Mark's Ironman Corner 

Today I was lucky.  I was riding the Sunday Cycle Science ride, just before the  RR tracks nearing Cove Rode.  There was a bottle neck in the pack and I moved left around  some slower traffic to work myself into a better position near the front.  At this point I am sure the pack is traveling 26-28mph and in the blink of an eye I touched wheels with Dave Garfield.  Dave is an excellent and experienced rider so I am not sure if I moved into him (if I did, I apologize) or he bumped me (if he did, no big deal), it happens but it can be pretty hairy.  Something on his bike, I think his wheel skewer, ripped through the spokes on my front wheel, within a second, we separated and I could tell he was going to stay up and was left to wonder about myself as my front wheel was vibrating and shaking violently.  I stayed calm  and held a line away from the pack so I didn't take anyone else out and just tried to hold it toward the grass so if I went down it might due less damage.  Luckily, I made it to the grass and the pack went sailing smoothly by.  When I got stopped I realized how damn lucky I was.  There wasn't a spoke left undamaged, the wheel would not turn and I realized I was also skidding a bit on the pavement. 

Looking at the wheel I was immediately taken back to my childhood cartoon days of Tom Slick in the Thunderbolt Grease Slapper as he battled Baron Otto Matic.  In nearly every episode the Baron would pull beside Tom and use a spear like instrument protruding from his wheel to knock dashing Tom off his course.  Good thing I can smile about it and I will be back to ride the group ride again.  I should probably slow down a bit and not worry if I am getting caught back a bit, after all, I know where the ride ends and the goal is to get there in one piece.  

By the way, thanks to Rick of Tire Kingdom.  What a great guy, he threw my bike in his truck and brought me all the way back to Jupiter when he could have just drove home to Palm City..YOU'RE THE MAN RICK!

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