Livin' on the island known as South Side Hampton Roads leaves riding "options" that are limited by the lay of the land, or water as the case may be. Unless we want to take a tunnel under water or a bridge over it, we get locked into various loops.

Here's a Loopy Primer :




There's the Starbucks loop,









The Conte's loop,











The Blue moon loop, which can be called the 3rd loop on weekends, or just the 7:15er on weekdays. Not to be confused with the reverse Conte's loop.



The Norwiegian Lady loop, an early 6AM loop on weekdays. May be called the Blue Train loop after the old Blue Team (AV) that derailled and disbanded a year or 2 back. The ride is still there, still as strong as ever, and will deliver you to the 7:15er either very warmed up, or totally blown and over heated.

We now also have the CORE Pilates early loop, soon to be the MR. & MRS. Crazy loop once the deed is done. This will also bring you to the 7:15er, albeit a bit further down the road.

This short list doesn't even include the Final Kick loops or any of the southern Frogs loops.


You can pretty much set your clocks by these rides, and knowing when and where they are certainly influences everyone's workouts.


This Tuesday I caught the Blue Train (or I should say thay caught me) and clung on for the ride to the next loop. Usually I get out earlier for a warmup, trying to avoid these speed junkies. Jumping on a 28-30mph paceline after 800 yards of warmup usually makes me crack in a minute, this time I barely lasted till the end when KD and JDiesel pretty much blew up the group as we neared Bay Colony. They're on some good form.

The 7:15er wasn't too loaded at the Blue Moon, but it swelled as we picked up many on the way, including those from the CORE loop. By the time I could get my camera out, most were off in the distance. By the time I put it away, they all were. Hustled back up, dragged AtD (he wasn't wheezin' - YET) up through a gap that JLaw, KJ, and a few others already had on the world. Dropped some positions as Art says "Where're YOU goin?" Back with the meer mortals I say.



This AM rode a bit with the one called dbo and TK.

Some say he's MIA. I say no way.



He's missed but not missing, and definitely still in ACTION. They're both lookin' quite fit I might add.





RideOn

JB

We Miss You Wild Bill