Justification

Why would I waste my time doing this?

Well, I have an inferiority complex - more so than most Rhode Islanders, and most cyclists.

Indeed, I'm a recent transplant to the 'biggest small state' and thus will probably never be considered a true Rhode Islander. But, I want to be one. I love the fierce independence, irreverance for rules, unbridled machismo, and quirkiness that scare most non-Rhode Islanders.

I'm also a relative newcomer to competitive cycling, but fighting hard to fit in.

The competitive roadies in big Northeast cities are the true hardmen of the sport in the U.S. Handling potholes without hardly a swerve and avoiding taxis without hardly a blink, the roadies of Boston and NYC are flat out insane. But don't discount Providence roadies either. The city might be much smaller, but in many cases the roads are even worse and the drivers even more insane. The weather that New England (aka New Belgium) roadies deal with is also flat-out insane. Rhode Island wheelemen are no exception.