Townie Looping

The weather was excellent yesterday so I took my first bicycle ride of the year. I did what I call my "townie" loop into Smithville, around the golf course, to the high school, and then back New Home towards my home. I didn't do too poorly in my current fatboy shape. I averaged 16 mph at just under 14 miles for the run. Traffic was light and nobody yelled at me which is always a plus. The first roadkill of the season was a big striped cat just inside the city limits. It won't be the last. I saw a bunch of little kids playing with bb guns and much to their credit they didn't shoot at me. It was just a good smooth ride and I felt great afterwards. Please let the warm weather continue.

Bicycle runs over dog: no winners

I ran over a dog today. I was on my bicycle. While it wasn't a pretty site it could have been worse. It seemed to happen in slow motion, an inevitable chain of events tied together by the laws of the universe with physics and gravity colliding to make a meat sandwich out of my right palm and cutting my ride short. The dog ran off whining under a culvert. But neither the dog nor myself were the first thing on my mind as I came loose from the clipless pedals and began the trajectory toward the pavement. The number one thng is the bike. Now to the bike snobs out there it might just be a Trek 1000 that's been upgraded just a bit, but to me it's a best friend and my only thought was I hope it's okay. A quick glance over my shoulder as I fell told me it might make it through this trauma. I jumped right up after I hit to inspect it and other than the chain popping off it looked to be okay. I noticed that flesh was hanging off my hand, but it was only 9 miles back to the house so I could tough that out. The chain grease mixed well with the blood and I got the chain back on and headed back for a date with some hydrogen peroxide and gauze. And damn; I was having such a great morning. Not a cloud in the sky and little Sunday traffic to deal with and then, BAM, one stray dog ruined my day...not that his day was likely improved by being run over by a bicycle. Note to self: now you know why all the bicyclists you know wear glovess, and it might be a good idea to pack a small first aid kit in your bike bag.

Porch Life

I don't have a front porch. I have a stoop, so we sit out on the back deck. I wish I had a porcj with a swing. When I was a kid I would sit out on the porch with my grandmother and watch people walk by, cars drive by, and kids ride by on their bicycles. There would be an iced tea by our side and we could sit for hours not saying anything just watching and waving at the parade. If I had a porch I could bring back that style, because people (even old ladies) don't wave from their front porch anymore. I've learned this from my cycling trips. I usually do at least 100 miles per week and the old ladies won't wave to me from their porches. I'll be friendly and wave, but they just stare at me. Perhaps they all have spandex phobias. I'll keep waving to them though and maybe someday I'll have a porch of my own.