biketeam: the epic ride

pete and I got out on the bikes, it's true. I mean, we are in training after all.

we rode up city creek canyon since it's an odd day. it was my first time really riding up the there since I was denied the last time I tried. it was really pretty. and a bit chilly. {good thing I had the DIY arm warmers with me!} and the ride down was a little frightening.

okay, I have something to admit. I am scared of hills. not the going up, but the coming down. terrified. to. death. speed just freaks me out. {this is my problem with skiing too} the thought of my little skinny tire hitting a pebble wrong and sending me to the pavement at high speeds freaks me out. adding cars into that equation and I'm even more terrified. but this is something I need to get over. I need to be safe, sure, but I shouldn't feel this compulsive need to ride my brakes the whole way down. seriously, it is limiting my potential.

so what do I do? I need to get out there and face my fear. just get over it. city creek is the perfect place for that since I don't have to worry about cars. just the speed. I'll probably be headed there for all my mid-week rides for a while.

so a flat tire. since I was ahead of pete I stopped near the turn-around point to wait for him to catch up. I waited for a while. thought it was weird he hadn't shown up yet, so I figured I'd ride back down a little ways and find him. and a little ways down I did find him. off to the side of the road leaning over his bike. just waiting.

the flat tire. he had turned down so many people's offers to help because he thought I would come back for him with all the tire repair stuff. unfortunately, the saddle bag was emptied when we went to fargo so pete could have the tire-irons and the spare tubes, etc. we didn't even have a pump on us! (he also thought I would have my CO2 cartridge. nope.) I felt like such an idiot--we had set off on a ride totally and completely unprepared!

after talking through our options--I was completely prepared to cruise home as fast as I could to get the car--some guy stopped to see if things were okay. this time we jumped at the chance for some help. he only had a pump, but the tire wasn't holding any air. it was totally flat.

so we start walking down the canyon, still talking about our options. then another guy stops to see if we're okay. this guy saved us! he let us have his spare tube (we gave him our flat tube in exchange. aren't we nice? at least he could patch it up, right?) and use his pump. a few minutes later pete was back in the game. good thing, because did I mention that it got pretty chilly up in that canyon when the sun disappears? I was shivering. at least once we were out of the canyon and back in the city the temp rose significantly. don't you just love the heat island effect? {only in this instance!}

the ride home was of little incident. I am so grateful cyclists are so incredibly nice. there is a good, karmic vibe floating around the scene. we would have been screwed had that guy not been willing to give up one of his tubes. thank you, nice man!

okay, so the moral of the story is? always be prepared. and get over your fears.

the end.

18.some-odd miles; city creek canyon