If you ride in the southbay, you have probably seen segments on strava with "CPUL" in the name. A quick leaderboard check to see who has the KOM on all the "CPUL" segments; then I see a CPUL club badge in his profile. Click, click, click that is all it took to discover was a weekly ride named "Cafe Pickup Loop" it is a fast paced coffee doping peloton that goes from Bonita to Downtown to La Mesa and back to Bonita. I decided to show up on a Wednesday to Influx cafe on 20th and Broadway, conviniently just a few blocks from where I live. This group was very inviting. I was by far the youngest rider. I was riding my Felt TK3 track bike. I did install a front brake since I was green to their rules. This ride was fast, a bunch of strong legs going out and crushing leaderboards. I just lost a KOM in April to them :/ ok back to the story. We road up Pershing through North Park to University Heights around the fun Mountain View Drive loop. Onward to Kensington, left on Van Dyke, down and up the Aldine dip and an all out sprint up. I climb like a billy goat riding fixed; with a cappuccino under my belt I could beat Lance up Alpe d'Huez. So I was doing good in the group, we went down Monroe, right on Collwood then straight to a little roller on 54th. At the top of the kicker on 54th I was feeling good, not breathing too hard, when the leader of the CPUL group comes up next to me, breathing deep, a steady stream of sweat dripping off his nose. He asked, "What do the cards in your spokes mean?" I just about died inside. I told this whole anecdote was for that punch line haha. I had to tell him about how I race in unsanctioned road racing called "Alley Cat" racing. This was one of the most fun group rides ever. I always work on Wednesdays, but eventually I will have an opportunity to ride with them and remind them what track bikes can do in a group ride.
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