I just got back from my first longish ride with other people and it was a LOT of fun. I was able to keep up with the group, in fact keep up with the head of the group, despite riding my old juggernaut of a Trek, wearing combat boots, having a logging chain for a bike lock, and wearing my backpack full of miscellaneous shit.
Next week, I'm eating lunch at Subway, leaving my shit at home, and possibly stealing Todd's old Schwinn for the occasion. If I do that, I'll swap my wheels on to it. LOVE the asphalt slicks and I don't want to live without that 11-27 cassette.
Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!
I see myself doing a lot more of this in the very near future.