Bike to work

There’s a week in May that is devoted to biking, Internationally. One day is all about women bikers, one day is for just getting out, and one day is international “Bike to Work Day.” So, on May 15, I got to the North Entrance just before six o’clock to join eight other people who were also biking “up the hill.” It’s a five mile, (something like) eight hundred foot rise. The road sucked. It was soft, squishy, and I spent a lot of time walking my bike up hills. I just couldn’t do it. I’m in pretty good shape right now but was totally ashamed to have to stop several times and just get off my ass so that I make it up the hill. You could argue that it’s a different muscle set than I’m used to using. You could argue that my bike is a hybrid so the tires aren’t as good for going uphill as the folks that I was with. I might argue that I still need to get into better shape.
Still, it was a beautiful morning, and for the most part, I was following Heidi, Vicki, and Carrie up the hill, so I got pictures with them. Rachel, Lynn and Stacey came up soon after. So did another woman and her husband whose names I am forgetting. Dagan and Brandon rode up the road since they both had skinny tires. Riding on the road scares me. Especially during tourist season. Those people are generally Nuts. However, there was no way in hell that I was going to ride down the Old Road by myself, so I did take the main road back down. Only five cars passed me, in two groups, and I was able to get to a pull-off both times. It was a freaking exhilarating ride. I made it up the hill in about 50 minutes and down the hill in about 20. I think I was screaming “Wheeeeeeeee! Wheeeeeeeee!” just about the whole way down. It was fantastic and something that I’d like to repeat. Maybe in September when there are fewer wing nuts on the road.