Saturday, July 08, 2006
Lost in the ride
I've written before about how I love to loose myself in the bike rides I take. To appreciate the scenery, take in God's beauty and just be.
I must have been a bit too Zen this morning. I was following the arrows of a marked ride and came upon a fork in the road. I knew where I was and I knew what roads where around but this particular arrow pointed in an interesting and unknown direction. I did as I have done so many times since starting to ride I decided to get lost and figure it out. "Plus," I thought, "how far out of the way could it take me, I know another marked road is just up that way so it must loop around". As I took the road less traveled I thought again, "I'm probably going to regret saying that."
An hour later I was still peddling and doing well, but getting tired. I had now been in the saddle for an hour and a half. I knew I wasn't getting any closer to home because I knew where I was now. The last time I was here I had to drive 40min and ride 20mi to get there. But I had a social situation to deal with (call it bravado if you must). I was in Saturday morning cycling nirvana. Cyclists from all around the area come to this town to ride the beautiful roads with light traffic and challenging but not overly taxing terrain. Like I said, Nirvana. So I was spent and around all of these folks (some of whom I met (some of whom I have fallen in front of)). I turned in to a sub division and found a quiet corner to dismount and call for extraction.
I found an interesting park at which to wait. The park was also the PWD (public works department) for the town I was in. So all of these big, tubby, sweaty men's-men where parking their bulldozers and climbing into there Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 trucks looking at me in my spandex and cycling shoes like I wasn't even worth laughing at. And then I started to over-evaluate there gazes. They had to drive big trucks down skinny roads 6 days a week. They had to put up with cyclists all of the time and quite frankly a lot of cyclists need a lesson in manners or are like me and not experienced enough to be able to execute good manners all of the time. Maybe these guys would run me over and hang from the flagpole to ward off other namby-pambies like me. I got the gumption to ask if I could fill my water bottle. And you know what, I wasn't hung in effigy.
The wife was very nice about the whole thing. Dear even brought me post-ride food. I used this chance to teach the boys that you shouldn't go out on an adventure unless you know your way around, and if you don't make sure to tell someone where you are going and finally, take a cell phone.
I must have been a bit too Zen this morning. I was following the arrows of a marked ride and came upon a fork in the road. I knew where I was and I knew what roads where around but this particular arrow pointed in an interesting and unknown direction. I did as I have done so many times since starting to ride I decided to get lost and figure it out. "Plus," I thought, "how far out of the way could it take me, I know another marked road is just up that way so it must loop around". As I took the road less traveled I thought again, "I'm probably going to regret saying that."
An hour later I was still peddling and doing well, but getting tired. I had now been in the saddle for an hour and a half. I knew I wasn't getting any closer to home because I knew where I was now. The last time I was here I had to drive 40min and ride 20mi to get there. But I had a social situation to deal with (call it bravado if you must). I was in Saturday morning cycling nirvana. Cyclists from all around the area come to this town to ride the beautiful roads with light traffic and challenging but not overly taxing terrain. Like I said, Nirvana. So I was spent and around all of these folks (some of whom I met (some of whom I have fallen in front of)). I turned in to a sub division and found a quiet corner to dismount and call for extraction.
I found an interesting park at which to wait. The park was also the PWD (public works department) for the town I was in. So all of these big, tubby, sweaty men's-men where parking their bulldozers and climbing into there Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 trucks looking at me in my spandex and cycling shoes like I wasn't even worth laughing at. And then I started to over-evaluate there gazes. They had to drive big trucks down skinny roads 6 days a week. They had to put up with cyclists all of the time and quite frankly a lot of cyclists need a lesson in manners or are like me and not experienced enough to be able to execute good manners all of the time. Maybe these guys would run me over and hang from the flagpole to ward off other namby-pambies like me. I got the gumption to ask if I could fill my water bottle. And you know what, I wasn't hung in effigy.
The wife was very nice about the whole thing. Dear even brought me post-ride food. I used this chance to teach the boys that you shouldn't go out on an adventure unless you know your way around, and if you don't make sure to tell someone where you are going and finally, take a cell phone.
// posted by Bo @ 1:34 PM 
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