When I left my home here in Valley Center about 5 a.m., the sky was clear and the stars shone brightly. There was no wind to speak of and it looked like a picture perfect day for a ride. By the time I arrived at the Kansas State Fairgrounds at 7:15, the skies were dark and cloudy with that ever present "wind in whatever direction Peggy Miller rides into" starting to stir up. Remembering the cold and windy day of a year ago on the very same ride, it seemed like the weather just was going to refuse to give anyone a break once again. But there's something about the spirit of a bunch of crazy bike riders~most people there were "rain or shine" riders and they were going to be flexible enough to ride no matter what happened with dear Mother Nature.
I was fortunate enough to meet up with many of my friends from the biking community of Reno County. 3 of my teaching colleagues, Patti, Tonya, and Shelley were there for the ride. We had all done the Sand Plum Classic last year and it was Shelley who was my riding partner for the BAK last summer. And one thing about cyclists, even if you don't know one personally, they are all friendly and supportive to one another. So you always have this feeling of being with "family" no matter where you are or who you are riding with.
The ride started at 8 a.m. sharp and there we were, more than 300+ cyclists all bunched up together ready to go. With an escort by the Hutchinson Police Department ahead of us, we were able to make it safely out of the city limits with little difficulty. It was actually kind of interesting to watch the folks who lived on the streets that we went down. It was as though a parade of sorts had come to town and everyone and their brother was out to watch and cheer us on. I kind of liked that part of it all.
Everything was going pretty fine as we got through the first 5 miles or so. Oh, I had managed to get a little close to my friend Tonya's bike and we both kind of "lost it" for a bit but all was well once we got settled in. I grinned at her and said, "Hey, I've already used up 8 of my 9 lives so I gotta be careful!" So at LEAST I didn't crash but I did have a little issue, ok, ok...a big issue.
As we headed north towards the Highlands, an area I'm really familiar with having done a lot of training rides for the BAK there, I realized that my bike tire just wasn't quite right. As we neared the ascent of the first long hill, I knew exactly what the problem was....it's a strange thing about bike tires~without air and in a "flat as a pancake" condition, they just don't seem to go very well. "Miller's Bad Luck" was back!
Thankfully for a "good Samaritan" named Dave and Kwik Shop only a few miles away, I was saved! Tomorrow I'll be taking my bike into Harley's Bicycle Shop in Hutch to get it fixed and back in riding condition. I've been trying to be careful as I rode around Hutch and especially on the trail in the past few weeks. But undoubtedly I picked up something there that wasn't very "tire friendly." But all was well that ended well. Even though I didn't finish my entire part of the 12 mile route, I was able to put in plenty of miles before the ride on Saturday to give me a 15 mile total for the day. Hey, as I said earlier....AT LEAST I DIDN'T CRASH THIS TIME! :) That's gotta count for something!
I still don't ride as hard and fast as I did before my accident last year. Some of the hills that used to be commonplace for me to fly up and down are now "killers". But the "bottom line" remains the same....I am back on a bike and I intend for it to stay that way~and THAT'S a promise friends.
Wishing you all safety in everything thing you do! Oh, and by the way...if you ever want someone to ride a bike with, give me a call. It's way more fun to ride with another :)
Life is always good....but on Saturday, May 5th of 2012, it was even better! Such great fun to be back on my bike. It gets easier and less scary all the time. And by the way, don't fret...this was before the ride started. My helmet was actually nearby...I promised you all, no more riding without one. I shall keep my word~
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