Sunday Options: Milly's Riders...

Is it possible to have too many options for a Sunday spin? I mean, I would like to be able to see these friends each weekend, but if I do the ride with them, then I don't do this other ride with another group of friends, nor the team's weekly shop ride. And that is just the three fast, social rides. There was also a criterium with proceeds to benefit the family of Christopher Contreras, the State Masters Track Championships at Encino Velodrome, and the LACBC's annual Los Angeles River Ride. Choosing any one of those six options necessarily meant putting anything I might do with the family on the back burner. I guess some people, in other places, might like to have a "problem" like this.

easy riding along Figueroa through Highland Park at the start

still pretty easy along Glenoaks at Woodbury University

Mason and Zack, top of the climb

Waldi and Javier discuss matters of great importance

Well, it had been a little while since I last rode with the Milly's Riders / Squadra Folgore, so I owed them my presence on this morning, not to mention a little money for kit. We decided on one of the old stand-by routes, the La Tuna Loop, which was good, just enough climbing to get my fix, just enough distance to bolster my ego for another week. There was no question I was riding well but, these days, there always seems to be someone riding that much better. Today that person was Zack, who joined enroute. Once I had given up on Claudio making one of his attacks during the run-up to the climb, I made one of my own. It was good enough to shed everyone but the new guy, who kindly let me lead out for most of the climb until almost casually, or so it seemed, spinning past and away. So be it, I know when I'm beat. There is always a next time.