Special Delivery

As it turns out, this little ride a little bit of everything in store for me.

Indeed, I set out to make a special delivery of sorts. Here is the back story on that. I wanted to get my pass application for riding on the Glacial-Drumlin trail in. After making out a check with the application paperwork I had picked up along the trail on Wednesday during my 54-mile ride I could not for the  life of me figure out how to turn the thing into an envelope. Apparently my brain cells are now limited.


My plan was to put the ap and the check into a regular envelope and ride back out toward Wales to deposit the entire thing in the drop box.


Now heading west into a stiff west wind was a chore. I knew it would be. But the thing to do here is put your head down and just take your time. When I finally got to the box I dropped the envelope in and decided to continue west into the wind for one more segment of path. Thank GOD I made the decision to wear my wind jacket today...I almost didn't. The sun was now dancing behind clouds and it was chilly.


Mostly cloudy
63
Windy, 12-15
Toward Wales and back, 35 miles


I turned around at DT, loaded up my second bottle and looked forward to an easier time of it heading home. Or so I thought.


Oh at first it was fine, until I saw a guy coming from the other way toward me, then turn around as I crossed the street on the New Berlin trail. It was as if he was baiting me. Bold. I bit. I decided to grab his wheel. And now there was some cross-wind too. Well this skinny dude was haulin' ass. But I felt I had the legs so I tried to stay on. It was work. Major work. This guy was dancing with 25 mph steady all the way from Springdale to Calhoun, the longest stretch of that path.


I huffed. I puffed. I sprinted out of the saddle at times just to keep pace. There was no way I could overtake to even attempt to take a pull for him.


After crossing Calhoun he took off again. I was gassed. Done. Fork-sticking time. It was then I just said, "See ya bumblebee (he was in yellow and black) I'm cooked."


He was gone for a short bit and when I came up on Sunny Slope there he was loading his bike onto the back of his parked car. I slowed and yelled out to him, "Thanks for the pull. I would have taken a turn at the front but you were too fast." He said thanks and that was that.


From there to Greenfield Park it was like a race horse taking a cool-down lap. Time to back off the accelerator. Coming into the park I heard a guy behind me say "On your left." I pulled over and as he passed he said, "Now that's more like it."


I have no idea what he was talking about. My best guess was that perhaps he too was behind me trying to keep up and could only catch and pass after I was off the gas. Who knows. I don't think he was mad about anything. Just odd.


One final surprise too...what started as a sunny and mild day was now cloudy with a light blowing rain! 


Like I said, this special delivery ride had a little bit of everything.

Season Miles: 523