Men of Leisure Ride: The RULES

For the majority of the year the squad focuses on mixing the demands of day jobs and the hustle and bustle of living in New York City with early mornings training and even earlier mornings racing bikes. Thankfully this at times intense athletic regime does not preclude the squad from the occasional (or perhaps more than occasional) night out on the town.

After one such late night several years ago the idea of the "Men of Leisure Ride" was born. Rooted in the idea of addressing a severe lack of sleep or perhaps a serious hangover, a loose set of rules formed around these early (or more often late) afternoon team rides.

THE MEN OF LEISURE RIDE: THE RULES

1. If you are only 25% sure you can pull it together enough to ride a bike that day, you're 110% ready for a Men of Leisure ride.
2. The start time of the ride may be the subject of constant debate but should never include the term "AM" or "early bird."
3. If you have debated going out for so long that the departure time falls on the hottest part of the day, you have succeeded.
4. If you went to bed before 2AM or got more than eight hours of sleep this ride probably isn't for you.
5. E-mails, text messages and social media mockery are all acceptable means to goad hungover teammates to join the ride.
6. The pace shall be set by the slowest / most hungover participant. If you push the pace unnecessarily you should be prepared to either sit up and wait or to ride solo.
7. Calorie consumption is determined mathematically: number of miles ridden x 100 / the square root of Snickers. Said differently: eat whatever you want.
8. The ride must include at least one rest stop with a suggested duration equivalent to 50% of the total ride time.
9. If there is an option to have extra egg, cheese or meat on your breakfast sandwich, the answer is yes.
10. Bonus points for doughnuts and/or iced coffee. Double bonus points awarded for sunbathing opportunities.
11. If scheduled at the conclusion of the ride, a bar or any establishment serving cold adult beverages qualifies as an appropriate rest stop.
12. According to the rules, one lap of Central Park technically qualifies as a ride (subject to meeting the rest stop requirements).
13. Have fun. Ride your bike.

MEN (AND WOMEN) OF LEISURE RIDE PHOTOGRAPHS BY @PHOTORHETORIC