No June Gloom on the Psycho-Lists Ride...

The inland valley areas have been pretty well socked in this week, and whether it has been that June Gloom, or something else, I just have not felt much like riding this week; no Bud's Ride, no Rose Bowl - uninspired. Funny, it also seemed to correspond to a lack of original post material here on the blog as well. Anyway, when a chance to get out on a Friday morning Psycho-Lists Meet-up ride presented itself, I jumped at the opportunity. Nothing like a group ride to shake you out of the doldrums. 7:45, or thereabouts, we were all gathered at the Euro Cafe on Baseline, women outnumbered the men 5 to 4, which was good to see. We did the usual Covina Hills route, with some modifications to throw in a few extra short climbs, which I appreciated. These hills are the closest thing I have found locally, to the mid-week climbing I used to do around the Rose Bowl, though they are not as steep and usually not as long. But, what is good about the route is that you can string them together in a series, and you get something like hill intervals. This first part of the ride, was followed up with a mid-morning stop at Classic Coffee in Glendora, and then the quick ride back. Sky never changed from that fantastic dull grey color, but I don't think anyone really cared; it certainly didn't determine the high quality of the ride. Now, I don't normally let my socks determine my riding style, but I did have my wolf socks on today, and enjoyed hanging in with the pack on the flats, but then let my legs run, lone wolf style, when the roads took on an upward slant. It was just what I needed.

Just to give a little plug to the Psycho-Lists group; I have done a few of their rides now, both Fridays and weekends. If you live in the Claremont / Upland area, and nearby, and are looking for a good group ride, sign up for the group on Meet-up. You will get an email notification when a ride is upcoming. The rides are pretty moderate, not race-pace, like Bud's, but certainly not slow. There is usually some climbing, but regroups are standard. And the company is good.