The Bike Gods Send Warnings - How Not to Ride
How can good plans go bad??? Today, tested us in ways none of us could have dreamed.
635am - Bob calls Sara - apologizing for the early morning call. Sara wonders - why is he apologizing. I will be there at 645a. Meanwhile, Mike is traveling south to Hillcrest and LBJ. He does not hear the cell phone ring (advising him that Bob and Sara are going to be late. (Oh, what again!!!)
715am - We're off! Sara and Bob are sensing that the air is cold this morning. Mike is warm and toasty in his wind breaker. BRRRRRR!
717am - Look - mud! Retreat, retreat. We back up and use the road not the trail to bypass this pile of mud under the overpass.
724am - Now we've done it. It looks like a lava field without the sharpness or heat. Ok - so it's more mud! Retreat and find an alternate route.
730am - Walking our bikes off the trail and into a shopping center parking look that looks on Forest Lane. We are confident now that we will travel the remaining 5 miles to White Rock using main roads.
731am - Mike yells out - Chain Off - pulling over.
732am - Mike fixes chain and gets ready to ride. OH NOOOOOOO - his front tire passed air. It looks flat only on the bottom.
733-800am - Mike demonstrates the art of changing a flat bicycle tire. Sara and Bob are curious and ask questions. Mike is patient. Mike shows us the proper way to change the tire.
801am - Team Wheeler Dealers make decision to return to base camp at Hillcrest and 635. From this point, we will load up the bikes and drive to White Rock.
835am - As we approach White Rock Lake, Sara notices signs stating there is a Festival at White Rock today. Lots of people, police directing traffic and a marathon, 10k and 5K. Watch Out!
845am - We are riding again! Watch out for all the runners. They are everywhere. Weave, slow down, on your left, on your right, in the middle.
900a - Bob breaks away. Sara and Mike are stuck. Bob's riding fine but Sara and Mike are nowhere to be seen.
910a - Mike and Sara meet up with Bob at Flag Pole Hill. They are a bit perturbed. In unison, they state that they are taking their bikes and calling it a day. They make it clear to Bob that they are not having fun. We agree to meet back at Big Thicket.
912am - Up the hill we go, first Sara, then Mike. Then Mike flies like the wind. Sara follows and Bob can only dream of moving that fast. Sara and Mike are free. They are having fun again. Bob believes that we can ride the remainder of the morning.
930am - Sara is stalked by a very intelligent idiot. He pulls his car behind Sara and then lays on the horn. Startled and shaken, Sara maintains her poise and does not lose control of her bike. Meanwhile, Mister Intelligent Idiot passes her at an unsafe distance and boldly waves to Sara. Sara maintaining her dignity returns the wave with one of her own, fingers that is.
935am - Bob finally arrives at Big Thicket to find Sara in distress. Mike providing verbal comfort. Sara describes her horrible encounter. We arrive at the same conclusion....The Wheeler Dealers are not to ride their bicycles this fine Sunday morning. The bike gods have shown us. We agree to adjourn and head to La Madelaine for coffee and food.
In keeping with the morning, Bob takes the longest way possible to get to La Madelaine. Oh well, the coffee, muffins and omelet helped us all to lick our wounds and feel better about the experience we just shared.
635am - Bob calls Sara - apologizing for the early morning call. Sara wonders - why is he apologizing. I will be there at 645a. Meanwhile, Mike is traveling south to Hillcrest and LBJ. He does not hear the cell phone ring (advising him that Bob and Sara are going to be late. (Oh, what again!!!)
715am - We're off! Sara and Bob are sensing that the air is cold this morning. Mike is warm and toasty in his wind breaker. BRRRRRR!
717am - Look - mud! Retreat, retreat. We back up and use the road not the trail to bypass this pile of mud under the overpass.
724am - Now we've done it. It looks like a lava field without the sharpness or heat. Ok - so it's more mud! Retreat and find an alternate route.
730am - Walking our bikes off the trail and into a shopping center parking look that looks on Forest Lane. We are confident now that we will travel the remaining 5 miles to White Rock using main roads.
731am - Mike yells out - Chain Off - pulling over.
732am - Mike fixes chain and gets ready to ride. OH NOOOOOOO - his front tire passed air. It looks flat only on the bottom.
733-800am - Mike demonstrates the art of changing a flat bicycle tire. Sara and Bob are curious and ask questions. Mike is patient. Mike shows us the proper way to change the tire.
801am - Team Wheeler Dealers make decision to return to base camp at Hillcrest and 635. From this point, we will load up the bikes and drive to White Rock.
835am - As we approach White Rock Lake, Sara notices signs stating there is a Festival at White Rock today. Lots of people, police directing traffic and a marathon, 10k and 5K. Watch Out!
845am - We are riding again! Watch out for all the runners. They are everywhere. Weave, slow down, on your left, on your right, in the middle.
900a - Bob breaks away. Sara and Mike are stuck. Bob's riding fine but Sara and Mike are nowhere to be seen.
910a - Mike and Sara meet up with Bob at Flag Pole Hill. They are a bit perturbed. In unison, they state that they are taking their bikes and calling it a day. They make it clear to Bob that they are not having fun. We agree to meet back at Big Thicket.
912am - Up the hill we go, first Sara, then Mike. Then Mike flies like the wind. Sara follows and Bob can only dream of moving that fast. Sara and Mike are free. They are having fun again. Bob believes that we can ride the remainder of the morning.
930am - Sara is stalked by a very intelligent idiot. He pulls his car behind Sara and then lays on the horn. Startled and shaken, Sara maintains her poise and does not lose control of her bike. Meanwhile, Mister Intelligent Idiot passes her at an unsafe distance and boldly waves to Sara. Sara maintaining her dignity returns the wave with one of her own, fingers that is.
935am - Bob finally arrives at Big Thicket to find Sara in distress. Mike providing verbal comfort. Sara describes her horrible encounter. We arrive at the same conclusion....The Wheeler Dealers are not to ride their bicycles this fine Sunday morning. The bike gods have shown us. We agree to adjourn and head to La Madelaine for coffee and food.
In keeping with the morning, Bob takes the longest way possible to get to La Madelaine. Oh well, the coffee, muffins and omelet helped us all to lick our wounds and feel better about the experience we just shared.
posted by Wheeler Dealers at
11:00 PM
3 Comments:
Yeah, it was like we used up all our good riding karma last weekend. If we're lucky, we got a big chunk of tough breaks out of the way and will have clear sailing through to the MS 150 finish line!
Did it really take me half an hour to change that flat? I was guessing more like 15 minutes, but I suppose time flies when you're busy barking all the skin off your knuckles.
Mmmmm... that cream cheese... thingy I had at La Madeleine was pretty darned yummy. Not at all the sort of thing a guy training for a 150-mile bike right ought to have been eating. Which is probably why it so effectively lifted my spirits.
In future, it might be best to avoid planning a long training ride on April Fool's Day. You'd think we'd know better!
Hmm. What day does April 13 fall on, this year? (The question is rhetorical, incidentally. It's a Friday.)
You know that this squirell bait will be far away from her bike on the 13th. After my last warning from the bike gods I have learned my lesson and am not ready to test the all mighty again!
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