The Bicycle Commuting Odyssy
Since Mark and I moved to the east side of town, I haven’t been riding my bike as much. I experimented for a bit with driving the first two or three miles and riding the rest, and a few times with linking biking and bus routes. Yesterday morning, I sucked it up and rode the whole 9.5 miles from home again.
The morning ride was surprisingly pleasant. I buzzed up the hill to our department in the foothills west of town in about 45 minutes. Much better than the hour-long rides I used to do when we first moved. I think my little red bike is faster, and perhaps all of the Lumpy Ridge climbing this year helped a bit with my aerobic fitness, who knows.
The trip home, however was MUCH more exciting! At about 1:30p, flash flood warnings were issued for our town. In the past, these late summer storms have produced fast and deadly flooding. I left the department when heavy rain suddenly appeared south of town, and attempted to beat the storm home.
I failed at that. I’d say yesterday was the most soaked I have ever been in my life. I was dripping wet and making squishy noises when I finally walked into the garage. I was nearly struck by lightening, pounded by hail, and road through a flooding creek more than once. Amazingly, my 16 year-old Timbuk 2 backpack is STILL waterproof!
I didn’t get to take any pictures, but you can enjoy a breakdown of the exciting ride on the map below. Click to see it full size and hopefully you can read my commentary. Mark road south-to-north in a break in the weather at around 6p and only had light rain for about 2 miles. Ah, cruel fate.
Yesterday Katie gets the the hardcore bicyclist award. The most I could bring to my side of the scales was a little rain and a nasty headwind (and a squishy-soft front tire). Katie wins bicycle commuter of the day!
I bought a recumbent bike, and have been biking to work about 2 times a week. From fiona’s, it’s 15 miles each way, which makes for a pretty good workout. I’m trying to make it up to 3 times a week, but so far, I’ve been too lazy. But, your trip sounds much more nerve-wracking than most of my trips.
BTW, did you feel strangely out of energy when you got home? The one time I got trapped in a sudden rainstorm, I practically couldn’t pedal the last 2 miles. Weirdest thing….
I think it’s the bike. The soggiest, coldest and possibly the most miserable I’ve ever been was on a ride I took just after I bought the bike in early ’94. I rode from downtown Santa Fe south toward Madrid and got caught in a rain & hail storm in the long open stretch where there is NO opportunity for shelter. I thought my hands were going to freeze permanently to the handlebars… no cell phones then so finally got to a feed store with a payphone and called a friend to rescue me!!
Ha! Thanks everybody. I dunno Ann, I’ve had a lot of good rides on that little red bike this year. I think maybe it was my own bad timing. The bike did just great riding through the deep water in the flooded parts of the trail, I was really impressed.
Doug, I don’t know if I was “strangely” out of energy when I got home. I think I may have been *appropriately* out of energy. It was a pretty adrenaline-charged ride, especially with the lightening. I stripped off all of the wet, muddy clothes when I got home and sat in a hot shower for more than half an hour before I was warmed up again. Then I ordered pizza and fell asleep on the couch. :)
Katy, you need to talk to you brother about getting a water adaptation kit for your bike…..I think the common name for it is “floaties”. You know those little things you blow up and put on your arms when you’re little? If you blow them up enough, maybe they would work on your handlebars!! :-) Might be time to invest in a rainsuit. That’s what you’re dad got when he was running.
Stay dry! Love you! xoxomom
I had a day like on my bike tour, enhanced by a bent rim and having to find a campsite. Here’s a little quote minus the boring stuff: