The Inescapable Pull of the Group

I wrote the above article for the 2013 Seven Cycles brochure. Writing this gave me a good chance to reminisce about the every-weekend rides from REI in Denver compliments of the Beams (that one was the model for this article) that often ended up in epic 100+ mile adventures in the mountains. The Thursday night group in Boulder - I think the point of that was sprinting, I just remember being excited to ride with Jules and her gang of riders that she put together. The many, many weekend rides from Amante in Boulder. Sometimes small groups, sometimes a little bigger. The countless group rides with my Italian racing team, so many of those when I couldn't speak Italian and through those rides was how I learned the language. Through that experience I learned how riding spans cultures and bridges communication gaps so incredibly well. And the group rides that I do here. I credit the Ride Studio Cafe Sunday group ride (the people who I met before, during and after the rides) for being the reason I decided to stay in Lexington.

The rest of the article and entire Seven brochure can be seen here. I highly recommend reading it. It's the sort of reading that takes you into the heart of Seven and why people "love to ride." It's not an in-your-face sell; it hardly mentions the different bikes that Seven builds. The point is that Seven handcrafts the bikes with incredible skill, knowledge of bikes in general, and incorporates knowledge of the specific rider to build a bike unlike any other. They build the bike that is as close to perfect as possible so the person riding it can be in the moment with fellow riders, an event, nature or him or herself, as the case may be, without the distraction of aches, pains, discomfort of any kind, or a bike that holds anything back due to weight or composition. 

Today I did a group ride that made me feel alive - similar to the ride I describe in the article. The group rides that really fit this description are few and far between that I do now, but when they happen, they are something to be remembered and shared in hopes that others find themselves in a similar situation. 

Yesterday a group formed at the Ride Studio Cafe at 9am while it was raining out. No one who had come for the ride knew each other in advance of the ride, but when they got back after being rained on for 52 miles, were all smiles. 

One guy came up to me and spent a good amount of time telling me how appreciative he is of the group rides that the RSC offers. He explained how much value it has to him and what a service it is that we provide to people. It's something we rarely stop to think about, it's just what we do. Since I've gotten out of the habit of group riding due to my schedule or simply my lack of interest in committing to anything on my days off, I have a tendency to forget just how good these rides are. 

I used to thirst for the off-season since it always meant 3-4+ hour training rides, my favorite. Better yet, it was time to connect with good friends. Race season is fun in its own way due to the traveling and adrenaline, but it's the long, sometimes epic rides I really like. 

Today was a 52-mile spin up to the Harvard General Store and back with my RSC teammates & team co-captains, Joy and Jay, with whom I rarely ride. The distance and pace were just what I needed and it was easy. Get on our bikes and go. Don't worry about anything, just chat and ride. We all know where to ride - even I know this one. Finally, I'm feeling like I'm settling in here in this hard-to-settle place.

The Harvard General Store is a very popular training ride destination located in Harvard, Massachusetts. It represents the Ride Studio Cafe's start at branching out beyond our own walls. Within the store is a Ride Studio Cafe pop-up: a sizable display of particularly useful items cyclists need while out riding, stocked by us. 

 

Developing a relationship with this cool store, its new owner and employees has been a great deal of fun for me. Growing a business happens in many different ways, and what is particularly thrilling about the RSC is that it can grow in every possible direction even though it's a brick-and-mortar establishment. Walls don't define it. It's the people and relationships that do and they extend far beyond our front door. 

Finally, finally after all of this time being here, nearly 2 years now, I feel that I am becoming more at home. I could feel it when I returned from Thanksgiving. The 6-day break with family in a new place (center of PA) was more than necessary. It helped me reset a bit. It was not just a good break from work, it was very quality visiting time with family members who are very close to me. And it was fun. I found myself feeling not quite ready to come back on the last day so I didn't. 

I traveled up to upstate NY (Saratoga Springs) for quiet time. I relished the hotel room I stayed in, taking full advantage of every amenity it offered. I had a lot of time to think, relax (plus ride a tiny bit) and visit one of my favorite coffee shops and vegan restaurant, though I had to miss my most-favorite-in-the-world co-op due to time.

Late in the day I drove back and when I arrived on known roads, I felt glad to be back, glad to be home. 

I'd like to believe that the pull of the group, as defined by those I ride, work and socialize with here, are inescapable. Fortunately the memories of rides of old certainly haven't been.