After a really lazy start to my day (I stayed in my robe and read on the sofa until almost noon) I decided that another bike ride was in order. Knowing that my bike was about due for a quick “tune up” (which consisted of mysterious things being done to the brakes and, I think, the tires) I called Black’s Cycle and asked what the protocol for this tune up would be.
I *love* these guys!
I was told that the tune up would take about ten minutes and that I could bring it in any time. When I asked how today was looking I was told today would be a great day for bringing the bike in because they were a little slow on the builds and repairs.
This in mind, I decided to have the bike tuned before I hit the trails. I loaded Jasmine into the car and then put the bike rack and bike onto the car. THEN I went back into the house and got my credit card - not needed for the tune up, but I figured that just in case I saw something I needed (like a pair of riding gloves or maybe a knap-sack with a bladder insert?) I could purchase it and take it out right away.
So, finished at Black’s (with my new gloves AND knap sack with bladder insert in hand) I headed back up to Seal Bay Park . Just as I hit the turn off to Larch Road
Oh well! If I relapse, I relapse, right?
Today’s ride was loads of fun – the rain had loaded the branches down and the puddles up. Initially I started with trying to dodge these things, and then I decided that it was WAY more fun to just blast through it all. I rode the same route I did yesterday and this time I decided that I would try to ride directly over the gimungoous root. My plan was to speed up. While in theory this may have worked for someone with more experience and better control, it just made my wipe-out more entertaining.
Yup – 41 years old, and have now, officially, had my very first bike accident.
I’m just glad that there wasn’t anyone around to see how spectacularly uncoordinated I really am. I had to do some strange wiggling around in order to get into a position that would actually allow me to get up off of the ground (Ok, actually it was mud) and into a standing position, but nothing was really hurt. I have a couple of places that will be sporting some lovely bruising in a few more hours, but all in all, it was a successful ride.
By the time I was finished, Jasmine and I were totally soaking wet. I have also, now, at 41 years old, decided that there actually IS an acceptable situation in which track pants can be stripped off in a public location. I loaded Jasmine into the car and decided that if I got into the car as I was, my seat would get soaked AND dirty. Thank God for the bike-shorts under my track pants, because I stripped those babies (the track pants, not the bike shorts) off and got into my car as was!
Home, showered, dried off, and hot cup of coffee now in me, I am thinking that I may need to get a cape. There’s something about riding my bicycle that makes me think I should be wearing a cape. Probably the fact that it makes me feel like a little kid. Plus, really, it would just be cool to actually have a cape.
Maybe I’ll see if my friend Linden
With love across the waters,
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