July 2005

July 2005 Ride Report Page
Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month July 2005 more or less as they happened. Please note that the ride reports are the results experienced by the writer and not necessarily a reflection of all the rides. We have rides for all abilities but I only publish the reports that I receive. This means that if no one from the beginner rides send me a report, then you will not see that ride listed here. I will publish any ride reports or digital photos that I receive. Please send them to bikebob@crocker.com and you too can get yourself published on the web! Go to the Ride Schedule link; You will find information about ride schedules and how the rides are run.

Sunday 7/3 Tour of the Valley's: This is one of the most respected and feared race courses in New England. It has lots of rolling hills and a couple of nasty climbs that really put a sting into your legs after 55 miles. I left the shop with MaryEllen and we headed north to Putney Beermont. When we arrived at Curt's house to drop off the gas grill we were surprised to find that Jamie was already there. It seems that the dear boy had thought that the ride started at 9:00 instead of the announced start time of 11:00 am. Anyway we unloaded the grill and some chairs and then headed south to the start in Putney center. When we arrived at the town hall we were met there by a small group. The riders for today trip were MaryEllen, Laurie Von Dauber, Jack and Deb Kolpa and they were doing a 27 mile ride while I went with the group doing the longer loop. Joining me, Curt and Jamie was Jeff, Bruce, Roger, Amber, Steve Power, Stan, and Michael Beh. We left the Putney and headed south for Brattleboro at a pretty good clip. I rode at the front for the first few miles and then most of the other riders took short turns at the front. We rode through the traffic north of the city and then Jeff and I headed the field as we crossed the dam and headed into the city proper. When Jeff and I made the turn onto RT. 30 we were alone, so I dropped back to gather the group back together. After a short distance, the riders in the front who slowed their pace, had allowed me to catch back on. This did not last too long as we got strung out on the rolling hills leading into Newfane. Jeff and the rest of the group got a pretty good gap on me, Jamie and Curt so that when we got to Newfane they were waiting in the parking lot at the edge of the road. We continued on at our own pace and after making the turn to head to Turkey Hill. the group splintered again. At this point I told Jeff and the rest of the riders to make their own pace and that we would meet again at the country store in Grafton. After Jeff, Steve and several others headed off, I settled in to ride with Curt and Jamie. We rode along at a sensible pace and we had the group ahead of us that included Bruce, Stan and Michael in our sights the whole way. When we got to Turkey Hill, Michael had dropped off the group ahead and I rode up the hill with him. When we got to the top we soft pedaled and soon we were joined by Jamie and Curt. We raced down the hill to the Grafton Country Store where the rest of the group was waiting for us and we all stopped to get some water. After re-fueling we headed off to ride to the Kurn-Hatten hill and the last few hills before getting back to Putney. Led the group for the first few miles along RT. 35 and then left that chore to Jeff and Steve. They were doing fine until they missed the left turn onto RT. 121 and had to chase back on. After getting the group back together we encountered a couple of sections of rough dirt roads before getting back onto the hardtop in Cambridgeport. After leaving town we hit a bumpy section of roadway and this caused Jamie's waterbottle to jump right out of its holder. This all happened at the back of the group and so when I came off the front of the paceline and went to the back, I noticed that Michael and Jamie were missing. I turned around and went back to get them and went about a quarter of a mile before they came along. After they were safely back in the group they told us what happened. We somewhat amused by this as the same thing happened last year. Hmmmm! After the dynamic duo got settled in we headed off to do the rest of the ride. I rode with Steve and Jeff all the way to the turn that leads to Kurn-Hatten. I was getting tired at this point and was content to ride near the back of the bunch. I rode up the big hill just behind Jamie and we were just ahead of Curt and Michael. We looked behind us but we never saw them all the way back to the start. After we got back to the van, we loaded our bikes before Curt and I led the group up to his house for a BBQ.

Sunday 7/4: It has been a long time since I have written a ride report, probably since we did the last Tour of the Valley ride in Putney Vt. For some reason I kept thinking I had done this ride last year on Memorial Day. I was wrong! It was on Labor day and Laurie (Jeff V.'s wife) remembered that immediately. The ride starts in the center of Putney and goes over 60 miles of hills and dales. Hard to not have hills in Vt. There used to be a race called Tour of the Valley's put on by Neal Quinn at the West Hill Shop. I had attended and watched Bob race and win several bags of apples and maple sugar over the years. I think Bob especially likes this ride because it brings back some of the memories of the fun that we had. I however, would find it hard to ride sixty miles on flat terrain, never mind hills, so I asked Curt B. (who lives in Putney) to come up with a simple loop that I could do. Last year I rode the 27 mile loop alone. I actually enjoy riding alone at times and I remember having a great ride. All the other riders last year opted to do the longer loop. This year I had company. I have to say riding with people is great, too. Laurie V., Deb K., Jack R. and myself did the shorter loop. We started at 11 a.m. and had in my opinion perfect weather. Sun shining, warm, but with a slight breeze. Having not done that many hills this year I was wondering how I would do. The loop is rolling hills, not flat like Mill Village which has been where most of my riding has taken place this year. Jack was obviously the fastest rider in the group and he would ride ahead and then stop or circle back. He also had ridden his bike earlier that a.m. and run. Way to go Jack! Having done the ride before I knew the way more or less. Last year I had a map and cell phone so that I could find my way around. Just as you head out of town there is a hill and that sort of sets the tone for the whole ride. What goes up however must come down and there are some great downhill's on this ride. The setting is typical Vermont Americana; pastures, farms, hills, cows on either side as you bike along. Beauty and biking: what a combination. When we rode into Saxons River they we're having a town picture taken. Hard to believe but true. There was a policeman stopping traffic and about 75-100 people in the middle of the street getting their picture taken, by photographers that were up on ladders. A real hometown scene, that I thought envisioned the spirit of July 4th. Preserving history. We, however pedaled around the picture taking, although we were invited to join in. After leaving the photo op; we stopped briefly to see if I could remember the directions. After confirming the route; off we went with Jack in the lead. We did very well for the most part but when Jack went by a turn we all continued straight; which took us to RT. 5, just a little further down on the road. The plan was to end up at Curt's house for a barbeque. Jack had left his car at the start so he would continue to the start and drive back. We only had one mishap on the ride and that was when Deb's chain came off about one mile from Curt's. We got it back on, and while we were doing that we also got a really nice little rest. At Curt's and Betsey's we had food, drink, and relaxation. Bob and Jamie once again donned their Chef's hat and cooked chicken and burgers. Betsey had put out quite a spread to snack until the grill meisters worked their magic, plus some great deserts. Jamie and Bob; quite a team! The rest of the people all contributed various salads and desert. Thanks to Curt and Betsey for hosting the event. Is this getting to be an annual event? Hope so. It was a really nice day and a great way to celebrate July 4th.Good biking, good food, but especially good people. MaryE.

Monday July 4th: I had scheduled today's beginners ride at 4:00 because the shop was closed for the holiday. I got to the shop early to do some work on my bike before the ride and soon after I arrived a few riders showed up for the trip. MaryEllen and I took a group of 3 riders out for a 8 mile loop. I rode with Julie while Bad Bob, MaryEllen and Jordy went on ahead. It was a nice afternoon and we breezed along at a modest pace. I helped Julie get comfortable with her gears while we rode along. We stopped briefly at the end of Country Club Road and then again at RT. 5&10 before heading back to the shop. We rode at a 12 mph pace for most of the way and ended the ride back at the shop.

Tuesday 7/5: It was a pretty warm day today and we only had 20 riders show up for the trip up to Conway. Roger, Amber, John and Keith Olsen went out at 5:50 while the rest of us left at 6:00. I led the group down to Deerfield Street where I surrendered the lead to Baby Bell. I went into the middle of the pack and got towed along at 24 mph all the way to Old Main Street. I then went to the back of the pack to chat with Jamie and Lee as we made our way down Mill Village Road. The group sped along at 22 mph all the way to the turn onto Stillwater Road. After the turn the speed dropped down a bit before the hill. As we began the climb, the group split, with 6 riders going off the front and 10 of us following. I rode with Jamie who was having a hard time breathing due to the heat and humidity. The 8 riders ahead of us slowed up just briefly at the turn onto RT. 116 and we were able to catch back on. After making the turn onto RT.116, I rode near the front of the pack and we began the climb. Just before we got to Walters, I got a flat. Hard to believe but, yep, I was indeed Fat! Jamie, Curt, Bruce Rogers (who was wearing the Yellow Jersey), Michelle and Lee waited on the other side of the road while I made a quick repair. It took me a little longer than usual as I had mistakenly put a short valve tube in the rim and had to get the long one installed before getting under way again. We rode at an even tempo up the hill to Conway Center and then turned onto Whatley Road. We set a pretty mellow pace up the hill by Uncle Ritchie's house and after we crested the hill, we picked up the pace. I led the group for the next couple of miles until we got near the town line. At that point, everyone except Lee went around me and sprinted for the town line. I think Curt took that one but it did not matter as I went flying by the sprinters to take the KOM at the top of the hill near the reservoir. After the hill I flew down the other side, but Curt and Michelle came by me just as we neared the corner. I backed off a bit so that they could get a good line through that section and then we headed up the hill on the other side. The group rode at an even tempo down to the turn onto Haydenville Road, where Curt and I took full advantage of gravity and hammered down the hill at 45 mph. The group came back together on the next climb and after we crested the top of the hill, the "Gravity Kings" took off again and we did another 45 mph dash down the other side to the Whatley Inn. From the Whatley Inn we decided to take River Road back to the shop. We rode down Christian Lane and crossed the highway at the Whatley Ballet to head for River Road. I was leading the group over the RT. 91 bridge, when I heard a crash behind me. It seems that the Yellow Jersey hit the deck when he made contact with the rear tire on Lee's bike. Bruce did a nice pirouette in the middle of the road. Fortunately he was able to get a foot out of his pedal, which kept him upright until the last second. He hit the ground at slow speed which caused no damage to him or his bike, and he was instantly back on the bike and into the pack. After the mishap, we continued onward to River Road where we headed north. I rode at the front of the pack all the way to the RT.116 crossing where Curt took over. Curt led the group all the way to Hillside Road where I took over again. The group rode over the hills together and soon we were back at the Cheapside Bridge. We cruised back into town and did our usual "cool down" spin back on High Street. We got back to the shop just as some of the leading riders were heading for home. We had a nice ride, and ended up with a 20 mph average. It should be noted that this is the fourth ride in a row that someone has gotten a flat tire. Let's hope that the streak ends soon!!

Thursday 7/7: I scheduled the MT. Warner ride again because due to the threat of storms, I did not have a good alternative. We had 47 riders in total tonight. My group of 30 riders left the shop at 6:00 to head over to Turners Falls. The size of the group made for a little nervousness at the back of the peleton and we had some tight moments as the group crossed the bridges, but everyone did a great job keeping things safe. The large group made its way up the hill on Seventh Street, but the pack got strung out when we got onto the steeper L Street hill. I rode in the middle of the pack and we sped over to the fire house where we made the turn to head to Montague Center. The pace went up to 26 mph for most of the way over to the center of town. As we were leaving town we slowed the pace a bit because of the rough roadway. After we got out to RT. 63 the pace went back up and we hammered along at 25 mph. I stayed near the front of the peleton that at this point was down to 15 riders. I kept the riders on course as we passed Bull Hill Road to head up the hill to Amherst. As we neared the top of the hill, I notified the group of the town line just ahead. I watched as several riders went out for the sprint and it was won by Doug. After the sprint I rolled down the hill with the group and we hit 35 mph on the rip over to North Amherst. After a little argy-bargy at the traffic light we were out at RT. 116 where we made the light at full speed. After crossing the highway, Keith pulled off to the side of the road with his chain jammed. I dropped back to wait with him but when he wasn't able to get it fixed right away, I left him and headed off to catch the pack. I knew that Keith would be OK because there was a large group of riders coming from behind and he would be able to get in with them. I caught up with the group near the horse farm and soon we were heading up the hill to MT. Warner. The pack went over the top together and the pack then headed north on RT. 47. I stayed at the back of the group for the most of the way to Sunderland. I needed to get some rest as I had put out a good effort to get back onto the pack after Keith's mishap. I did a long pull from the police station to the center of town and then went right to the back of the pack as we headed for the town line sprint. After the sprint (which I did not see) we rode over to Sugarloaf Street. We put the speed right back up as soon as we got round the corner, and then it was a power pace line all the way to the stop sign at RT. 5&10 where we were able to get right across with barely a pause. I ended up pulling for a little way on Mill Village Road and after the rip down the hill to the Bars Farm, I was still near the front. We blew through Old Deerfield and back out onto RT. 5&10 where I again found myself at the front of the pack. I pulled for about a mile or so and then the sprinters took over. I went to the back of the pack and rode back into town with the caboose. We kept the pace pretty high for the cool down which was not the normal but since I did not have to do any work, that was alright with me. We got back to the shop just as the beginners arrived and we ended the ride with a 22.5 mph average.

Monday 7/11:Tonight I took a group out for a ride to Sunderland. On Friday 7/23 Curt came by and fixed my PC so that I can now finish my ride reports. I left the shop with 14 riders and we headed over to Turners Falls. After we crossed the canal, I kept the pace pretty mellow for ride up the L Street Hill to Montague Street. At the top of the hill, Roger went to the front and the whole group paced down to the fire house at 18 mph. We made the turn onto Turners Falls Road and at this point I went to the front to set a 19 mph pace for the pack. After we got out onto the open roads near the Plains. I picked the speed up to 20 mph for the ride to Hatchery Road. I pulled off the front just before Hatchery Road and headed for the back of the pack. I rode at the back of the group and gave some tips to the riders ahead of me. It was such a nice night that it was hard to focus on riding and not take in the scenery. After getting down the hill on Ferry Road we turned left and headed down Meadow Road. I had the stronger riders stay at the front of the group and I kept the pace pretty mellow so that the newer riders would not get dropped. I rode from the back to the front of the pack to ensure that the pace was good for everyone and this seemed to work as the pack stayed pretty much together for the ride to the Sunderland town line. There was a sprint for the town line which was won by Gabe. I stayed at the back enjoying the tow provided by the lead riders. After the sprint we headed for RT. 47 where we stopped briefly to let some of the riders who had fallen off the pace, catch back up. When the group was back together we then headed south on 47 to Sunderland Center. I goaded Roger into doing the sprint at the town line in Deerfield, which he won handily. Poor ole Roger got tricked into sprinting by the "Old Dodger" himself. Anyway we had a good chuckle as we cruised up to Sugarloaf Street to begin the trip back to the shop. Everyone in the pack got a chance to do a brief pull on the ride up North Main Street. Some of the riders had never been at the front of a pack and this gave them an opportunity to see what it was like to do that. We crossed the highway and got the paceline going on Mill Village Road. We had a 22 mph pace all the way to the downhill, where the speed went up to 35mph for most of the riders. Some of the people had never gone that fast and were surprised at how well they did. Group dynamics!! After everyone got back onto the pack at the bottom of the hill, we rode over to Old Deerfield where we soft pedaled through town. After leaving town the group turned left onto RT. 5&10 and began the ride back to Greenfield. I picked the pace up quite a bit for the last mile and this caused the group to get pretty strung out. I sped back into Greenfield at the front of the pack and led the group to Washington Street where we began the cool down ride back to the shop. Everyone rode back to the shop at their own pace and when all the riders had returned we enjoyed some refreshments before heading home.

Tuesday 7/12: Tonight was another really hot and humid evening. I had planned the Wendell-Warwick ride because the as we get later in the season, these longer loops will not be possible. At 6:00 I headed out with a group of 13 riders to head for Turners Falls. We all rode in a pack through town and up the Seventh Street Hill. Although riders got strung out on the hill, no one got too far back, and it all came together as we rode to the fire house. It was "grouppo compacto" as we headed down Millers Falls Road and we kept a 25 mph average for the rip to Millers Falls. After riding down the hill into town the group made the sharp right turn to begin the climb. I was hanging on to the back of the group for dear life and as soon as the hill steepened I went "pop" right out the back. I then settled in to do the climb at my own pace. I rode up the steepest part of the hill by myself, but when I rounded the corner I saw several riders just ahead of me. I caught up with Walters and a few others and we all rode more or less together up to the ranger station at Wendell State Forest. At that point, Walters came off so I dropped back and rode with him to Wendell Center. When we got to the center of town we were met there by the rest of the crew. After a brief stop we all then headed out to begin the descent. I rode at the back for a short way but due to gravity, I soon found myself whizzing down the hill at the front. Liam was right near me as we cruised down the hill and it was apparent that he was really enjoying the ride. When we got to Wendell Depot, I told the group to head up the hill at their own pace and that Walters and I would set our own tempo. I rode up the hill with Walters and we kept the back of the pack in sight for most of the way to Moore's Pond. After that, Norm headed off up Shepardson Road for home and we then lost sight of the group. Walters and I continued up the hill at a good pace and soon we were at the turn where the rest of the group was riding in circles waiting for us. We headed down Northfield Road and soon the faster riders were pulling away again. This time Walters and I were joined by Keith Streeter and our trio worked together to keep the pack in sight. As we cruised to the bottom of Warwick Road in Northfield, I felt a thump in my front wheel. Sure enough, "Bob was Fat"! I stopped at the bottom of the hill to make a quick repair while Walters headed off to let the pack know that I was coming along. After the repair, Keith and I rode to the center of town where we met up with Walters. It seems that the pack had continued on and he had never made contact with them. The three of us then just rode back to Bernardston where Keith turned to head for home while Walters and I continued on the route. We rode at a steady tempo for the ride back to Greenfield and we arrived back at the shop in time to see most of the riders leaving for home. I had a good ride and though I was tired, I was glad to have made the effort.

Wednesday 7/13: I had a really busy day at the shop and I was still dealing with customers when the riders arrived at the shop for the MTB ride. Mark Newton, Steve Ellis and Patrick Heider showed up and they were ready to ride at 6:10, but I was not. At that point I bailed out of the ride and sent them on their way. They rode for about two hours and I was still working at the shop when they got back at 8:00. LONG DAY!!

Thursday 7/14: We had 38 riders show up for our ride on a fairly hot and humid evening. The ride was split into three groups: Roger led a group of about 8 riders, while Christina "the crab" took another group of 7 on a ride to Deerfield and I was going out with the remainder of riders for a trip to Cave Hill. The weather has been pretty hard to predict lately, with showers and thunderstorms forecast for almost every day, but we have had pretty good luck avoiding most of the rain. After the first two groups had left, I was getting ready to ride when I got a phone call from Jen. It seems that there was a crash in Roger's group and several riders were hurt and needed a ride back to the shop. I did not bother to get too many details, I just sent my group off on the ride and then I got in the van to go over to Turners Falls. When I got over to the crash scene, I found Amber Nuite and Chris on the side of the road with several other riders. Amber was pretty badly banged up and unable to continue. Chris Chapman was also injured, but less severely. I loaded the two riders into the van and we headed off to return to the shop, while the rest of the remaining riders in Roger's group headed out to finish the ride. When I got back to the shop, MaryEllen came over to help get Amber patched up. After looking at her wounds, we decided that it made sense to have her looked at by a doctor. MaryEllen then took Amber over to the ER while I stayed at the shop to help Chris with his scrapes. After patching up Chris, he headed for home and Roger returned to the shop. I told him that Amber was at the ER and he then headed off to attend to her there. I waited at the shop for the riders to return and checked them in as the came back. The main pack did get caught in a rain storm just before getting back to the shop, but everyone got in without further incident.

Sunday 7/17: I left the shop at 5:00 to head over to Montague to do the MTB ride. When I arrived at the common I was met there by Steve Ellis, Patrick Heider and Brian Pierce. I was pretty worn out from a couple of weeks of long work days and I really was not up for a hammer session, so when we left the center of town I was the last man in line. We rode up to top of the Telephone Pole Trail and then did a long loop out to Willis Hill. We took a loop down the new trail near Red Rock and then ended the ride by riding back out the Banked Trails. This is a short ride report due to not having enough time to type them out.

Tuesday 7/19: Tonight we had 25 riders show up for the Shutesbury ride. It was a beautiful day with warm temperatures and sunny skies. I was not feeling like I could hang with the faster crowd so I planned on doing sweep. I led the pack from the shop and headed over to Turners Falls where we regrouped at the traffic light at Seventh Street. We set a pretty mellow pace up the hill and I managed to stay with the leaders all the way to the top of the hill. I slowed up at the top of the hill to make sure that everyone got back onto the lead pack. After getting the group together we headed for Montague Center. I stayed at the front of the group as we ripped down Turners Falls Road at 25 mph. I managed to stay in the middle of the pack, which allowed me to conserve a lot of energy. The group stayed pretty much together as we rode into town, but several riders got shelled out the back when the speed went up to 28 mph on the way out of town. I slowed down to wait for the riders coming from behind and soon I had a group that included Socks, Mini Bell and Walters. It was plain to see that Mini Bell was not going to keep the pace that Walters and Socks we setting, so I sent those two on ahead. We slowed down a bit and headed for North Leverett Road. Just as we were about to turn onto RT. 47, we were joined by Chris Dodson, who had gotten dropped many miles earlier. The three of us headed off ride up the hill to Lake Wyola. As we started up the hill, Mini Bell and Chris were struggling to keep a 16 mph pace, so I decided that it would be best if we did Cave Hill instead of the longer loop. The three of us headed up and over Cave Hill and after descending the other side we made the left turn onto Montague Road. I pulled for most of the way and we rode all the way to Bull Hill at a pretty good clip. I had thought that we might see some of the riders from Roger's group or maybe get caught by the faster bunch, but we did not. We rode down Bull Hill, enjoying the beautiful views and the nice weather. After getting onto RT. 116, I took the lead and basically pulled my companions back to the shop. All in all we had a great ride and finished with a 20 mph average for the 34 miles. Not too bad!!

Wednesday 7/20: Tonight I went down to Eaglebrook to do the MTB ride. I arrived at the parking lot where I was joined by Harold, Matthew, Steve Ellis, Mark Newton and Patrick Heider. I suggested that we do the ride in a different direction tonight and everyone agreed to try it. We rode over to the base of the power line climb at a modest speed. I warned the riders that if you were tired at the bottom of the hill, you had no chance to make it to the top on your bike. After we made the left turn to begin the climb, Harold and Matthew went to the front while I pedaled at a modest pace in the back. I rode at a steady rate and actually made it as far up the hill as anyone, before having to dismount due to a heartrate that was pegged at the red line. After walking the 50 feet up the steep section (it is amazing how much energy that one steep section takes to ride up) I was able to ride up the rest of the way to the ridge. After getting to the top of the hill, I was pretty whipped. After we made the turn to head over to Eaglebrook on the ridge I fell behind right away. Even on the flat sections I was quickly dropped and was a long way behind the others. At this point I decided to take it a little easier and told the boys to go on ahead of me. I basically rode the rest of the way solo, only meeting up with the other riders at the turns. After we got to Pine Nook Road I decided to have to boys do the longer loop while I rode down Bruiser to Crystal Cave. I managed to stay with the group over Crystal Cave and even challenged Matt in the sprint to the top of the hill (I won!!), but that sprint was it. I was cooked!! I sent the boys up the Mud Mile and then back to the start and I just rode along at my own pace back to the parking lot. I had a good ride, not one of my best mind you, but I was glad to have done it.

Thursday 7/21: Tonight we had 48 riders show up for the ride to 'Hamp and back. This is one of the flatter rides that we do, even though there are three pretty good hills on River Road, it is for the most part flat. I led the huge pack out of the parking lot and down to Deerfield Street. After getting the group across the highway we headed for River Road. My plan was to form a group of riders from whoever got dropped off the main pack (This would be the third group; with Baby Bell and a small bunch riding off the front of the main pack). We got to River Road and started to climb the first hill. The group stayed amazingly together on over the top of the TRW hill, but the next hill near the train yard did some damage to a few riders. At this point I was in the middle of the group and was watching what was going on behind me. I rode up to King George and told him that I was going to drop back an gather the snowflakes that fell off the pack and I would meet him at the Sunderland Bridge.

Tuesday 7/26: We had a small turn out of 17 riders for tonight's ride over Huckle and Tyler Hills. It was a fairly warm and humid day and the temps were still in the upper eighties when 5:30 rolled around. This was not a good thing for me as I was hoping to hide out in a large pack until the hills and then make my own pace over the top. Once over the hills, I was hoping to catch onto someone's wheel and maybe catch others so that I would then have a group to ride back home with. I have been working a lot of long hours and I needed to be able to conserve my energy on this ride. After I got my gear together we left the shop at 6:00 and headed north. Baby Bell set a mellow 15 mph pace up the hill, which made for "grouppo compacto" at the top. We rode down the other side of the hill and I drifted to the back to see how things were going. Jamie & Co. were holding down the tarp at the rear so I slid in behind him. As we rode along past the golf driving range, I noticed that the riders were passing Kris. I thought that she must have a problem or a flat so I waited at the back for her to drift down the line. When she arrived, she said that she was not having a good night. She also was unfamiliar with the area. At this point I was just going to suggest a route for her to ride back to the shop, but the pack was pulling away at a rapid rate and I was certainly not going to be able to catch up with them.