Roop de Roop

I remember struggling up Roop Road, the first time I climbed it; I needed to pause when the grade kicked up.

Not so, today. Though, knowing what to expect tends to help.

Another year without our club's signature event. I was hoping that someone would offer to lead rides along the traditional routes, so we could ride them anyway (without any support, of course). [And sure enough, someone did.]

Seeing no point in driving all the way to the “official” starting point (where there are no facilities available), I suggested an alternative location to my chief riding buddy. Game on!

Then I thought, why not share our plan with another rider who might be interested. [She was.]

Then I thought, why not open it up more broadly?

And that is how I ended up with 16 riding companions, though only four of us completed the full route. One of those was a guy I last saw, improbably enough, on a remote road in Northern Ireland.

A panicked deer raced alongside us in a field; wary that it would jump onto the road, we kept our eyes on it. It changed course (whew!) when a car approached in the opposite lane.

The group splintered after the first loop, and my ride buddy and I found ourselves alone. We took a break at the Uvas Reservoir, where we would normally find our lunch on the supported edition of this ride (for members who volunteer during the actual event). I know we're experiencing another drought, but the reservoir looked even lower, to me, than I remember during the last extended drought. And, it's only the beginning of May ...

We finished our abbreviated “100k” (55 miles, 2,220 feet of climbing) with a welcome boost from a strong tailwind. (How else would I be cruising at 20+ mph, with 50+ miles in my legs?!)

With that image of the shrinking reservoir top of mind, when I got home I re-installed my five-gallon bucket in my shower before I stepped in. It's high time to catch what I can (for the garden)—don't send a gallon or more down the drain before the water runs warm.