peddling fool

As 21st Century Mom wrote, we’ve got a date with Runner Susan for a bike ride in wine country next month.  It’s actually LESS than a month away…and I have not been on my bike since November.  Well, until now that is…

I’ve heard people say that once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget.  This may be true.  However, there is much more involved in riding a bike on the road, with the CARS, that I seemed to have forgotten.  

When I first learned to ride a bike, my Dad ran  along side of my holding onto the back of my banana seat.  Even if I could no longer feel him holding the back, hearing his footsteps beside me was comforting.  Once they were gone, I promptly fell, and then got mad seeing him half-way down the block.  It’s hard venturing out alone when you are uncertain.

In my case, it had to be done.  I don’t want 21st CM and RS to wish they didn’t invite me along because I am too horribly slow.  So, at lunchtime, I clicked my shoes into the pedals on Donna (My bike: Bianchi Eros Donna) and joined the tight-butt cyclists on the road.  

I was already in a bit of a pickle at the first light, where one must be in the center lane to turn left into the main road (bypassing the frontage road that those in the left lane are turning onto).  Since there was no car behind me, the light remained red.  Instead of breaking the law, as I’ve seem many cyclists do in this situation, I moved to the pedestrian’s crosswalk and pushed the button to cross.  That was when the cars arrived.  I was left in the far right and unable to safely (my standards) maneuver a turn on the desired road.  I crossed over and joined the cars on the other side, waiting like a rookie-cyclist to go.  Fortunately, that was the worse of my ride.

Moments later, I was trekking along.  With wind and pollen blowing in my face, a feeling of success overcame me.  I did a virtual wave to my Dad and left him standing there in the street as I pedaled solo.

With little time allotted, I pedaled as fast and hard as I could.  I had a desired turnaround in mind and hoped that I would reach it before running out of time.  Not only was it a fair distance from work, but it also had a nice exit from the expressway (including an overpass) allowing for a smooth transition to the other side.

After successfully reaching my turnaround point, I returned to the office to find that the act of taking a break for lunch did indeed curse my relaxing workday; thing had indeed blown up as I had feared.  I smiled anyway, thinking only of the day off that I intend to take for cycling, wining, and dinning with 21st CM and RS.  

I am also looking forward to uploading my data from Ms. Garminia (including cadence from GSC 10‘s first road trip.)  If only I could find my ANT+ stick. It seems to have left it’s designated resting spot.