It's a bunch of super awesome (way cooler than me) girls who have road bikes and love to go for long (and I mean l-o-n-g) rides. I thought I should join because (1) I have a road bike and I don't ride it nearly enough (2) I love riding my bike (3) meeting people who love the same things you do = friends!
it's simple mathematics.
My first ride was last Monday. A "moderate" (as they call it) 30k jaunt past Jericho beach, the Spanish Banks, up and around UBC, etc. It was a beautiful ride. And it was, for the most part, very challenging. Just like hiking, I am humbled by the biking here. I consider myself a fairly strong biker, having cycled for several years now and even competed in a few athletic events (though I only managed middle-of-the-pack finishes). One of the "hills" that we rode up was 2 kilometers long, and straight up. My hamstrings were schreeching in pain. If it wasn't for the amazing view and the fact that I was trying to look cool with these "chicks", I would have turned around and enjoyed the downhill spin.
Post-ride, I felt FANTASTIC! And i looked very much forward for the 80k Saturday ride through the mountains that the cyclers were gushing about.
When Saturday came, the day was perfect for biking. A few clouds. A warm, but not an intense sun. A cool breeze. Paradise.
I hopped on my bike to meet up with the Chicks. The meeting point, where we all leave from, is about 5k from my house. So I have to ride there first. On the way, a careless motorist, who was in her parked car, opened her door right when I was beside the car. I swerved to avoid a collision with the big metal door and lost control of my bike. Because my feet are clipped into my pedals, I couldn't get them out fast enough, and I crashed, rather embarrassingly, in front of the woman getting out of her car and a few pedestrian passersby.
Trying to maintain my composure and my dignity, I dusted myself off, wiped the blood from my knee with my shirt sleeve, and tried to seem ok. (I wanted to cry.) I was a bit shaky, but it was just a few scrapes. The kind that scare you more than hurt you when you're a kid, so you cry for the sake of crying and then you're fine five seconds later.
So I carried on my way to the meeting point, a little coffee pub called Fabio's at Broadway and Ontario.
Unfortunately, my cafuffle with the car door had impeded my time and as I arrived at our meeting destination, the cooler Chicks were riding off into the sunset.
So I turned around and rode home.
Cleaned up my wound and pouted.
Good news: there are many more cycles to be had! And I am off again this evening to explore this beautiful city on two wheels!
