LESSON LEARNED

Reasoning while on a bike ride

aka Reasons it is a bad idea to bike in the wind

aka: Things you learned while riding your bike today

When you begin your bike ride… the wind is blowing. Just because it has been a beautiful warm spring day does not guarantee the same in the early evening. Even if the sun is still shining and the skys are blue.

You think to yourself, ‘This isn’t too bad of a head wind, I’ll be gone less than an hour tonight.’

5 miles out (when you should have turned around) you decide to ride to the top of the hill to see if the new trail head is open yet.

It is.

With renewed vigor, you decide to ride out onto the new trail.

That head wind you thought you had when you started? It wasn't a head wind. THIS is now a real head wind. The kind you lean your bike into as your front tire wobbles around, trying to not be blown over.

Wind is cold. You wish you had that head band you bought to keep your ears warm when the temps are low. You are positive it was quite warm when you left?

You notice a little bird in the middle of the bike path with its feathers all blown this way and that. As you peddle by, you wonder ‘Poor little bird, is it dead or alive?’ It doesn’t move, so you assume it is either dead or its feet are buried in the asphalt because boy is the wind blowing hard.

You come to your senses 2 more miles out and decide to turn around.

Wait a second… the head wind just got worse. Weird.

You return past where the bird WAS. It is now gone and you realize the little bird was taking a break from the wind earlier. Smart little bird.

You keep peddling.

You seriously begin to wonder if you are going to make it home alive when you turn a corner and sweet relief, the wind begins pushing you down the path.

You wonder to yourself ‘I wonder how hard the wind it blowing?’

You notice leaves blowing past you as you peddle and glance down. You are going 21 miles per hour. Hmmm. No wonder, can’t wait to get home.

This tail wind only lasts about a mile. The ‘head wind’ begins again.

You realize that the wind is actually blowing from all directions simultaneously when you notice flowering tree blossoms swirling in tiny whirlwinds all around you. It finally makes sense.

You begin musing about all of the reasons why it is a bad idea to be biking in a wind storm because you also take note that most of your ride has been in some of the lowest gears, even when going downhill. Unheard of.

You think to yourself. Mother Nature is having some fun with me tonight. I can barely breath. You think of that time you blew in a baby's face and they gasped for air. Not so funny when it's you having the wind blown out of your lungs.

You don’t realize you have been sweating until you are safely inside your home where the wind is no longer blowing.

You look up the wind speed on the weather channel. 23 miles per hour. That explains the leaves. It also explains why you could barely maintain 10 miles per hour most of the ride. As you think about this, you are CERTAIN there were frequent wind gusts of much more than 23 miles per hour tonight.

While you vow never to make that mistake again (the term fair weather biker now refers to wind conditions as well as temperature and precipitation), you feel great for having accomplished such an impossible feat… now that it is done.

Not all bike rides are created equal.

AND you didn’t fall over on your bike.

… did that sound like bragging? No. It was NOT bragging. It was an expression of gratitude. Gratitude that you have not fallen over on your bike yet. Very very grateful for that one. Very.

...and very grateful to be home safe and sound tonight.