Faux Spinning

It might sound impressive to say that I have been riding 2 to 3 nights a week since March. I guess it also sounds impressive to most people when they hear I build computers too. In both cases your since of wow should be blunted a bit. Please put away the confetti. One, building computers is easy, plug it all in and turn on, for the most part. Two, almost all of those rides were in the gym on an exercise bike, sad I know, but true.

No wind in my hair, what little there is. No song birds a singing and certainly no fields of corn to look upon or city streets to marvel at. Just 35-45 minutes of pain, boredom and Aesop Rock. Apart from the music, gym riding is the bane of this young fellows very existence. Chalk it up to any number of excuses, but riding in the gym is just plain convenient. If I want to get in dinner, hang out time with the wife, video games and a ride (or some form of exercise), then something has to give. Said "something" is my time on an actual saddle unfortunately.

Now that Crystal has left the women's communist party of exercise and joined me and the rest of the free world at the YMCA, it is even easier to just hit the gym. The heat is a nice scapegoat too, but to pretend that I am so busy that I can't find time for my two wheeled friend is a joke. I miss spinning down the road, but I also miss going out with my friends on their two wheeled friends.

Tonight there is a planned ride from la castle de brick and I can't go, too busy (dinner out with another couple and family in town), and I'm crushed. One missed ride does not a week of excuses make though. I am planning to bring my bike to beach next week. Apart from rides from our rental (house), I am hoping Crystal and I can catch the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke and spin through some beautiful sites. Two wheeled wishes and saddle soared dreams friends, wishes and dreams indeed.

Update: The ride tonight was canceled, because it is as hot as the devil's armpit today.

99¢ Turkey Necks

Turkey necks a plenty on this past weekends ride and for the low low cost of 99 American pennies. The ride mentioned was a Saturday spin from Richmond to Williamsburg proper with an overnight option at Chippokes Plantation State Park across the river from Jamestown.

I set out for my first long ride in a long time at 6:00am Saturday morning when Crystal gave me an elbow in the ribs to jump start the day. I had prepared my ride and gear the night before so the morning was a slow paced shower and bowl of cereal before Grant would pick me up at 6:45am. Grant was on time by HMT (H.olbrook M.ean T.ime) standards and we were four wheels rolling to his ladies place in the fan by 7:15am. A quick wheel prep and Grant's kiss good bye and we were two wheels rolling towards Millie's in shockoe bottom.

Landon and Mike were already waiting for us, coffees in hand, when we pulled up at 8:10am. We pounded fist, chit chated about overzealous joggers and shared a round of sun block. When we finally got on the road and were making the two hour trek to meet up with Russ, I flatted not one mile out of the city. Crappy luck aside, everyone was still in good sprites and we were spinning down the road not ten minutes later.

The ride down Rte 5 to meet up with Russ at 106 and 5 was uneventful, but presently spotted with Harley's and Hogs in what I am sure was folks flocking to some sort of event or fun run. Upon meeting up with Russ we exchanged more fist pounds and left little time till we were back on the road. Our next stop was a middle of no where gas station were we purchased refreshments and Mike got us all a "naner". Potassium in bellies we posed for a group shot in front of a 99 cent a pound turkey necks sign.

The last leg of the ride was spent on the ultra plush Virginia Capital Trail. Its the bee's knees for an inexperienced rider, but I felt a bit out of place riding on what was essentially a sidewalk for bikes. On the VCT we meet a really cool cat that we guessed was 80ish in age, a fellow cyclist and one of Grant's fanny packed brethren. He chit chatted with a few of our crew about the local cycling scene and places to eat. He also gave us warning about the W&M hard bodies in the area as though they may put a hurtin on our young eyes.

There must be a shortage of hard bodies on the W&M campus, that or the summer break see's them off in tropical locals. In any case the our ride the beautiful W&M campus had a hard body ratio of 5 to 0, its a good thing the architecture made up for it. Lunch saw us at Retro in the heart of colonial Williamsburg. We chowed down, chatted about the local disaster wall art and watched Russ steal fries out of the mouth of a young babe.

On our way out of the W-burg we stopped to have a dance off and offer you this as the result. Performance complete with spun our way to Jamestown to meet Crystal and Elizabeth in the parking lot. Landon and I packed up our rides and took a ride home to take care of Sunday activities, while Grant, Mike and Russ the James for more adventure.

Pictures

Mike's | Mine