2010 Cap2Cap

With the conflict in dates today between the cap2cap and Hilbert #2, I decided to stay close to home and ride in the cap2cap with Mason.  Mason has ridden on the road with me plenty of times before, but not for 25 miles.  She just turned 11 last month, so we decided that the 50 miles would have to wait until next year.  We got up early and cheered (and rocked the cow bell!) for the century and 50 mile riders.  It is amazing how much the cowbell adds to the spirit of cycling.  Then it was time for me & mason to head out.  Craig joined us as he had unexpected obligations come up which forced him to ride the 25 miler instead of the century.  He was the first one back out of any distance, but it was with little fanfare as I do not think anyone expected someone back so soon...

Adding a little lube to Mason's chain before we head out.  It is nice that the ride leaves pretty much from our doorstep.  One final pose for the camera before we head out.

Then we lined up and were off for our 25 mile adventure.

I think the three of us stood out within the 25 mle crowd...  We did have a lot of fun along the way with some of the participants doing their best to keep up with an 11 year old.  It was a lot of fun.  Sometimes we would get passed on the flats, but then on the uphills I would grab Mason's seat and we would drop the hammer, passing everyone right back!  Mason was great on the ride, she never once complained even though we had terrible headwinds.  A couple of times I would put my hand on her back and we would spool it up to around 22 mph.  Even with my assistance, I could tell she was no longer in her comfort zone.  She was trooper, though.  Our bars would be 2-3 inches apart and she held steady like a veteran rider.  It is great to see how far she has come along on the road bike.  Her skills and focus seem like they improve with every ride.  Everyone was super supportive of her along the ride, complimenting her and then being amazed that she was just 11.  We ended up finishing the 25 miles in 1:45, which is 15 minutes quicker than I expected to finish the ride. 

Here we are crossing the line.  Mason loves this picture because she claims to have beaten me to the line.  One of our many 'sprint points' along the route.  We came in to a ton of cheers, which was pretty cool for Mason. 

We were all smiles after it was over.  It is nice that kids get such great support from the cycling community. 

...Jason