“If you aren’t failing every now and then, it’s a sign that you aren’t doing anything innovative.”  (Woody Allen)

I’m not really a big Woody Allen fan but I like this quote. It really applies to so many things we do in life, including improvements you attempt as a cyclist. Every time you go on a ride and do something slightly different, you are applying innovation in your ride skills which allows you to keep moving up the ranks. As I read the forum posts on our site so many of you are asking questions that have been asked multiple times over the years. Yes, it is true that the rides have gotten faster over the last few years. I have not been riding as often in the last year but I pulled out my little red log book and compared the current DB rides to the DB rides I was doing 3 years ago and the average has gone up.

An entry out of my book: 6/2/07  Saturday Distance Builder Ride  was 38 miles at a 15.5 average.

An entry out of the current ride logs: 6/21/10   DB Lite was 52 miles at a 16.4 average.

I am not complaining, just using this as a reference point. Out of the adversity experienced by DOING rides and the fact that so many people are riding so many more days of the year than before, we have the opportunity to make these improvements. It’s called evolution.

Out of this also evolved several other rides below this level that allow so many different types of riders to participate and makes this an even better club. I totally agree with statements that faster riders need to be moving up to ride at the levels where they belong and to evolve their ride experience. I miss riding with my faster friends but they are still my friends and I’ve been able to meet others who I’m sure will be moving up as well. Makes the journey even more fun.

Hope you are enjoying our new Blog, look for more evolution to come with some new contributors that you will hear from shortly.

Stay cool and enjoy the heat!

Roxanne

p.s. For the record, my little red book doesn’t include trainer miles.