Dacula Ride

This morning, I rode with a group out of Apalachee Cycle in Dacula. This was a step out of my comfort zone and I was a bit nervous.  I'm used to riding with at least one person I already know. 

Upon pulling into a parking spot, I saw a few bikes on car racks and realized I was in the right place. I got out of my car and met one of the leaders, Steve.  I then walked over and introduced myself to two other riders, Katie and Melba. A few minutes into the conversation, we discovered a) all were new to cycling and b) training for Irongirl. Having that in common was a great ice breaker. 

After taking a photo of Katie, I asked her to return the favor and have these wonderful shots of me adding air to my tires.  I've learned this is a must do, preride ritual no matter how full the tire might feel.  I twisted the thingy [not sure what it's called] that keeps the air in, returned the black cap, and now I'm ready to go.  I love my bike.

We rode 18.5 miles of beautiful, rolling hills. This provided a chance to practice pedaling to gain momentum, then downshifting to make it up a hill.  I'm actually starting to enjoy the downhill portion. The breeze feels awesome.

There were a couple dogs along the route waving hello. They didn't chase us but took the time to greet us.  Another important thing we practiced was calling out 'car back', 'car forward', 'pothole' and any other phrase that helps your riding buddies stay safe. I practiced drinking while riding. Retrieving the water bottle with my left hand so the right is available to stop if needed.

During the course of the ride, I had a conversation about the benefits of clip-ins. After a quick flashback to my experience with them, I thought  maybe in July I'll try them. Now, is not the time.  I have too much to learn like how to reset the chain. On one of the last hills, the chain came off as I was downshifting. I stopped [later learned continuing to pedal is a way to reset it] and had to get assistance from Steve to reset it. Nothing like a little grease on my fingers to prove I actually attempted to do it.

After exchanging contact information, I secretly hoped McDonald's was still serving Egg McMuffins [they were]. I thoroughly enjoyed the EM, hash brown and coffee before heading home. What a wonderful way to start the day!