On the Rivet
Chances are that if you are reading this, then you too are a cyclist like me. And chances are you, as a cyclist, have heard the term, "On the rivet" before.
On the rivet, or on the edge giving it your all while riding up toward the horn of the saddle or on the rivet of the old leather saddles.
Today I was on the rivet for a bit of time. It all started out with a couple of innocent laps of my lake loop route. I was taking my time and just enjoying the sunshine and scenery with no particular goal in mind.
There is nothing wrong with that kind of riding. But every once in a while I feel that you have to go outside of that comfort zone in some manner, be it effort, speed or longer distance. Somehow, some way push yourself every once in a while.
Coming to the end of my second lap where I turn around on the streets that make a small triangle I saw a rider coming at me from the other direction. As he went by me I thought to myself that it looked like a guy from my neighborhood that I see around all the time. I believe he lives on the same block as me but a few streets up.
I see him go past my house on his road bike in full kit almost daily, a tall, slender "serious-looking" rider. I waved to him once. I got nothing back. I waved to him a second time earlier this season while I too was heading out on my bike. I got nothing back.
I don't know why people are like that. I figure someone takes himself a little too seriously on the bike.
Sure. I told myself I bet that was him! I've seen him head this direction before but never knew what his route is. I thought about swinging around right then and there to get behind him. I didn't do that. I took my normal turnaround, and THEN I told myself, what the heck. Go for it. Even though I was way behind now, I would try.
Once I turned around I could not see him ahead, but I decided then and there I would try to get closer to see if he was up there. Maybe I wouldn't catch him, but I'd try to get close.
I was now officially on a mission.
I grabbed a gear and started hard tempo riding. Then I grabbed another gear in the crosswind, dipped to the drops, put my head down and huffed and puffed.
I was silly really. Yet it's what I wanted to do. I felt like I was part of a lead out train at the end of a Tour de France stage, helping do my part to get our team sprinter into position for the win.
No sightseeing now. This was all effort. 22's on the speedo and steady. I COULD SEE HIM now...he's up there in his red jersey....but blocks ahead.
I pressed on, now filled with the adrenalin of being able to see him. But he's no slouch and I was running out of room to catch him. I never did, but I got close enough to determine that indeed it WAS the guy I was thinking it would be.
He turned left at the end of my lap where I go into the little park to take the trail to turn around. He was heading down "A" toward Oshkosh as I thought to myself, "Dang, that was some hard effort there. I'm pretty proud of that."
It was a crazy idea, but I almost pulled it off. And I certainly got my heart rate up there!
Then it was an easy ride home, now back to sightseeing and certainly OFF the rivet.
RIDE ROUTE
Lake Loop, 3 laps + Neighborhood Crit 1 lap
22.0 miles/Average Speed= 14.1 mph
Sunny, 83 degrees, Windy
Wind 10-15 mph
2020 SEASON MILES
Indoor: 125.6
Outdoor: 960.3