Fortunately, Tuesday had all of the right circumstances for a follow-up ride to Monday’s leg-killer. Although there was a pretty strong breeze out of the SE, the temperatures were hanging around the low-80s and the late-evening sunset provided plenty of time for a ride.
I call the Monday ride a “leg-killer” because I definitely felt the effects within a few moments of re-mounting the bike on Tuesday. Even though I felt good throughout Monday’s ride, I clearly inflicted some damage (in a good way) and my legs staged a full-on protest demanding no more abuse. Thus, Tuesday’s ride was not going to hit the performance marks of the previous day and I settled in to just enjoying a basic one hour plus ride in the saddle.
These legs are NOT built for recovery
My route took me south toward Lake Minnetonka in hopes of suffering with the wind-related effects as early as possible. This was useful to curb the suffering at the end of the ride, but I would discover that the wind was more from the east than it was from the south. All of my usual trails require that later stages return home while riding in from the west – encountering the eastern winds head-on. That was the case on Tuesday, as the last few miles provided no joy and instead delivered a series of cursing as I battled the gusts at a slow pace.
The ride stats were pretty basic and covered roads that have been a regular part of my 2010 riding season:
Where Monday’s ride was rather lonely due to everyone taking their usual “day off” from their formal training schedule, Tuesday’s roads were again full of cyclists. I have finally concluded to no longer even attempt to wave at anyone in drop-bars, as I am continually ignored on the road. I will wave back if they initiate some acknowledgment of me, but do not take the first step. I will let these “triathletes-in-training” continue to ride in their grumpy sort of way and not be part of the pleasurable experience that is riding a bicycle. Bah-humbug to them, I say.
As I pedaled along and encountered several other cyclists, I also realized a characteristic that I now have – which is that I no longer look behind me when I ride. I have finally broke myself of the habit to be concerned regarding what may be coming up the road from the rear and, instead, now concentrate only on the parts of the road that are forthcoming.
The focus is always to the front and never to the back
This isn’t to say that I am unaware of the various traffic that is overtaking me from behind. There are several clues to know if a car is coming up, including sounds of the tires on the road and even the behavior of cars approaching me from the opposite direction. I’ve just convinced myself that knowing a lot of details regarding what is behind me serves no real purpose in the ride.
When I was young and riding, looking back was a regular event. Then, most of my riding was taking place on fairly narrow country highways that had tight, two-lane roads with no shoulders. Getting passed by a car needed a little preparation, since cyclists were rare and automobile drivers weren’t really sure how best to pass one. Some would get close, while others would move fully over into the other lane. Either way – knowing that this was coming was all a part of being safe on the road (especially with no helmets or cell phones for some level of protection and safety).
My favorite part of getting passed back then was to have a large semi truck overtake me – especially if the road was going uphill. A 60 mph truck leaves a wonderful wake of turbulent airflow behind it that sucks you along. I imagine that it is similar to a boost of nitrous oxide into today’s “tuner cars”. I’d take full advantage of these bursts and would often get out of the saddle and “ride the wave” for a few hundred feet until the wind effects would die down. With most trucks delegated to freeways and modern cars being highly aerodynamic, this effect no longer happens.
But, in today’s riding environment – with wide roads that have dedicated shoulders for cyclists – the safety-related need to be concerned about the approaching car is fading. This is a good thing, as I would prefer to focus on the various obstacles that are coming up and not pay attention to roads that I have already traversed.
