Sunday morning RIDE: Atone for your sins, one pedal stroke at a time...

Harry sent me information about the latest installment of the Sunday morning RIDE. In the message he addresses the sins of Tuesday night's Midnight Ridazz crowd, and offers to wash them away with the sweat of a hard mornings' ride:

After the, er, regrettable incident of Tuesday evening’s ride, I’m sure that a lot of you are wracked by guilt and overcome with remorse. Well, fear not, sinners! (And who among us isn’t?) Salvation is at hand! Join us on the Sunday Morning Ride o’ Contrition. Yes, what better venue from which to get right with the Supreme Being of your choice than the saddle of your favorite two-wheeler? (In the interest of inclusiveness, Atheists are welcome, too.) You can contemplate your past failings and resolve to do better while simultaneously getting in a few miles. It’s even better than attending the church/temple/mosque of your choice, because we won’t ask for money!

Last week's ride was well attended, with a lot of new faces. It was also populated 100% by single-speed bikes. (We don't discriminate. Everyone welcome. Honest.) Tom caught a bad break when one of his sew-ups let the air out. That was the bad news. Good news was that we were only 1/2 a mile up Duval when it happened. Come on back, Tom. We're here every Sunday.

This week’s ride will roll (as usual) from the Posse East at 8:20 on Sunday morning. (C’mon, if you’re really repentant, you won’t whine about how early it is.) The route will be determined immediately pre-launch. Suggestions are encouraged.

Those of you who have ridden with us before know how we roll. For those who haven’t, please read the blah-blah below. It’s important. Really.

• Some of us are down with the fixed gear deal, but mostly we’re just about riding. Bring whatcha got and ride with us.

• Every cyclist is responsible for his or her own safety and well-being. We assume that everyone is familiar with basic rules of cycling safety and has enough hours in the saddle to feel comfortable with his or her ride. Use of helmets is optional (but highly recommended). Use of headphones, earbuds, Blue Tooth headsets or any other form of electronic distraction is discouraged. (It’s a SOCIAL ride, dammit!) All traffic laws and rules of right-of-way will be observed. Here’s the deal:

SAFETY FIRST!!!!!

If someone gets killed, it ruins the ride for everybody.

• This ride is 25-30 miles long through mostly urban and suburban areas. There will be ample opportunities to refill liquids and obtain calories.

• IT’S HOT OUT THERE!!!!! Bring a water bottle. Bring two water bottles.

• There is no SAG support on this ride. Bring a spare tube and something that will inflate it.

• The purpose of this ride is for everyone to have a good time and (we hope) to become better cyclists. We ride at a social pace, and all skill levels are welcome. This is a 25-30 mile ride over flat to moderately-rolling terrain. If this is consistent with your riding experience, or is perhaps slightly more challenging than what you’re accustomed to, you should have no problem going the distance.

Come on, y’all. Join us and let the bike take that weight o’ sin off your shoulders!

Be there before 8:20am if you want to BS with the other riders, because they leave ON TIME. Also the ride is undetermined as of yet, so if you want to have some input speak up beforehand.