Sunday, May 25, 2014

Pie Our Squared

The Brownsville Seven
Cindy, Robin, Sharon, and Gillian.






Unity
arrived 
with 

smiling 
face 
when 
two 
teams 
raced 
into 
the 
wind 
against 
clock 
held i
Brownsville, 
Oregon, 
Saturday 
May 17th, 2014.

Arriving early
a contingent from Portland met up with a pair from Scio, forming two teams for the technology free "Eddy Division." 

Eddy Merckx is the Belgian demi-god for whom the Eddy Division recalls old school toughness. Riding on regular road bikes with no aero bars, aero helmets, or special wheels, Cyclisme practiced the team tradition of the paceline one more time, for OBRA.
A team of women and a team of men warmed up and rode out of Pioneer Park to put their wheels on the official's start. Concerns of disparity in the strength brought on in earlier practices dissolved as everyone proved to be equally matched and ready to work.

Ridden on 23.8 miles of fairly flat terrain the women finished in 1:23:14, and the men in 1:02:38.  Approximately 19 mph and  23 mph respectively. Muscled with grit and good form, and only one brief departure from the course, it was all in good fun.
Fergus, Logan, and Tim.

Rolling with a leeward paceline most of the time, they adjusted for wind conditions and the relative strength of their individuals. Strength pulled longer while others hid low, in the lee of their team mate, hoping to recover that next little bit to put forth, out in front - in to the wind. Green and black Cyclisme jerseys flew across the Wiilamette Valley like sails on a cyclone.

Exercising the team tactics they'd practiced in the weeks and months before, 
they won 
Pie and Glory.



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