Ride Number Two

My Lovely Lovely and I went on her second ride. Her first ride (five miles) had gone so well that I thought we would go for at least five today, possibly more. Early we had been riding in the car, and these fateful words were heard: “It isn’t very windy today.”

Now, to clarify, this car contained one cyclist, one noncyclist and one aspiring cyclist. (Isn’t it interesting how everyone can be classified according to their relationship with their bike?) The noncyclist and the aspiring cyclist agreed with each other on the wind level. I kept my mouth shut in disagreement, largely because I have a tendency to notice flags and how they’re moving, and I had the idea that it was quite windy indeed.

Later, when my Lovely Lovely and I got on the bike, the first thing she noticed was the wind. “I guess it’s always windy around here,” she said. windy around here,” she said. Well, I don’t know about always, but it’s definitely windy in the Spring. Well, in the Winter, too, and maybe in the Fall and Summer, but that’s it.

The second thing that she noticed was that the saddle on her bike was less comfortable today than it had been yesterday. You get that until your…um…posterior gets used to riding.

She rode five miles on her first ride, so I figured we’d go for five miles again on her second ride.

We hit the first hill, and she did very well. We hit the second hill, and she began to coast. Now, at the risk of offering too much advice, I suggested that she not coast uphill. “My legs are burning.” Ah. This is where we pay for the previous day’s ride, I guess. After a couple of miles, though, she loosened up and was doing fine.

We passed a very large yard containing a very large dog which, for some reason, seems to spend most of it’s time standing on a picnic table. I guess it likes the view. It also likes to dart toward the fence and any cyclists who happen to be wandering by.

The ride was great, though we had to discuss such technical details as holding your line when you turn, and my legs were yearning for something a little bit longer. Still, the weather’s warming up again, which means I can get her out on the bike more and I can commute to work, so what’s not to like?

See you on the road.