From time to time I really miss the road riding scene in Farmville, VA where I went to college.  We had a weekly shop ride that would draw 8-10 solid riders and we would really crank.  There are no hills in Farmville and we would easily get an average over 20mph, especially when the tandem would show up and pull us along.  As much as I enjoyed the rides in Farmville, there is simply no comparison to what Lynchburg has to offer.  Our weekly shop ride here is full of gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains.  We go at a slower pace, but we actually have hills out here, so it’s to be expected.  The ride is wide open to riders of all skill levels and we stop at every intersection to regroup.  The group that shows up is full of the friendliest people you could ask to ride with.  The absolute best thing about our shop ride here is that we stop about 3/4 of the way through the ride, after all the hills, and get root beer floats and smoothies from Sonic.  It’s the most friendly, fun, and beautiful shop ride I’ve ever been on and I’m really bummed I had to miss it so many times this summer.