Weird ride with the Gliders this morning. This one dude I call Boss Hogg showed up. He comes out periodically and hogs all the time at the front of the pack. Usually people ride up front for 5 minutes or so then drop back. Boss Hogg was going on 25 minutes at the front. It sucks because it's way easier to ride behind someone than in front. So we are supposed to take turns so everyone gets a decent amount of exercise/training. Finally at an intersection I just pulled past Boss Hogg.

At this point the group became split up after the intersection. I'm not sure why because there was no traffic. It's just a county road. I'm soft pedaling waiting for the group to be reconstituted. Then I resume the normal pace when it looks like everyone is back together. A minute later Skeletor (this gaunt dude in his 50's who's in good shape and seems like a pretty cool dude) pulls up next to me. Skeletor says I should back off some because there is still a gap within the group. So I slow down.

At the next intersection it had been about 5 minutes so I drop back. The guy behind me - the Guest Lecturer was some new guy who is a Poly Sci teacher at UF. So we are all riding along. Eventually Boss Hogg's turn at the front comes up again. Of course he blasts out another 10 minutes plus leading. Don't get me wrong, this guy is big time. He is way out of my league and always will be. I just think he should do shorter pulls at the front or stick to riding in a different group. Maybe instead of the Gliders he could form his own group, Boss Hogg and the Rosco P. Coltranes. They could bike all over the county roads transporting moonshine.

Anyway after that it was my turn to lead. There was a headwind. When I was behind Boss Hogg I was like 4 inches off his back wheel to maximize the draft. Now I'm out front flying the flannel. So I'm leading, there is a headwind, I'm going up hills. I'm trying to keep up the standard pace but it's tough. I drop back after the 5 minutes. As I do the frickin' Guest Lecturer can't just let it lie there. He has to chirp up with a little mini lecture "Next time your speed starts to fall pull off sooner because your slowing down the whole group." I felt like raising my hand and saying "Excuse me Professor Dickweed here's my dissertation on kicking your ass". Again this guy was way better than me, but it takes a real jack hole to mouth off on his first day riding with the group (as far as I know). Plus I have a power meter and it wasn't like my effort dropped off all that much.

So then we get into the home stretch the last 6 miles or so. Grinderman is leading. Grinderman is a short heavy set gentleman in his early 30's. He grinds the pedals in these insanely high Mastodon-like gears. Often he is in the hardest gear possible. How he does it is beyond me. I'm typically spinning at over 100 rpm. He is pushing what looks like in the 50's. Anyway Grinderman drops back and it's Boss Hogg again. Boss Hogg is eager to let loose and he unloads. I am right behind him. We are riding at about 28 mph. I am right on his wheel. Even though I'm drafting I am putting out a lot of energy (>300 watts) and I know I can't keep it up. I should have just jumped out of the saddle and passed his ass for a few seconds just to fuck with him. But I hear the Guest Lecturer chomping at my heels and I really don't feel like hearing another diatribe from that jerk stain so I just pull off to the side and wave him through.

At this point the group is in tatters strung out along 53rd ave. I love how in the span of one ride I get a lecture about going too fast from Skeletor and a dressing down from the Guest Lecturer about going to slow. Meanwhile no one cares that you could watch the entire series of Lost in the time that Boss Hogg spends mugging at the front.

Oh well. We'll see what happens next week.