I guess I had forgotten a bunch of things that make me want to do it. Since I finally got an appointment to see a doctor for my various ailments tomorrow I wanted to go for a longish ride before I'm told not to. Can't do much harm at this point. So hands and sciatica be damned, we're going for a ride. I switched a bottle carrier on to Lisbeth, boiled some water to clean out my long unused water bottle, donned my bike shorts for the first time this year and headed west.
Yes my hands go numb. Yes the right side of my oh so glutious maximus and the back of my thigh were a bit tight. But I finished what I started. A loop out Broadway across Twin City Crossroads and back in on Oliver. 38kmin just over 2 hours. Averaging almost 20kmph on a single speed means lots of pedaling.
I had forgotten what cresting even a slight hill and then rolling down the other side feels like, wind blowing over the smile on your face. Had forgotten getting into a rhythm when you don't touch the brakes for an hour or longer. The pedals going up and down and your legs just continuing to churn along like they have a mind of their own. Somehow the fact that a headwind going west does not always fulfill the promise of a tailwind when you turn back to the east slipped my mind. The taste of warm water and dandelion fuzz seemed new at first. The continual playing of a song deep in your grey matter that you just can't turn off, no matter how bad it may be. The snobs on road bikes that won't return even a simple nod. The jarring smell of a freshly dead skunk as you roll inches from it because the shoulder is that narrow. Being alone with your thoughts and free to go anywhere you want. Good and bad, things to smile about as they happen and many more that only bring a smile after they have time to ferment.
Can't wait to do it all again.
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