Last night, after cycling home from work, I was looking for a few more miles.  I had a few options available within a short distance of the house, and decided on the one that was leaving from Spin Pizza.  There were two route options, so I showed early to weigh my choices.  About 6:15 the first group took off, and they described that ride as “27 – 30 miles at an 18 mph average.”  Ummm, no thank you.  That was a pretty serious-looking group of  cyclists.  A few things they all had in common;  All the bikes cost slightly more than my motorcycle, and the people riding them weighed about as much as my right leg.  Y’all have fun.  That left me with the 6:30 group, who were at the other extreme end of the spectrum.    With the exception of a few people, (including one Munkirs will readily recognize as “Pinarello-guy,”) it was definitely a bunch of hacks.  Which is to say, I fit right in with this bunch.  So, we took off on our pleasant 12 mile journey, holding a blistering pace of about 4 mph.  Huge group too;  I did a rapid head-count and hit 38 people.  It wasn’t a bad route actually;  We wound through Mission Hills for most of it, which made for a sort of cool “Tour de’ Homes.”  After a while we re-grouped in a parking lot, where the ride leader had parked his truck and had ice water and energy bars for everybody.  Now there’s a new twist on the group rides, I thought that was awfully nice of him.  Shortly after that break, I started to get a little bored though, and took off after two guys riding like they were trying to qualify for Team Garmin.  Bad idea, shame on me.  We quickly pulled far away from the group, and when we got to Ward Parkway they turn around, look at me, and say “Which way now?”  Really??!!!  You were riding that fast and don’t know where you’re going?  Good grief.  Again, shame on me;  If you don’t know the route, stay behind the ride leader.  Anyway, we turned north and started back, eventually winding our way back to Gregory and Wornall.  Here my new friends again got puzzled and couldn’t figure out where to go.  I offered up some rare input;  “Why don’t we just get on Brookside and roll down the hill to the start.”  One guy actually waves his hand at me dismissively and says, “No, Brookside doesn’t go through, that won’t work.”  Well well, end of my input.  I shoulda just rode on by myself, but I’m a team player so I stuck with them and their foolish choice of Pennsylvania.  Yeah, I could have told them that meant stop signs every two blocks for the rest of the way, but I was done.  North is north anyways, I figure.  So, we haltingly rode back, and indeed did end up at the pizza shop.  I did jab my one small measure of revenge in though.  Upon our arrival, Navigator asks, “You coming in for pizza?”  I replied, “No, I need to ride back home.”  Navigator: “Oh yeah, how far you still have to go?”   Phil: “Not far, I live right off Gregory.  I just take Brookside the whole way.”  Fat Boy OUT!