5-Star RBW Style

Date: Mar 28 Wed
Mileage: 21.5 (Bleriot)
March mileage: 149.5
Year to date: 589.5

I though of a variety of different spiffy titles for the entry today, but allinall I enjoyed a kick-ass ride in incredible weather. I couldn't have had a better time. The fam head to church, so in the interval I head out on the Bleriot, fully be-decked in I/Grant style. That is to say, I wore a white T-shirt. I guess that isn't RBW style, but I did have on MUSA shorts with a liner and my Teva's held in by my Powergrips. I didn't have the lycra shorts. Nor did I have the matching lycra jersey or the Sidi $250 shoesoftheyear. I did have a damn good time getting my time in in and around Seneca, Cherokee and the neighborhood. There wasn't anything overtly different about any of it. The Bleriot is an excellent, excellent machine. The Teva's did fine. The MUSAs did fine. The weather was perfect (upper 70sF). The park is awash in the brilliant color of green, green and more green. Many of the trees are past initial flowering and are growing legitimate leaf buds. It was all damn good. One time I just had to sit up and clap to myself b/c it was exactly what I wanted to be doing at the time. Did I mention the Bleriot? I have numerous mounts in the stable, all of them looking to find the niche, fill the void. The Bleriot is just a bike, and a near-perfect one at that. It's for riding, goofing, exploring, commuting. I leave the Carradice mounted for errands and such. It's just IT.

Most fun moment of the day was heading- yet again- up dog hill in Cherokee. I've alluded to it 5 or 6 times on this blog. This time, no, explanation. Dog Hill is part of the scenic loop, wherein the left half of the road is closed to traffic and is marked for pedestrians, et. al. I guess it functions like mostly any other multi-use trail. The right side is for cars. I'll sometimes straddle the dividing line, not quite car, not quite leisure. Today, on my left, somewhat veering in and out of the pedestrian traffic passed by two little dudes, maybe 12 or 14, both on Motobecones and fully kitted up. They were moving pretty well. Obviously, they have a much higher strength-to-weight ratio that this lard-ass.
Their initial burst subsided some so I geared down and took after them, catching and passing them right at the apex. They smiled and seemed like nice little dudes, perhaps twins. Shortly thereafter came a man and daughter, her maybe 15. What a family! all on their road bikes doing the park thing. Me, I would rather be on the Bleriot in my Teva's, but I sure as hell would be proud of my boys in full road style! The whole fam made it up Hogan's Fountain hill more efficiently than I, but in the ensuing slowdown I caught back up a bit. They then headed up Chauffer's rest, so of course I had my carrot in front of the burro. Dad daughter and 1 boys stayed ahead, but I caught the 2nd, smiling and greeting him as I went by. It was all in good, good fun and doing what we all loved. A great moment and one I'll remember for a while. Good for me to be on the road. Good for them to be doing something fun as a fam instead of playing videogames or something more nefarious.

I made my way, on the Bleriot, to church for choir practice and then returned home via Seneca Gds. with the blinkie lights on. I used to love more riding in the dark, but pretty much all my morning commutes are rides in the dark. This one was very satisfying. Damn good and I hope those others in the country can enjoy as good a Spring spin as I did today.