|
Hard / 35–40
miles / Speed: 20–23 avg.
07
Season Update: This ride seems to have fizzled. No one
is showing up. Too bad, this used to be a slammin' ride.
Check RB's Tuesday night
ride.
The
Skinny: Riders generally meet starting at 5pm at
Greenbelt Park on Mud Island for a 5:30 sharp roll out. The pace is
mellow as it follows the MRT trail out to Watkins where the intensity
will jump to 23 to 28 mph streak out to Shelby Forrest. The pace stays
high as some of the fastest riders in Memphis frequently attend this
ride. Superior fitness is required for the front of the pack, don’t
take too long of a pull our you may get dropped and it is a long lonely
ride back through some of finest neighborhoods of North Memphis. Be
ready for the lung searing KOM sprint to the top of Cuba Locke Road.
The ride will regroup at the Shelby Forest General Store and the faster
riders will often opt to go further into the forest for more hill
sprints on 3 Pigs. The stragglers and the oxygen depleted regroup at
the store for the trip back out Benjestown Rd. After the hill work in
the forest, the fast group will hold at least a minimum 23-mph average
most of the way back. Look alive for the sprint zones – the school
house sprint at the end of Benjestown, the last 500 meters of Watkins
and the Three Tree sprint just before the parking lot on Island drive.
Dangers:
Traffic on Island Drive can be heavy and there is not much room for a
bike rider. Single file only and be hyper aware of what the drivers are
doing. Some of the residents of this affluent area do not tolerate
being delayed by cyclists very well. Be very cautious of the drivers
who try to beat you to a quick right turn in front of you. On Second
St. out by the airport you may think you are riding on a NASCAR
speedway. This is a treacherous stretch as cars often take ridiculous
risks to get round the group in oncoming traffic and occasionally you
will encounter large trucks. Be sharp and call the traffic hazards
loudly. When the trucks pass, hold your line be prepared for the wind
shear. In the forest watch for holes, sticks, gravel, roadkill and call
them out. Exercise extreme caution at the bottom of the 3 pigs descents
especially when crossing the bridges. The pavement transitions are
rough and the bridges have concrete ruts that are the perfect size for
a road bike tire.
Tips
for New Riders: Though everyone is welcome, if you are
new to cycling and pack riding this is not the ideal ride for you. The
pace can be fast and intense with tight pacelines and no tolerance for
allowing gaps to open. If you get dropped, don’t expect anyone to wait
and if you are not familiar with the area it’s easy to get lost on some
of the back roads.
Back to Rides
|
