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Moderate
w/ intensity / 35–40miles / Speed 19–21 avg.
The Skinny:
Meet in the parking lot at R.B.’s Cyclery,
8500 Wolf Lake Drive for a 6pm sharp departure. The ride warms up
through Davies Plantation until the speed immediately picks up as the
group hits Raleigh Arlington road. A faster group usually breaks away
for the first hill sprint up Graveyard Hill while a more steady
endurance pace is maintained by the follow pack. After Seed Tick Road
the ride can go a variety of ways check with Rod on the designated
route for the evening. Rod does the great job of marking the course
early in the season so follow the shop logos stenciled on the pavement.
The ride proceeds out to Arlington via Raleigh Arlington Road or
sometimes by making a right on Chambers Chapel, to Sumac, to Airline to
do the Donalson Loop.. Often the ride goes out to Orr Road for a loop
back down Highway 196 back to town. The 196 stretch features fast
moving pacelines and a sprint zone before the left on Griffin. Another
route option goes through Arlington to Collierville Arlington Road,
left turn on Long Road and check your panties at the door as the
attacks are relentless until you eventually loop back for the sprint to
end of Long Road. The trip back down Ral-Arlington Road is all speed
and endurance with a KOM sprint to the top of Last Gas Hill.
Dangers:
On the warm up roll out on Brunswick Road there is usually a large
volume of traffic of impatient comuters yammering on cell phones with
not much room for bikes and cars. Many riders will ride double paceline
and shoot the bull as they loosen up the legs and lycra. This is to be
expected, please be aware and considerate of cars behind. Don’t block,
skinny up and hold your line to allow the cars to pass when
possible. Watch for gravel and traffic on
the right turn onto Memphis Arlington. On the Long Road route be
cautious making the the right turn back onto Collierville Arlington
road after the sprint, you will be amped on adrenaline and carrying a
lot of speed into a blind corner onto a highway road with traffic. As
usual look sharp for the typical road hazards of West Tennessee, dogs,
holes, sticks and gravel.
Note to New Riders: There
are many racers who use this for a weekly training ride so be prepared
for jumps and periods of intensity. Don't just wheel suck. Jump in and
be in the mix at the front. Pull through and immediatly peel off if you
must. There is more respect for pulling through than sitting in.
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