Kim, just thought I'd pass along an event from today's ride.
"Luggs" [not his real name] and I headed out of town south
and ended up on R63 just west of Indianola.
Just before the corner what had been a foggy ride
with an east wind turned into a drizzle
and then a full-blown downpour.
Big drops of rain that were bouncing on pavement
and hurting the face.
Close to some kind of hail.
Visibility that had been 1/2 a mile was down to less than 1/4.
I hesitated putting my foot down at the corner
as the flat pavement appeared to be covered
with an inch or two of water.
I'm really beginning to wonder at my sanity
and was about to confer with "Luggs" as to our next step.
We both figured as long as we were in it we might as well press on.
Some gent pulls up in a pickum up truck
and asks if we're getting wet.
Apparently it was dry in the truck or something.
Asks if he could give us a ride somewheres.
I swim over and tell him "it isn't a ride unless it's memorable".
Or so says the reverend.
(You don't have a copyright on that, do you?)
If'n I knew you were free Thursdays you could come along.
I think Fridays work for you though.
Cheerio, Keith [not his real name]
* * * * *
note the use of memorable, not epic.
nicely done, "keith."
there's WAAAAAAY too much of this "epic" shit,
and most of them aren't, anyway.
as i've always said, if you're having epic rides,
you're not riding enough.
strive for memorable.
that's pretty damned good,
as "keith" and "luggs" can attest.
9 comments:
Epic - 100 milesor more no less, adverse weather, at least 1 broken component, blood letting, gravel, at least 1 flat tire, no food in house upon return from ride, and fitful sleep that night due to nightmares of the days ride.
Bart
To Keith (not his real name?) and Luggs (really not his real name), I seem to recall another ride with the two of you involving attack rabbits and fog so thick that one couldn't see the bike ahead of them. I recollect the above mentioned Keith who is involved in aeronautical safety use the same logic as mentioned in yesterday's ride. That being to keep going and that things were bound to improve. Right after Keith uttered those words he disappeared entirely from view while still being only inches away. I am sure the above mentioned akas remember that less than epic adventure.
Duffy
Bart
If you added in a pissed of girlfiend you would be talking about the ride from des moines to Harlen. I think it was you who said "if we go right here it will be less hilly". I'm guessing you didn't get any that night. I remember this ride because my longest ride before that day was about 65 miles and I think we did about 130 that day. I call that ride epic for me because every ride since has been different then before that day.
chad
funny shit, chad, and an excellent point.
while that hilly 130-miler WAS an epic ride for you, for the rest of us, it was just another ride with bart [where every ride seems like a hilly century].
i'm glad it changed your perspective, chad. it made you a MUCH better rider. now, whether it's made you a better person, well . . . ;- ))
let's do it again soon, chad!
let's play in the rain tomorrow, okay?
Does that ride I did across Iowa back in '93 count as an "epic" 300 miles or just a memorable ride?
Having it on good authority that the Iowa 1 was indeed 300 miles I must protest not only Dave's question of whether or not the ride should qualify as "epic" but ALSO his poor form for not allowing this fish to get bigger.
A ride more than 1 year distant should accrue an additional 2% or more (depending on actual peak degree F at 2pm on that day in Liverpool) of its total in addtional miles for EACH retelling OR mentioning of said ride. Epic ride is also entitled to a bonus amount of padding not to exceed 1/4 of the total actual miles ridden whence the ride is ten (10) years or more distant. Leave the truth to the lawyers, we are talking epic rides here!
Did I ever tell you guys about that 646* mile ride I did across Iowa on gravel?
gravel automatically doubles actual miles ridden per the Cinco De Mayo Convivial Conference of 1996.
g pickle said: "Having it on good authority..."
that's ME! [conjuring winnie ther pooh]
"the Cinco De Mayo Convivial Conference of 1996"
was that the one with the massive puddle of puke in the parking lot?
i THOUGHT so! very convivial!
Chad, getting it up was out of the question as I think I'd used up all my testosterone on the road. I didn't get any that week as the gal-pal was having coo-chee issues after that ride. See you tomorrow, riding old farts, I done got me one of them there racin' license thing-a-ma-jigs.
twas more a hill of puke in my memory than a puddle, but I was a bit, ummm, out of it shall we say? I must defer judgement to my legal department.
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