PLANS CHANGED. INSTEAD OF RIDING IN “BIKE THROUGH THE FOREST AND THE HILLS” WE ELECTED TO STAY CLOSE TO HOME AND RIDE WITH D.R.A.F.T. OUT OF TOM BASS FOR A 10:00 AM ROLL OUT. SINCE I’M NOT ON THE TEXT LINE I DIDN’T GET WORD THAT IT WAS BEING CANCELED FOR A LACK OF PARTICPATION UNTIL 7:00 AM. I DECIDED THE TIGERS WOULD KEEP OUR ROLL OUT. MELVIN SENT A TEXT SAYING HE DIDN’T THINK HE WOULD MAKE IT. I TOLD HIM TO MEET US SOMEWHERE ALONG THE ROUTE. JACK AND I KEPT IT AROUND 15 MPH UNTIL WE GOT TO MEE MART (1/2 WAY POINT). AFTER SHARING SOME NATURE VALLEY, JUST AFTER WE SAID MELVIN PROBABLY WASN’T MAKING IT OUT, LOOK WHO POLLS UP 5 MINUTES LATER. MAN WERE WE SHOCKED. BACK ON THE ROUTE WE DECIDED TO TAKE 30 SECOND PULLS. MELVIN TAKES IT UP TO 17 – 18 MPH. HE HAS ADMITTED HIS ANXIETY MAKES HIM THINK HE ISN’T SPINNING FAST ENOUGH, TRUST ME HE IS. AFTER A WHILE JACK PULLED UP. WE WERE THINKING HE WAS HAVING MECHANICAL ISSUES. WHEN REALLY HE HAD JUST HIT THE WALL. SO WE WOULDN’T LOSE SITE OF EACH OTHER, PACE WAS SCALED BACK TO 15 MPH, ATLEAST WHILE I TOOK THE PULL. EVERYTIME IT WAS MELVIN’S TURN THE PACE WOULD PICK UP. MELVIN HAS BEEN GIVEN THE NICKNAME “WAR HORSE” ANYWAY. WHEN WE HIT OLD CHOCOLATE BAYOU/CULLEN I SLOWED UP MORE TO STAY WITH JACK. WHEN WE GOT CLOSE TO GT’S SUBDIVISION, I RECOMMENDED THAT I DROP HIM OFF AT GT’S IN TIME FOR THE BEGINNING OF HIS BASIC BIKE MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP. THEN I’D CONTINUE TO TOM BASS TO PICK UP MY CAR AND HEAD BACK TO GT’S FOR MY SIT IN, THEN TAKE JACK AND HIS BIKE BACK TO HIS CAR FOR THE RIDE HOME. WORKSHOP ATTENDEES WERE JAMES, BILL, LURCH, JACK, ME, TONI, TAKYAH, TONYA, AND 2 RIDERS I’VE NEVER MET BEFORE. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER WORKSHOP AT A LATER DATE. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.