Pinch of concrete! Aisle 7 please!

Tomorrow I am going on my first group road ride in 20 years. Yep, thats a long time between drinks. I am really excited about the prospect of a social ride with a big group and all the banter and chatter that goes along with it. I've reserected my 1994 vintage Klien Quantum and been out training on it with a mate. I have been really lucky that Steve, a riding buddy on the mountain bikes, has been very patient with me and coaxed me through the first few tentative steps back onto the road. So now tomorrow I will give it a whirl in the group.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the road bike. There are some fantastic back road loops out around my area that take in farmlands and a few hills as well as some really nice quiet roads with some really good hills. I'm not talking the Col du Tormalet here but for a guy who hasn't ridden a road bike in a few years they are serious enough to get the blood up. Going up hills on the roadie is way different to the mountain bike too. I don't have the granny gear to fall back on when it gets vertical and that means my little chicken legs need to man up and actually push a bigger gear to get me over the top. Not a comfortable experience for a mountain biker used to spinning along at high cadence with low resistance. Ah well, time to dry my eyes, add that extra pinch of concrete to the cuppa and get busy.
Stay tuned for tomorrows report on the triumphant return to the road scene by yous truly. Otherwise known as " Oh my goodness my legs are killing me!"