It was a cool morning – 55degrees when the Blue Hammers and some members of Compass Research Cycling Team set off from Orlando on the monthly ‘Hammer Ride’. 
The morning was crisp and spirits were high as we made our way through Orlando’s Bungalow Neighborhoods towards Winter Garden. The line up was about 18 riders to begin with and by the time we hit Avalon Road that number had dwindled by a couple. Luis Rodriguez, started bringing the pace up considerably when we turned from Tilden to Avalon and within seconds there was a long line of riders smoothly bringing up the watts and cadence as our tailwind now took us smoothly down the rollers past Orange County National Golf Course. The weather was sublime and the lead pack continued at a breathable 27-30mph. The cooler temperatures just made everyone feel great and Luis was certainly leading the charge towards the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’.
A quick stop at the Speedway Gas Station near Epcot concluded and the peloton now made it’s way through some little known backroads snaking their way towards the backside of Disney. Golden Oak and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge came and went in a gorgeous background of Central Florida’s finest pine trees. Before we knew it the Monorail and Space Mountain was in sight. The crew smoothly navigated the various back lot roads before being spit out on the infamous ‘Reams Road’. Luis then showed his true colors and why he is the State Champion for his category by turning up the watts. I had the pleasure of being on his Zipp 808 rear wheel. I admired the cleanliness of his chain running smoothly through the cassette with the occasional shift of his SRAM e-tap derailleur. He had a nice cadence and this pull continued for what seemed to be an age. I believe (but couldn’t be sure) that I could hear Ty right behind me as we ascended the rise in the road. It was now my time to pull but I didn’t have much – recovering still from Ironman Chattanooga (poor excuse) and a cold, I didn’t have much in the tank at this point.
A smooth and consistent ride back through Windermere, Gotha and back to Bikes Beans and Bordeaux Cafe concluded with some excellent post ride beverages! Thanks to Compass Research Cycling Team, B3 Cafe and of course Walt Disney World Resort for providing amazing roads for us to ride our bike sensibly on !