You are better than (your) AVR.

Tonight I rode without my GPS. The mere thought of that may strike terror in the souls of some who read this. Garmin this. Strava that. Average MPH obsession. KOM ranking. Blah blah blah. Here’s a clue, Sparky… nobody cares. But you. Does that surprise you? It shouldn't, unless you really ARE the center on the universe.

You see my friends… the vast majority of people who ride do so for pure enjoyment and fitness. They don’t care about averages and pulls and GPX files. To them, KOM probably means “killed or maimed.” And you stat freaks look like a braggers. Maybe you are a braggers. Or oblivious. Unless you are the center of the universe.

So tonight I rode the 75^th Street Brewery ride. Reluctantly. I do not like the ride. It is too combative. Sometimes dangerous. Often unfriendly. I know a lot of people on it that I really like, too. But many are very concerned about staying up front, so the only real fellowship comes after the ride. But I have to go home and cook and prep for work because I have a real job sometimes, so there is little point in riding this group ride for me. : )

But tonight I hung back with one of the many fast guys I know and chatted. Yeah, I know guys that are faster than you. He said we’d catch the front again. They were completely out of sight when we started the chase. We did catch them and I bid my friend farewell. I took the short route group back home.

During our chat I was talking about my absence of GPS. We talked about how that is a GOOD idea sometimes. Just ride. He showed me his cycle PC screens. In one day over the weekend he did 175 miles at a little less than 17 miles an hour. Now, if I just said 17 MPH without that distance reference some of you would poo poo that average. But when I add the distance in… ah hah! We talked about urban rides and hills and flats. We averaged 17.8 on Hoopers last week. There are 38 stop signs or lights on our course. I counted them. How fast were we really going? (The answer is 20++, but NOBODY cares). I used the speed as a reference to our stated average on the ride calendar... are we giving the people who ride with us what they expect? Back to the Brewery, we talked more about riding solo and in groups. And then we had to STFU and chase. But the whole conversation showed me that my friend just enjoys riding. I have ridden with him. I should know.

Now, before you think I am the oblivious one, I DO think there is a time a place for sharing stats. After a ride, it is a good way to compare to previous rides. Be careful though, weather makes a big difference… even on the same course. And AVR means nothing when courses vary. What about hills? Did you do any pulls or suck wheel for the entire ride? That affects what the AVR number really means. Before a ride, it can be good to announce a target average speed range if that is one of the goals of the ride... like the Hooper example I gave above. Finally, post your AVR on your own social media page/wall. You can put anything you want there. People will either read it or they will ignore it. User choice. Post it in a forum and you look like a bragger, or worse.

I will say it again. Your GPS data. Your KOM rankings. Your AVR... If anyone gives a crap, they will ASK for the info, believe me. Instead, try sharing a gap in the paceline. Or your knowledge. Or your strength. Or compassion. Or encouragement. Try sharing something that MEANS something. To a friend on a bike. To a complete stranger on a bike.

So tonight as the ride was coming to a short/long split, a guy on my left asked me if I was going right/long. I said no, but said I would drop back and call clear so he could take my spot. Then I’d pull left into his spot. We did the rotating switch seamlessly among other riders with good communication at a very high speed. He said “Thanks.” I said “That’s the way to roll bro!” That was the best part of the ride. Not the AVR this or that. But helping someone out. Being safe. Giving a spot to a fellow rider. I don’t always succeed at being the man I am supposed to be or the rider I should be. But tonight I did. I hope you did, too.

I hope we can let these words resonate without being compelled to comment on them. They are for all of us… me included… to contemplate… not to argue.
My dad was a clever guy. Never went to high school. He was more clever than me. More clever than you, too. Old school. He told me once than when people just had to make counterpoints, either their confidence was shallow or the truth had likely been spoken from the start. Or both. Today we just say STFU and ride. That works, too. : )