150 words about 101 miles and the team you build on the fly
150words.substack.com
With over 400 riders on a flat route, it takes longer for riders to get sorted. So even 40 miles in we were still in a group of 30 or more, working more like a pack than a team. But once the group winnowed to a dozen or so, unspoken on-the-road alliances formed. You saw who was willing to do work, who was smooth, and who didn’t play well with others. I drifted back after a pull and an unfamiliar rider opened a gap. I slotted in — and he laughed to a companion. A laugh that said “Sucker.” There’s no shame in sitting in rather than taking an unsteady pull that causes the whole group to yo-yo. But take glee in getting something for nothing and you’ll get left at a rest stop. Like any team, the one you build on the road doesn’t work, or survive, without respect.
150 words about 101 miles and the team you build on the fly
150 words about 101 miles and the team you…
150 words about 101 miles and the team you build on the fly
With over 400 riders on a flat route, it takes longer for riders to get sorted. So even 40 miles in we were still in a group of 30 or more, working more like a pack than a team. But once the group winnowed to a dozen or so, unspoken on-the-road alliances formed. You saw who was willing to do work, who was smooth, and who didn’t play well with others. I drifted back after a pull and an unfamiliar rider opened a gap. I slotted in — and he laughed to a companion. A laugh that said “Sucker.” There’s no shame in sitting in rather than taking an unsteady pull that causes the whole group to yo-yo. But take glee in getting something for nothing and you’ll get left at a rest stop. Like any team, the one you build on the road doesn’t work, or survive, without respect.