“Pass left, spit right.”

Today I did my first group ride in six years. We rode over the Carquinez Strait twice and through a few of the small towns that cling to its banks. It was gorgeous, so naturally I forgot to bring my camera. I need to add a camera mount like this one to my bike so it’ll all be easier anyway.

Riding in a group and riding alone are completely different. Solo riding is meditative and a hard ride can turn spiritual when you crest that last hill or you feel the wind hit you in the back for that sprint home. Your bike creaks and whispers and tells you how it’s feeling. You hear and feel that you’re torquing too hard and straining the drivetrain when you should be shifting down.

That all goes away on a group ride. The paceline is a social organism, like a flock of sparrows. The bikes are barely there anymore. You start chatting with your neighbor about the area, their favorite places to ride, what they do for a living. It’s like a fast-paced, competitive cocktail party (minus the booze and indiscretions). As you rotate through the line you meet everyone on the ride, and you spend more time with the pleasant ones. Thank goodness the group I rode with is friendly and almost gender balanced. I’ve ridden with all-male groups before, and those are awful. Too much chatter about gear, speed, times, and other geekery. If you ride with a group, ride with a group that has plenty of women in it.

The ride was great, though. Just fast enough, a gorgeous route, and a good group. I won’t be neglecting my bike meditation time at all soon, but I’m going to have to add this to the mix.