I showed up at GT&F to get a hard workout in after my miserable appearance in Northfield yesterday. After I signed in, the leader told me I needed a map because the route was different. I grabbed a map. It turned out the route headed towards where I work. There was no way I was biking anywhere near my commute, not to mention the reliance of this ride on bike trails. I was annoyed, so I took off solo for a Dakota County ride. I tried to be discreet. I regretted not wearing a better jersey- I never wear my team jersey to another club's ride. I usually go out of my way to wear my dorkiest jersey possible to GT&F.
I hadn't checked out the map too closely, as I met the GT&F riders heading toward St. Paul on Highway 13 as I was heading the other direction. I don't know if they recognized me, or what they thought, but I didn't really care. They are rather a cliquish bunch of the best of days. I did an out and back on 13, and as I was heading up the hill coming out of Mendota, I caught some guy wearing a Saunier Duval-Prodir kit. He followed me to 35 E and said goodbye as I turned off to cross the bridge. I explored an alternate route for my commute by taking Otto to Seventh to some other street to god-knows-where to Victoria to Summit. It would be quite hilly taking it fixed. I took Summit to Mississippli Blvd, crossed using the bike bridge near the freaky aluminum museum by the U, and ended up on West River Road. This time, I was caught by the Saunier Duval-Prodir dude, and we ended up riding together for a few miles.
He became quite talkative at the coincidence of having just seen me in Mendota Heights, and now Minneapolis. We headed the same route to the commuter trail, though he turned off toward Hopkins and I headed toward the Greenway to cut through the parking lot to catch the road by Calhoun, then Harriet. He seemed like a nice guy and a strong rider, although he might do well to get rid of the iPod while he is on the road. And Saunier Duval-Prodir? They'll be lucky if they even win a stage, on this, their first Tour.
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