Older Riders and Bad Habits
Did a fairly easy 50 mile ride yesterday. Arrived at the start and 9:30. Got back at 3:30. Took about an hour at two different food stops. But that is still 5 hours to go an easy 50 miles. Why was that?
The largest loss of time was riders that think that they know what they are doing that don't. For instance - we got across the Golden Gate Bridge and counted heads and there was one short. His wife thought that he had gone to the john. After a couple of minutes I rode over and his bike wasn't there. Went back and everyone continued to sit around. I took off and down in Sausalito discovered said missing rider. This, mind you, is the same rider that has stopped waiting for anyone on the normal rides.
Finally everyone arrived and we were off again. Again some group got off way ahead and finally we stopped and called them - they were behind up a quarter of a mile at a restaurant. There had been no mention of them stopping.
Then we rode over a hill and there was only 4 of us out of 10 within sight. Finally we stopped and called. The other's hadn't waited at the top of the climb and then had turned the incorrect way at the bottom. So it was a half hour getting that sorted out.
By that time we couldn't complete the ride to the planned end. Stopped at another local place and turned back.
Arriving back to where the group would split up half of the group was now completely worn out because of these stupid actions. And the youngest rider in the group was retired.
Now one of the group has already been put into a home because he can't take proper care of himself due to Alzheimer's and I'm wondering if we don't have another couple. That disorder is RARE. So I doubt it. But does that mean that growing older makes you stupid?
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