As the time approaches for the Ride to Conquer Cancer, Rob,
our team captain, decided it was time for a group ride. Some of us (mainly me) had never ridden in a
group before and he thought it would be a good idea to introduce each other as
well as get some of the tricks of the road into our brains.
So last week, I met Rob in front of his restaurant and then we, along with
Mathieu, started out toward a part of the city where we would meet up with the
others. Along the way, Rob explained
all the hand signals I would need to know as well as the basics for riding in a
group. As we rode closer to the meeting
area, I began to get a little nervous.
Would I be able to keep up with these seasoned riders? Would they be annoyed if I couldn’t keep up?
It turns out nothing could not have been further from the
truth.
When we arrived, a couple of riders I hadn’t seen in years,
greeted me with hugs and big smiles.
Others, who I had only known a little while, did the same. As we sat at a picnic table talking it up,
both Doug, Rob and Steve told me not to worry about the ride weekend. Each rider sets his or her own pace and teams
tend to meet up at the various pit stops.
At the end of the day, we all meet up for beer and burgers. And the next day is the same.
We rode out as a group and some of the faster riders took off but it didn’t matter. I set my own pace
and caught up to them when they stopped.
It was good to know I had people waiting for me at the end.
The best thing about a group ride is the support and
teamwork. Everyone looks out for
everyone else and in the long run, no one is left behind. Even when we stop and talk, the support is
always there as it was when I first arrived.
Because in the long run this Ride to Conquer Cancer is an endurance ride and
not a race. The only race we are in is
one that we all can participate in – the race to end Cancer.
If you would like to donate to my ride effort, please click on the link below. I appreciate your help!
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