"It never gets any easier. You just go faster." ---Greg Lemond
"Don't buy upgrades. Ride up grades." --- Eddy Merckx
"You drive like shit." ---The Car Whisperer

8.2.09

What an Asshole

What kind of an asshole shows up to a century ride in 30 degree temperatures wearing no thermal layer?

A Lycra base layer, a jersey, and vest. Plus leg and arm warmers. That was it.

Seriously? Idiot.

You should've seen him as he started to go hypothermic. He was shivering, had trouble speaking clearly, and wasn't able to understand what others were saying to him either. Some guy even offered to trade his lobster gloves for this guy's inadaquate full-fingered ones. I told him he should've just let that asshole be miserable with his frostbitten fingers. Fuck him.

I was already tired of hearing how cold he was when, thank God, he finally peeled off at some gas station about 10 miles north of Glenview, where I heard he sat and warmed his pathetic ass up with a cup of awful coffee while the counter jockey told him there was no men's room and then went back to shouting in his blue tooth headset in Farsi or Pashto or something.

I guess he finally made it home and once he warmed up, ended up on the lakefront for 45 more miles, dodging pathletes "training" and shouting, "on your left!" to slow, frumpy, suburban women named "Blair" and "Rhonda" who were empowering themselves by power-walking across the entire width of the path.

Oh well. I hope that loser learned his lesson. It's better to take layers off than wait for it to warm up. That will never happen as quickly as you need it to.

What an asshole.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Don't feel bad. We've all been there or thereabouts. Next time will be better. Glad you got home safe and warmish.

brianfmorrissey said...

Oh, I don't feel bad...just dumb. I had the warmer clothes, what a wasted opportunity for quality base miles/networking...good to see you today! Deluca!

Julian said...

It did warm up at Fox River Grove at the half way point and we were all a bit toasty on the way back... that said, even with thermal gear I was a tad colder than comfort on the way out...

Jeff and Debi said...

Julian was warm because he pulled us for miles on end going back into Northbrook/Evanston.

Must buy, even if it means selling your sperm: long sleeve wool baselayer.

Pankonin said...

Eager for the warm weather eh? You also did a stress test 12 hours before the ride. Maybe you were still recovering and your body reacted to the morning ride in ways you didn't expect and in ways I cannot articulate. Weren't you suppose to be on a rest week?

brianfmorrissey said...

Rest week starts today. Tomorrow I ride to work for the first time since November. Psycho suburban drivers, ice, and the darkness have kept me away from it. Should be around 50 degrees at start time, however with a 20 mph tailwind. Great rest week ride.