149 words about 101 miles and a team’s reputation
At work I think a lot about reputation and culture and how they work together. I didn’t expect to think about it on the starting line at a century. I ride for a relatively new team, Six26 Cycling (the numbers are the atomic weights for carbon and iron ~ a nod to the bike frames and our city’s steel-making heritage.) We were lined up and I heard Alan, a Methodist minister, turn to his Blackwater Cycling Club teammate, point to a Six26 rider and say “That’s a friendly jersey. Those guys will take care of you.” And in a charity century, why wouldn’t we? But amateur cycling teams generally split between inclusive and exclusive. Really, it’s like any other culture. But there’s a season for everything. A time to race, and a time to work together. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that. But the ride’s better when you do.
