"You'll be safer if you stay with us"

I met up with Jon, Gerald, and Tammy today for an early morning (6:40) bike ride in Griffith Park. Sunrise wasn't until 6:53, and it was about 55 degrees when we started. Oh, how I long for those sweltering summer rides. Tammy, recently recovered from an epic battle with a cabinet door, went off and did her own ride and the rest of us went up Trash Hill. (When you get to the top, ask your legs why they call it "Trash Hill".) The plan for the ride was to do several uphill Time Trials in the park. That sounded like a little more than I wanted to do, so I told Jon I would join them for the first hill and then work my way back to the car.

I made it to the top of Trash Hill, not too worse for wear, and started planning my route back. I would stay with Jon & Gerald for a bit going down the back of the mountain, then cut over to the cars while they went and did more hill climbs. I admit I don't know the back roads of Griffith Park very well, but I think I could find my way to the parking lot. Jon & Gerald tried giving me advice, and I still can't believe what they told me. They said, in all seriousness and with straight faces, "you'll be safer if you stay with us."

Safer. What planet are they on?!

My plan was to stay on the main road and pretty much coast back to my car. Their plan was to turn off and zoom down a steep, narrow, sharply winding mountain road down to the bottom, only to turn around and climb back up right to where we started. I would have to be an idiot to stay with them.

So what did I do? I followed them of course. I may be an idiot, but I'm an idiot who will have quads of steel.