Party Pardee
/The first century of the year for me was the Party Pardee. This great metric century started in Ione and took us through Amador and Calaveras counties. This was the first time I have ridden in this ride although I have been on most of the roads before on other rides. Mike warned me that the hills were brutal, I just didn't realize how brutal they were. Mike's son, Spencer, joined us for the ride but had little notion of what he was in store for today. Today was not only Spencer's first century, it was also his first organized ride, and he hadn't climbed this much before. He had a new bike, an awesome looking Trek 1500, which he hadn't even been on before today!!! The odds were stacked against him but he persevered!!! Even though there were times he wanted to take the SAG wagon back to the car, he didn't give up (the Chariot's of Fire theme song would be appropriate here) and kept pounding away at the climbs! Mike rode exceptionally well, especially since he's put less than 150 miles on his bike this year.
This ride was one of the best supported rides in the area and we will definitely be doing it again next year.
At the end of the ride Spencer found his way in front of me and Mike so it looked like he pulled us the whole way. You learn fast, Spencer! So, what did he look like at the end of day? Cool, calm and collected... ah to be young again!
Thanks for the great ride gents!