The Best of 2010 VeloViet

A recap of the best rides for the 2010 VeloViet season...

Palm Springs
“My spirit was low, the lowest it has been a a long time, and it felt like I was in a 50-feet deep, dark hole in the ground. I dreamt that my VeloViet brothers were reaching their hands, from the top of the hole, to try to pull me up to safer ground, but the distance was too great for them to reach me. I scrambled and scrambled as hard as I could, but the muddy vertical wall of hole prevented me from getting higher to catch their hands. I looked up and can see bright sunlight that filled the hole’s opening, but the bright spot is getting smaller and smaller, as I slowly and slowly gave up hope.”

Photo 1 - Palm Springs

This was an extremely fun ride for our group, and the first long ride of 2010. For me, I remembered it was very hard around the 80 miles mark. The car ride more than made up for it though as I had a great time in the car chatting with Fixie, Sang, and Toan.

GMR
“Like the God Zeus, Cap’t Thomas released the VeloViet cycling monster Fed-Ex near the start of the second leg of GMR. With his shackle now unchained, Fed-Ex roared loudly and charged up the mountain. His attack was so ferocious and deadly that it quickly splintered even the strong front group.”

Photo 2 - Glendora Mountain Road

This was the first 2010 VeloViet ride that FedEx flexed his muscle, and the first ride that I considered buying a compact crank. We had a great turnout of riders from the RiverVelo and Buena Park cycling groups as well.

Purple Monster
“In life, there are physical, mental, and emotional challenges. We are constantly being tested by these life challenges, and in order to grow and mature, one needs to overcome these hurdles. Similar to life, bicycling has these physical, mental, and emotional-challenged states. The Purple Monster dropped us a major test in our smooth-operating bike machinery on this past Sunday’s ride.”

Photo 3 - Purple Monster

This picture defined this ride, and it was here that we discovered our kinship to each other in thje struggle. The ride was even harder than the Palm Springs Century for most people as it had both distance and climb.

GranFondo
“This change in effort from heavy exertion on the steep climb, to no exertion at all due to the dead stop, brought on a sudden searing pain to Phong’s right quad muscle and calf. The pain was so intense and sudden that it caused him to fall by the side of the road writhing in agony. His right leg had seized and he could not move it at all.”

Photo 4 - GranFondo

This was the hardest ride in 2010, but my most favorite this year. Small VeloViet group, but some of the strongest riders. Surprisingly on this ride, the second half of the ride was easier for me than the first half.

Lady Palomar
“Cap’t Thomas voice trumpeted loudly to the VeloViets, encouraging them not to quit and to bear this unbearable pain in the climb. His vocal assertion is like a giant wind, pressing the men and women up further and further as one, and riders leaped forth from their saddles to push even harder. The A1 riders riding in the front were like a giant shield, protecting the A2 riders from the buffeting winds. Lady Palomar howled loudly as she increase the gale in her relentless attacks.”

Photo 5 - Lady Palomar

Luke was pumped in this picture, after a crash. The ride was extremely hard in the last 3 miles, and not everyone made it, but a great epic ride ending a great season for the VeloViets.

Out,
Phong