Let’s do another pastry run to Cannon Falls Saturday. A couple of weeks ago, we rode there clockwise, so we’re going to go counterclockwise this time. Anyone wanting to do more miles can proceed to Welch before returning to Rosemount. The route to Cannon Falls and back is 56 miles, and the longer route to Welch is 83 miles and it doubles the elevation gain. The weather at 08:00 should be cool (48 degrees) with light south winds early and increasing to 61 degrees and 10 mph around Noon.

I’d like to remind you that our club rides are a no-drop group ride for the first 90% of the ride. We wait for anyone who gets a flat, a broken spoke, or any other mechanical that can be fixed on the road. When part of the group gets dropped, we stop or slow up to let them catch, before continuing at a pace that everyone can do. When folks are struggling to hang onto the group, drop back and give them a pull, give them a tip on how to improve their drafting, spread the word to the front, or whatever may help them. At a minimum, we must regroup whenever we change direction to ensure that we don’t leave anyone behind on unfamiliar roads.

I want everyone in the group to have fun and continue riding with us every week, so keep an eye out for folks who are struggling. No one wants to be the slowest rider in a group, but we all have bad days, so help out your friends when you can. If you’re the one with a mechanical or struggling, try to let others know before you have to stop or get dropped, so others can shout out or pass the word to the group.

Thanks to Randy Twito, who, I heard, sacrificed his ride with the group last Saturday to help out someone with a mechanical. Kudos Randy!

On Memorial Day, I'm going to lead a ride out of Hyland Lake Park Preserve in Bloomington. The ride will start at 08:00 and end with a potluck picnic in the park. I'll let you know more after I plan a route.