Glider ride today and I had sworn not to let those wheel suckers Skeletor and San Diego lay back and out sprint me at the end. Well San Diego didn't even show up, but Skeletor was in the house as were Publix, the Parakeet and the Dad and the Kid. There was also some burly dude I hadn't seen before.

Anyway we rode out doing the 27/41 loop. We had to stop a couple of times for a mechanical problem and some truck cutting tree limbs. I think Skeletor has a thing for the Parakeet because a lot of times he'll be making time with her in the back. The Kid surprised me and tried to strike up a conversation with me. Apparently he has taken a shine to shooting squirrels.

So we come up to Chestnut Hill. The Dad starts tearing off on the downhill portion. I'm just sitting in the back boxed in by the Parakeet and the ride captain. As we start up the hill things opened up. I rose out of the saddle and pass the Parakeet and the Captain . I wove to the outside and went by the Kid, then Publix and Burly Dude. As I passed Skeletor next he hollered some encouragement. Somehow I blew by the Dad and crested over the hill solo. It was a pretty badass display of hill prowess by my standards setting new personal watts records for 30 and 60 seconds. In fairness the Dad had been pulling up at the front for about 70% of the ride and Publix and Burly had been at the front right before the hill so I was relatively rested. Still so many times the situation has been reversed so I'll take what I can get.

Next up the hill over I-75 coming back into town on Millhopper Rd. Again the Dad pulls his speed up on the preceding downhill move and gaps everyone. Again I let him go. Last week I rode side by side with him on a downhill freakout and I had no gas for the up hill. This time I've learned my lesson. I chill in the draft of Publix then I just rise up once we are on the hill and pass Burly, Publix and finally the Dad. According to my computer I was going over 25 mph up the hill which is insane, but explains why when I looked in the Italian Bike Mirror I may as well have seen Eric Carmen in the reflection because I was "All By Myself". So now I'm rocking solo, which is a tough proposition. But I double down and see how long I can stay ahead of the pack. I go down and up another hill, hit the flats. I'm running out of gas keeping it 21-23 mph. Publix and Burly Dude catch up. I keep going for a couple more minutes and relinquish the front. We trade turns at the front. I keep looking for sneaky Skeletor in my mirror but he must be way back in the weeds or just partying with the parakeet. After my last pull right before the end I can't reattach to get in the draft and I fall off the back with Publix and Burly out front.

All and all a pretty good ride. Those 2 hill climbs felt good.