Sunrise by Saturday will be ~642 am.  Our next ride is - Saturday May 9th, 730 am start, 38.5 miles (approx)....this is the standard route west on MH Road, RT and north up 241 over Mebane hill (w/the usual king of the hill antics), regroup at 241-236 intersection, head east to 239 w/another hill sprint then regroup, RT and south on 239, LT and east on 235...up Krishna Hill, RT and south on 237, into Hague, 441, NW 43rd with a finish line sprint. (NOTE: this week the average pace may be higher than 19.5 mph...last weekend we rode 56 miles at 20.5 mph...as we get closer to R2R, we are all getting faster. Flat ground speed hovered 21-23 mph. This will be a good ride to use for a taper and pretend you are riding in the last ~40 miles of R2R. Here is the GCC website map link: http://gainesvillecyclingclub.org/maps/NWalachua.PDF The following is stolen blatantly from Jonathan: ----- Everything you ever wanted to know about the Sunrise ride: When:     Saturday or Sunday mornings.  Meet at 7:15 am for a 7:30 am sharp departure Start:      The Chevron Gas Station NW 53rd and NW 43rd Distance: 38.5 miles Pace:       19.5mph average (approx-SEE ABOVE).  This means we usually cruise at around 20-21 on flats (SEE ABOVE).  Pace is strictly capped at 22-23 mph for the first 85-90%  of the ride (unless we have a tailwind). In the last 3-5 miles of this ride, speeds will go up and be sustained at 24-26 mph...with a finishing sprint. This ride is ideal for those who are on a time budget on Saturdays or Sundays.  Even with the pit stop at 236 and 241, we do this ride in under 2 hours.  I plan to  be home by 945 am. There are usually 10-15 riders on the ride during high season (7-10 during low season). Our drop policy is:  We regroup at all turns.    There is no stop on the ride except to quickly group up if necessary. The pace will significantly increase during the last 4-5 miles of the ride with surges near 28 mph.  Given this, it is wise that all riders are self sufficient mechanically, as some (including myself) are sometimes dropped during these last few miles. Please be aware that the early morning start time for this ride means we ride at a time when low sun angles increase the danger of being on the road.  The route is designed to mitigate this, however it is recommended that you have some supplemental lighting on your bike for the ride. All the usual club safety rules apply on the ride including helmets (yes) and headphones (no). This ride generally falls into the Gliders ride category in many respects.  Please check their section of the website for detailed information about this style of riding. It is great that the owners of the Chevron allow us to use their parking lot.  Lets all remember to respect their property and be careful not to block traffic going in and out of the station.: We all have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs during this ride.  Come try us out!  I am happy to answer any questions about this ride.  Drop me an email anytime! Bob Howland for Jonathan Jones (ride coordinator)