The Journey Resumes…Soon

 “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ursula K. Le Guin

 

The weather is warming!  It’s one of my favorite things about living in Central Virginia.  The “warm” seasons last a long time here.  The week that I’m writing this has both an 80 degree day and a day with a 60% chance of snow.  All in February!  Living here for the last eight years tells me that riding weather will soon be here.  So, I put my trusty companion up on the service rack to get him ready.

I’ve gone through most of the stages of riding a bike.  The first is the “Riding A Bike” step at the beginning.  I was in second grade when I got my first bike, training wheels included.  Those extra wheels came off and my world expanded.  Next came a full sized bike, and then a ten-speed.  That’s was the posh ride by the 1970s.  I rode longer distances by the time I went to college.  Me, my bike was my only transportation other than walking in those days.  I ventured from my college in Edinboro to Meadville to visit a friend at Allegheny.  That was a huge adventure for me.  When I checked that ride today, it turns out to be under 20 miles!  A distance I dispatch with regularity now.

After college, life got “serious” and I did very little riding.  My bike suffered from the lack of care and I eventually junked it.  A few years later, friends got me interested again, I bought a bike second hand from one of them and have enjoyed myself since.

Leaving the quiet rural roads of western New York, with their wide (if treacherous) shoulders, for central Virginia where shoulders are rare, put me on my heels for a year.  People drive fast and there is no place to go except into a ditch or tree, followed by a trip to the hospital.  After a year, I had to get back on the road, and made the cautious decision to try urban riding in Richmond.  There is a growing number of bike paths and dedicated lanes in the city, and the drivers are generally gracious.  With those who aren’t gracious firmly in mind, I work some extra caution into my riding equation.  It wasn’t enough one day.  I was optimistic, and the driver was looking away.  She was beside herself and stayed till the ambulance and police showed up.  My injuries were mostly bruises and abrasions, so I count myself lucky.

Now I’ve reached the point where I catch myself thinking “If I can’t get at least ten miles in, is it really worth doing?”  I try to ride the Capital Trail once every summer.  At 50+ miles, it’s a challenge for me.  A challenge I love.  My goal for this summer is to ride it twice!  Once early in the riding year and once late.  Mid-summer is too hot for anything too adventurous.

I set my personal best for miles in 2021, with 1,003.7 miles.  Last year was a bust for a variety of reasons with only 208 and no Cap Trail ride.  I don’t know that I can hit the top number, but that’s the goal.  I’ll re-visit my favorite rides, explore some new roads, and enjoy myself immensely!

It’s not about where I go.  It’s about going.

(Here’s my trust early ‘90s bike “Wally” getting cleaned and adjust for 2023.  The stand is a Christmas present from this past year.  I’m unreasonably excited about it! )