Prescott Park: Slouch Potato Ride

In my effort to check out as many seacoast area group bike rides as possible and give a report on each, I came across the six o'clock Wednesday afternoon ride out of Prescott Park, the so-called Slouch Potato ride. I think the Granite-State Wheelmen originated it, but I saw a lot of different jerseys, so I don't know. There were about 25-30 riders there. It's a roughly 20-mile ride total (out and back), and we got back at about 7:30 or so.

The ride is a low-key roll-out to Rye Harbor, where everyone catches up and hang out for a few minutes, and then an absolute full-on race back. Of course, not everyone's racing, and with that number of people, it's not like anyone gets dropped, but it's definitely full-steam ahead at the front.

For me, aside from testing out the capabilities of my legs and my new bike, the second half of the ride was a good opportunity to work on tactical racing. I was about eight riders back, and wanted to be closer to the front, but there were no gaps, and I didn't want to go for a full-on attack just to end up at the very front with the wind in my face. Ben, a strong rider, had just taken a pull at the front and was easing his way back, but there was no place for him to get back in, so I eased off the wheel in front of me and let him get in front of me. I did this because I knew he'd want to be closer to the front, so I'd just sit on his wheel and follow his move when he went for the front again. It worked perfectly. After a few minutes he hit it to the front and I followed him right up without having to expend any great effort.

After a mile or two, the attacks finally came, and I was in perfect position to respond. We finally got a four-man break away off the group, with Ben, and two of my NorEast teammates--Romy and Rufus. I set my mark on Ben, and lined up behind him as we took turns on the front, to keep ahead of the pack. After his pull on the front, I punched it. Rufus and I managed to get away, and absolutely slaughtered ourselves for about ten or 15 minutes trying to keep the lead, when Romy and Ben pull up behind us. After a pause to catch breath, Ben comes along side, and with a hint of admiration, says "you guys suck."

Rufus punches it again, and he and I take off, absolutely annihilating ourselves for the last mile and a half back to Prescott Park.

It was awesome. Now I just need to do that in like a 40 mile road race instead of a 10-mile group ride.

I have no idea what was going on behind the four of us. I assume everyone else was just going hard but not actively trying to kill themselves. It was a really fun ride though. If don't have a great amount of free time, and just want to take a short ride after work on Wednesday and totally annihilate yourself, check this one out.