Theres nothing like a good, hard ride through a hellish deluge to welcome you back to the bike after a week of rest. What a ride.
Yesterday afternoon saw me pedalling my fully-loaded full suspension bike fifty miles from Dallas to Fort Worth to the Rahr Brewery. It would be a chance for me to experience a nice, longish ride after not pedalling much at all for a week.
The first 20 miles was hot, hot, hot and all I could think about was how I was going to find a pool and jump in to it as soon as I reached my end point. I must have not been clear enough because as soon as I rode through Arlington -- my ride's mid point -- the sky opened up and all of a sudden this monsterous cloud dumped all of it's contents onto me and the land.
The Earth couldn't keep up with the Sky's tirade and, beaten, started to flood. At that point I found myself riding through 6-10 inches of standing water in some places.
All i could do at that point was continue on, wet and hungry, pushing through the pools on the road and just trying to keep my gear turning and my bike rolling onward.
Finally i saw the Fort Worth skyline and knew i was almost there. Then riding down Main Street and making a right I smelled it, like someone was baking fresh bread. But no, that isn't the smell of bread, it's BEER!!!
I was totally spent, i sat down -- now changed but still damp -- and sipped my Rahr Iron Thistle, glad for the beer's stout body when my own was chilled and worn out.
What a ride!
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Yesterday afternoon saw me pedalling my fully-loaded full suspension bike fifty miles from Dallas to Fort Worth to the Rahr Brewery. It would be a chance for me to experience a nice, longish ride after not pedalling much at all for a week.
The first 20 miles was hot, hot, hot and all I could think about was how I was going to find a pool and jump in to it as soon as I reached my end point. I must have not been clear enough because as soon as I rode through Arlington -- my ride's mid point -- the sky opened up and all of a sudden this monsterous cloud dumped all of it's contents onto me and the land.
The Earth couldn't keep up with the Sky's tirade and, beaten, started to flood. At that point I found myself riding through 6-10 inches of standing water in some places.
All i could do at that point was continue on, wet and hungry, pushing through the pools on the road and just trying to keep my gear turning and my bike rolling onward.
Finally i saw the Fort Worth skyline and knew i was almost there. Then riding down Main Street and making a right I smelled it, like someone was baking fresh bread. But no, that isn't the smell of bread, it's BEER!!!
I was totally spent, i sat down -- now changed but still damp -- and sipped my Rahr Iron Thistle, glad for the beer's stout body when my own was chilled and worn out.
What a ride!
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Hi Zach! - What was your route from Dallas to Ft. Worth?
ReplyDeleteI took old highway 180, basically the straightest shot that isnt an interstate. It's a fast road and the cars do whiz by but you have three lanes so i just ride in the midddle of the right one and take my space.
ReplyDeleteThanks Zac - I am going to have to try that some day. If I try it this summer I think I will need to get up pretty early to beat the heat. Still thinking about a massive DFW Unity Ride!
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