 27 deg temps in the city and as we rode out of the city it just dropped.

7 Hearty riders gathered well before the sun was out ( I dont have a light other than on my helmet so trust me i was going nowhere till i could see) i rode from my house and nearly bit it in the gravel getting down to the coffee shop. We set out just before 8 with a 70 miler in mind, and about 20 miles in the talk stopped and the pace picked up and it was clear we were NOT going to make it the full 70. Truth be told I knew this and made myself the " weak one " when i said " ok i am going back, you can join me or you can go on..." and nobody said a word. They all followed suit. As we got back into town it was warmer but not by much and once you lose feeling in your toes the game is sorta over till they warm up, painfully at that. So I got in about 45 miles, which in the winter i would ride but no more, and since it was winter temps i was pretty happy with that. My road bike does NOT fit me well. Its too big and when i ride "LIKE THAT" meaning HARD and pull alot it hurts my left biceps/tendon bc i have to pull too much ...sorry no PT description though you know i am dying to tell you...

We had so much fun warming up to good talk and fun memories that i was just giddy to do it all again the next day with even more people.

Cut to saturday, an hour later and 20degrees warmer we set out to ride 20-25 EASYmiles. Rich's brother and sister in law came on their touring bikes and i did NOT Want to blow them out of the parking lot so we rode pretty simply and then when they decided to go back early it was a pretty decent pace. AT one sprint sign i went for it expecting someone to come from behind, and they didnt, but itw as like a wind up toy that let go after that. I eventually got dropped off the back as did 4 of us bc there was something in the road that one of the front riders hit ( some sort of plastic lawnmower piece) and it flew up and i thought for sure that there was going to be screeching carbon in 1-2-3 seconds. But turns out they didnt even know they did it and we all swerved and slowed, and the train pulled away.

Totally Fine. But shows me that my road riding skills are a bit rusty. And that my ITband hates my road bike. BUT most importantly that I lOVE THESE people and I am so lucky to have them and their families in my life.

Here are some fun pictures of the First Light Team. And btw, the name FIRST LIGHT. Isnt based on a Christian Cycling Team tho they are all Christian.. I did ask Mike Madden who was one of the original members with Rich and he said " well one day at 5 am we were riding and we decided we needed to name ourselves. IT was dark and the sun was coming up and Rich said "how about First Light?" To which mike said "sure sounds good." ! too funny, no discussions. First Light it is!
And that is bc they ride in the dark before the sun comes up...and yes they have lights that are stronger than headlights of a car. I am going to ride with them this spring when i get Rich's light set up but for now I am happy to ride in the daylight, thank you very much!

The Saturday group, we were too  cold to take pics friday! 

THE MOOTS!!! Mike goes up hill like he is floating, so to see him on Rich's bike is so fun!

Elliot and his dad, Chuck

Team line up...Mike, Bill  ( brothers) Tony ( who's dad owns the coffee shop) Elliot and Chuck, ( son and father)

The better halves of some of those riders