My first real ride in Oklahoma

Today I got out on my first real ride since leaving Alaska. I don't count the play riding in Whitehorse as I wasn't really pushing myself. I chose to ride with a local shop (The Bike Lab), they put on 5 rides a week, full schedule on the website.  After 5 weeks of the bike I knew today had the potential to be a rough one.
The ride started off great and I was doing fine, advertised pace is 18-19mph which in a group of 20 plus people should be very achievable, it reminded me a lot of riding in Denmark only a little less organised on the road. After we were passed by the ERR (Early Riser Ride) those guys and girls are FAST! we followed them for a little while then I noticed my seat was dropping (I really should have used the torque wrench when building the bike back up.)  I stopped to raise and tighten the bolt by which point I was off the back, way, way off the back. I tried to catch back on, but it was not going to happen. Not to worry though, the ride is a lollipop so I thought I would be smart and go the opposite way to the way the route was posted on my Garmin.

They should be right around the next corner

Just me, myself and I for around 17.5 miles

following a route, glad I downloaded it last night. 

Unfortunately they went the same way.  Oh well, I caught back on after they did the rest stop, AKA no rest for me. Tired after an 17.5 mile time trial I was then spit out of the back a couple of times on the return leg.

Big group

Me on a cross bike, everyone else on road bikes,
kind of like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

All in all it could have been much worse, I am excited to find a group down here to ride with, even if it is on the roads. On that note though, the drivers we encountered today were fantastic, even the ones in Dodge's!

The Strava