During our morning puppy parade two weekends ago, KZog and I encountered the
Texas State Time Trial Cycling Championships. Conducted this year by the
North West Cycling Club, they chose to organize the ride to begin and end in our little town. We knew nothing of the event before we saw dozens of cyclists corralled in the parking lots of the middle and high schools near our house.
Why the middle-of-nowhere? Or, at least, why our middle-of nowhere? The race organizers actually made a solid selection in their 40 kilometer route, as the powers that be had this particular road recently resurfaced; it also has light morning weekend traffic, save for the occasional farm implement.
As many know, KZog and I met at a bicycle shop and have spent many a mile on the road/trail together. We enjoy watching races as well, and what better venue that practically one's own backyard?
KZog loaded up Pepperoni Pizza and a cooler, and we drove about one third of the way from the start to set up our vantage point. As an "out and back" race, we caught riders both near the beginning and near the end of the race. I took the opportunity to practice my camera skills on moving people/objects. Although I appreciate the convenience of the auto setting, I have found that I typically take better - clearer, more carefully framed - photos if I take the time to focus and choose my settings manually. I figured snapping photos of cyclists traveling upwards of 35 miles per hour would offer sufficient rehearsal for taking photos of a mobile LZog.
In the meantime, I still take lots of pictures of my current favorite subject:
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| Roni Rearin' to Go |
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| Roni So Over This |
Stationary wildflowers prove good for honing focusing skills, too:
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| Texas Summer Wildflowers |
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| Texas Summer Wildflower |
We watched the team time trial, hence the tight packs of four riders. Some of the teams really whizzed down the road, sounding more like cars on the highway than two-wheeled human-powered machines.
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| Heading Out |
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| Flying Tight |
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| Catching Up |
