The reason we were heading to Florida was to take part in the Delray Beach Gran Fondo bike ride. I understood this to be a leisurely Sunday morning jaunt down the coastal road. However, I had noticed that Stuart had been doing an awful lot of Spinning classes over the winter as training!
We were staying with our friends Keith & Nicole who spend the summer in Montreal and winter in Florida. Stuart and Keith met two years ago and have spent many happy hours cycling together.
Stuart had rented a road bike and I had borrowed a spare bike from Nicole. On the Friday morning we went out on the bikes just to check everything was in working order. I thought that Stuart was looking particularly matchy matchy for this leisurely ride!
Rather than doing any serious cycling Nicole took us on some back roads to see some of the amazing houses. The scale of the mansions is quite incredible, but this smaller property was one of my favourites. The bright flowers were stunning, after spending a winter in a world of white.
Although in some cases you can see that all the money in the world can't actually buy you taste.
I was pleased to see a party bicycle go past. If this is typical of Florida's attitude to cycling, then this really suits my style!
More relaxing in readiness for the ride, we meet up with another friend and take his dogs for a walk on the beach.
It's only on the Saturday that I begin to wonder what I have gotten myself into! On Saturday night are Criterion races for some of the riders who are taking part in the Sunday morning Gran Fondo.
I have as much knowledge of Criterion races, as I do of Gran Fondos, but a race track is set up in the middle of town that is about a 1km circuit. The women's race is 40 laps and the men's race is 80 laps. The speed at which the riders fly past is incredible. Given the number of laps that the riders pass by I have many opportunities to adjust the settings on my camera. Despite this, below is one of the best pictures that I manage to take.
I'm sure that it is the night time darkness that means my photos are bad, the riders weren't really that fast!
Sunday morning and it's an early start, the ride starts at 7am, but given the temperatures predicted for the day, we're glad the ride is starting early.
(Was it really -15 C when I left Montreal?!)
Keith and Stuart meet up with another cycling buddy Michel. There seems to be a certain competitiveness amongst them and all seem to have been doing a suspicious amount of cycle training over the winter just for this ride. Unfortunately, the boys are missing their friend Alain, who couldn't join them for this ride. The four of them have had two fabulous Montreal summers riding together, at least twice a week. When Stuart goes out for a ride with them he is like a little boy going out to play with his friends and coming back with tales of who pulled the most, who nearly got dropped and who beat who along which straight! (I'm assuming that pulling is a cycling term and doesn't involve other women!)
As you will see Stuart is wearing a new Scotland jersey and for the record this is the Lion Rampant, emblem of Scotland, and has nothing to do with Wales!
The ride is a very straight forward, head South, turnaround, head North, turnaround and end up where you started. 62 miles or 100km in total. (I have no intention of attempting the 100km, and plan a turnound at the 9 mile rest stop, head up to the 43 mile rest stop, and then turn back to the finish). This works out as a nice 65km bike ride, just perfect for a first ride after winter.
At the start of the ride, the riders line up in group order. Professionals lead off first. Professionals???, who said anything about Professionals? I hope I don't get in their way! Next is the Group A riders, then Group B+, then Group B and finally Group C
Stuart, Keith and Michel are registered with Group B+. Nicole suggests that we tuck in at the back of Group B. As we are waiting for our departure, we hear the announcement that Group B rides at speeds of between 20 to 23. That should be OK, when I was training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer I eventually managed speeds of around 22 km /hr. Oh hang on, we're in the US, they work in miles per hour. A quick bit of mental arithmetic, divide by 8 and multiply by 5. Ok, so 22 divide by 8, that's just under 3, multilply by 5, that's 15 minus 5 x the just under 3 bit. Whatever, that is, it's definitely not Group B, and I suspect not Group C either.
Anyway, we finally depart at around 7.30, and Group B have soon speed off into the distance. A polite motor cycle rider who is meant to be accompanying the rear of Group B soon realizes that we're not going to be catching the pack and heads off after the other riders. Marvellous, time to take a picture of the sunrise!
It's only 9 miles to the first rest stop, and this is where Nicole and I turnound, effectively missing out 16 miles of the route. We are now ahead of many of the riders, but fortunately not the professionals!
At another photo stopping point, amazingly I see Stuart's group whizz by, and even more amazingly I manage to take a photo
Pretty soon, not only had Group B+ and Group B gone past, but also Group C. There is nothing for it, but to form our own Group D. Just two members, no target average speed, and purpose of the group to stop and take photos and enjoy the ride.
The weather was just perfect, probably one of the most perfect cycling days that I have ridden. No wind, beautifully warm, but not too hot, smooth roads and no hills!
There were many many extravagant mansions, mostly hidden by high electric gates and palm trees,but here is another one that I managed to snap along the route.
Nicole and I make it to our next turnaround point, the 43 mile rest stop, which was fairly badly signed. We found out later that Stuart, Keith and a few others had got separated from Group B at this point, due to the lack of signs.
Despite being separated from the main pack, Stuart's splinter group worked hard together and Stuart found that they all called him Scotty. I wonder why?!
About 5km short of the finish line, Nicole and I are overtaken by Group C. I know that it is only 5km to go, so I pedal like crazy to try and keep up. I'm cycling at 30km / hr and I reckon that Group C must be targeting 20 mph. So divide their speed by 5 and multiply by 8.... too late, never mind Group C have disappeared! I really don't have the speed to take part in this sort of ride. However, that doesn't stop me absolutely loving it!
At the end of the ride I confess that I didn't do the whole 100km, but I'm awarded a medal anyway!
Next the excitement of the ride times, Stuart and Keith eagerly await the posting of the results!
They are both delighted to find, that their adjusted time (allowing for wait times at bridge openings) for a 100km ride was under 3 hours.
That evening we all meet up for a lovely supper prepared by Nicole. Michel's wife, Suzanne also joins us. Stuart proposes a toast to his friends with whom he has spent so many joyful hours cycling. He chokes up a little and I guess what he really wants to says is that it has meant so much to him to have found such a wonderful group of friends with whom he could cycle. When he met them he was recovering from a very dark period and a battering of chemo, and at that time he had no idea life could get so good again. So a big thank you to Keith, Michel and Alain for helping bring Stuart back to full strength. He's going to miss you guys loads.
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