{"id":2784,"date":"2017-03-21T12:57:55","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T03:57:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2017-03-21\/2784"},"modified":"2017-03-21T12:57:55","modified_gmt":"2017-03-21T03:57:55","slug":"first-bigish-group-ride-in-a-long-while","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2017-03-21\/2784","title":{"rendered":"First Bigish Group Ride in a Long While"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 34mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRide's Crew<\/span>\nL-R: Arthur, Geoffrey, me, Ionut, Jason, Andy, Kevin, Yifen\n
( we didn't notic until the ride was done, but other than Ionut from Romania, we're all Americans )<\/small>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I joined a big group ride for the first time in a long<\/span> while last week, Andy's “<\/span>LSD”<\/span> (long slow distance) ride. I was happy<\/span> to\nfinally meet Kevin from Kobe and Geoffrey from Otsu, whom I'd conversed with online but had never met in person.<\/p>\n\n

For me the ride (view at Strava<\/a>) was 116km (72mi) at mostly an easy\npace, though the times I tried<\/span> to keep up with the others quickly took their toll on me. I've been doing long rides lately, but\nnot much fast and not much climbing, so I'm out of shape.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAndy Arrives for Coffee<\/span>\nthat his valet, Ionut, has prepared\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 49mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nNew People, New Bikes<\/span>\nGeoffrey (at right) on his first ride with us Cycling Kyoto folks\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCaption Contest<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nReady to Head Out<\/span>\nKevin from Kobe chats with Yifen\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMoving Through The City<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 28 kph (18 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHotta-san!<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

As much riding as I do in these parts, it's rare for me to happen across another rider that I know,<\/span> but I did<\/span> just\nthat early in the ride when Hotta-san and I crossed<\/span> paths. I've ridden on a few<\/span> rides with him in the past, and most\nrecently he was the cycling adviser for a cycling<\/span>-related movie in which I appeared<\/span> as an extra.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/2.1, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWater Stop<\/span>\nas Andy flashes his VOID\nat the spring seen in prior posts, here<\/a> and here<\/a>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/1.7, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFirst Descent<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 25 kph (15 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 35 kph (22 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPlodding Slowly Up<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 28 kph (17 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 35 kph (22 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\n\nimage data<\/a><\/span>\nI'm the Yellow Blur<\/span>\nphoto by Ionut Sandu<\/span>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFast Descent<\/span>\ntaken backwards, one-handed, while cycling at 63 kph (39 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nStopping To Inspect the Troops<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 21 kph (13 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTally Ho!<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 20 kph (13 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCrossing a Valley<\/span><\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 29 kph (18 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nEnjoying the Day<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 25 kph (16 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 25 kph (15 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTwins<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 28 kph (17 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nStrung Out<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 36 kph (22 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 33mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPaceline<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 46 kph (29 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

As I mentioned in yesterday's post<\/a>, drafting as seen in the photo above is\na great<\/span> way for a pair<\/span> or group to work together to go overall faster than they could individually, but the act of taking the\nphoto caused me to slow down just enough that I lost<\/span> the benefit, and they quickly pulled away, leaving me to (slowly) fend for\nmyself.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGeoffrey's Impeccable Form<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 58 kph (36 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

At the races this weekend I noticed several riders wearing the exact same team jersey as Geoffrey, such as this guy:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“<\/span>Strada Racing”<\/span><\/span>\nwearing the same jersey as Geoffrey did\n( from this event<\/a> )\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 60mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 58 kph (36 mph)\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I've never seen a pro cyclist in person, so I can<\/span> only imagine what their form looks like in real life,\nbut that mental image became incarnate during this ride when watching Geoffrey descend. His form was<\/span> like art...\nI've no other way to explain it. I'd never<\/span> seen anything like it. It was truly<\/span> beautiful and mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n

I doubt it comes through very well in video, but here's a video<\/span> of a descent<\/span> we did toward the end of the ride, taken with my Cycliq Fly12 front camera:<\/p>\n\n