Milica Wren
The forecast said rain, snow and a high of 54F – such is the nonsensical nature of spring in Boston. The night before the ride we met at Firefly to pick up our kits from Capo. They came directly from Italy, with all of the style we hoped for. The kits boosted our excitement.
This is real now. We are actually a team. We are ready for our launch.
Milica Wren
But I wondered if anyone would show up for our ride. The forecast didn't exactly bode well. We said that if no one shows up, we could have a team ride, wipe the rain and grit off our faces, warm up with food and have an awesome time.
JP Bevins
The next morning, I rolled up to our meeting spot in Brookline and couldn't believe it – the entire block was packed. Bikes were stacked eight deep along the walls and there wasn't even standing room in the café. I didn't get an exact head count, but it was well over 50 people. Pros, former pros, our sponsors, friends, local teams, enthusiasts, family and friends all came out to support us. And everyone was excited.
JP Bevins
My teammates and I huddled together to form a plan. This turnout happily exceeded our expectations. We split up into 2 groups; 3 teammates per group. One ride was slightly faster than the other and we led with those of us who knew the route best. Kevin from Firefly gathered everyone, introduced us, said some gracious thank yous to id29, Cuppow, Pedro's, Trade and all of our sponsors, and to everyone who came out to support the team.
JP Bevins
I wasn't feeling very fast, but I ended up going in the slightly faster group with Cindy and Milica. The ride was social and challenging and just... genuinely fun. The route was beautiful and somehow it was sunny and in the 50s. As Mo Bruno Roy later put it, "it was super nice to get back outside on a road ride where people were chatting, introducing themselves, including one-another and making new friends. It's nice to be reminded that bikes can be fun, not just training!" I couldn't have said it better myself.
JP Bevins
Eric Baumann
Eric Baumann
The team reconvened in the early evening at Firefly to swap ride stories and marvel at how much fun we had. Dan from Grimpeur Brothers, who came all the way from Austin TX, not only joined us on our (relatively) chilly ride that day to support us, but brewed the most delicious coffee to perk us up post-ride.
Thom Parsons, Lee Toma
Trade made mouthwatering brioche sandwiches for the party – um, roasted Mediterranean veggies and curried chicken anyone? – which were quickly devoured. And everyone from the ride (and more) joined us again at Firefly to share laughs, check out our bikes, celebrate and dance. Have I mentioned that all of my teammates love to dance? They do. It wasn't a prerequisite for joining the team, but was pretty amazing.
Milica Wren
Milica Wren
