Sunday Morning RIDE - Some interesting ideas for mixing it up a bit. If you ride this RIDE then you should read this.

Harry just sent out the following Sunday Morning RIDE announcement, with a bit of an apology for not getting the word out to a wider audience. Hell, he got it to me and I know these guys post about it, so at least y'all bikers know this shit. Read on for details, but they do go into it a little bit about start times maybe changing as the seasons go from Summer to not Summer, and the possibility of lengthening the ride by heading out into the sticks a bit, and by starting at different locations to facilitate more outskirts of town riding:

AN APOLOGY AND A PROPOSITION

For those of you who depend on the CL post of our announcement, apologies for failing you last week. Mea culpa. For those of you who were hoping that I had finally gone away, sorry to disappoint you.

We WILL ride every Sunday, hot or cold, rain or shine. Start time may be adjusted seasonally as the weather continues to cool off. Who knows, we might eventually get a late enough start time to see the mythical Jason among our number.

More new faces showed up for last week’s tour to the northeast. Lauren brought her really sweet Redline single-gear freewheeler, and Brendan definitely took the ride up a notch by rolling with us on his Pinarello. (Wow. That is one sexy-looking bike.) With a converted 80s-era Japanese steelie fixed gear and a recent-vintage Trek commuter also among our riders, it looks like this diversity thing is finally catching on, although I’d like to see some vintage European iron. Maybe I’ll roll out the Motobecane one of these Sunday mornings….

On another note, I’m thinking that I’d like to spend more time riding and less time dealing with stoplights and traffic. The notion of getting out to some more rural areas is appealing to me, and I’m wondering if anyone else is sharing that notion. The Hill Country and the flatlands east of Austin are really nice this time of year, and I’m thinking in terms of rides from 35-50 miles. This would involve launching from suburban areas such as Liberty Hill or Pflugerville so’s we could be right in the country right away. Maybe this is a different ride on a different day. Anyway, I’d be interested in hearing any feedback.

However, for now we’ll roll, as usual, from Posse East at 8:20 on Sunday morning, route as yet undetermined. 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 not quite as hot out there these days. One water bottle should do.

• 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.

Time to ride.

If you're one of those early morning people get your ass out there at 8am this Sunday morning. Posse East is the place to meet the crew, and if you've read this far then you already know what these guys are about. Be safe, have fun, and pedal hard.

P.S. That's right, I'm mythical. Kinda like the cockatrice, which is why you'll never see me utilizing one of these. Maybe someday I'll flap my leathery wings and descend on your ride to prey on some defenseless cyclists and wreak havoc on the countryside. Maybe someday...