Just call me "Big Ring"

Joy here...If you read some of my entries from last summer and again this spring so far, you'll have come upon a cast of characters (my cycling sisterhood).  I identify my friends by their "nicknames" all to preserve some kind of anonymity on my blog so that I don't got blabbing about other people without their permission.  I mean, in this age where "we live in public," it's okay if somethings aren't public, right?

There's The Sashinator,
known for her oversized saddle
bag and strong legs last week.
(PS - Guys out there, she's single!)

There's The Professor, who is much stronger
than she gives herself credit for most of the time!

                      

There's Cili Padi, a small but
powerful senior who packs a punch!

There's Power Penna whose piston-like legs
are able to pump up those hills even when she's pulling her
daughter in the Chariot behind her.

There's The Trainer who is seriously hardcore
and a tough-as-nails inspiration.

There's the Spinning Instructor who has begun riding with
me this year, and who is an amazing, cancer-surviving mom
of awesomeness (featured in one of our national newspapers here).

Now all these friends have their short-hand nick-names by which I refer to them here on the blog, and we even use these nick-names sometimes in our real conversations.  Since it's weird to give myself a nick-name, Power Penna was calling me "Big Ring" last year, for my penchant for putting my chain into the biggest ring on the front of the bike (i.e. the hardest gear) and powering away.

On Saturday when I went for a ride out to the Aviation Parkway with The Man and another friend of ours, I decided to earn that nick-name for real.  We reached the smooth tarmac of the Parkway, and while The Man and our friend chatted behind me, I shifted gears and started pedalling...26km/hr...30km/hr...37km/hr...43km/hr...and off I went, holding that pace for 3 minutes on and then 3 minutes off as long as I could.  By the time I reached the end of an 8km stretch of road, I had to turn around and wait for The Man and the friend to catch up with me, and both were duly impressed.  Big Ring indeed!

After our 40km ride, the three of us leisurely rolled back to our neighbourhood to enjoy a coffee in the sun, while our bikes relaxed against the patio fence.

Ahhhhhh....a well-earned treat.

Over and out,

Joy (aka Big Ring)