I forgot to pack the camera and this post almost...wasn't...because I know how much you people want pictures. But for the record, it should be said that the clown bike traveled. The Texas Tikit traveled to Tennessee.
At the airport baggage claim, the bike arrived, but my clothes did not. So I filed my claim, went to the hotel, unpacked the bike, and went for a ride. I might have been a little more stressed about the missing clothes bag if it weren't for the distraction of having a bike to ride (the other bag was delivered to the hotel later that night). The air pressure in the tires was a little low and I was dressed in non-cycling clothes, but me and Mr. Clown Bike made our way up some pretty big, steep hills. I just put it in low gear and kept spinning until I reached the top. I'm guessing I did about 45 minutes of slow climbing and fast descents. Little bike rolls over big obstacles.
When I returned to the hotel, the shuttle driver praised the bike. When I offered it to him to ride, he grinned and took it around the parking lot. Seeing this man, older than me, who said he hadn't been on a bike in years, pedaling around in his hotel uniform with a big grin on his face was good medicine.
After teaching all day, I went out again this afternoon. I mostly climbed the same hills and did another 45 minutes or so. Not terribly fast, not very far, but I rode my bicycle. I was outside, doing something, exercising, and refreshing my mind.
The weather forecast says it might rain tomorrow. If it doesn't, I'll get another ride. If it does, I'll simply pack it up and be grateful for 1.5 hours of riding I would not have had otherwise on this trip.
So, in summary, I might have been "just clowning around", but I guess I pedaled right over more than one kind of obstacle this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment