Bright, sunny skies and moderate temperatures brought out a nice showing for the Sunday Flashers out and back, 45+ miles training ride. Several members from Joe’s Bicycles (Indianapolis) came down. Also, local squads DRT, Mob Squad, Speedway and Scholars Inn Bakehouse were represented.
Colin and I took the group through town and out to 446. There was a significant headwind out of the southwest, so we knew that we would be challenged on the way out We were met on 446 by Abdelkader (MOB), adding more horsepower to the group. It didn’t take long for the grupettos to form, however, on the winding stretches of 446.
The first splits occured a few miles before the runup to the causeway with Rose ( Scholars Inn-recovering from a bout with the flu) and Palmer, Rodkey (Speedway), Kroll, Brooks, Kelly (Joes), Messer and Golas (DRT), Stanley, Johns and Cobb (Scholars) and Kevin (unattached) pushing the pace.
After this initial selection, a second selection occured on the southern climb out of the causeway. As the select group pulled away I found myself chasing over the top with Colin. We caught up with Bob Brooks who was coming back after a hard effort from the lead pack and Andy Messer and Adam Stanley. The 5 of us formed a smooth paceline and and were able to make a respectable showing, keeping the lead group just in our sights.
As we approached the first flashers, we saw the leaders continuing up the rise on to the second flashers another 4 hilly miles away. Rose and Rodkey, however made the early turn and the duo headed for home. Our second group bid adieu to the strongmen and turned as well. We connected with Galloway and Ibold (Joes) and our small group also with (Allen, Stanley, Johns) set a nice tempo for home, lamenting our inability to trade pedal strokes with the leaders but learning from our experience.