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FROM THE SUMMIT One of the things that can make a bike ride interesting is that we never know what to expect. Some rides are routine. Some include surprises, and the surprises can be pleasant or unpleasant. Occasionally on a ride I have seen a friend that I hadn’t seen in a long time, and those were pleasant surprises. I think we have all experienced the unpleasant surprise of having a fellow rider crash or being involved in a crash ourselves. Most of us have also had a mechanical problem that required us to be resourceful enough to make a repair on the road or find another way to get home. Sometimes a surprise involves finding something unusual on the road. On a recent solo ride, I found a wallet lying on the pavement on Paseo Padre. It contained someone’s driver’s license, credit cards and cash. I took it home, called the police and an officer picked it up. It cut my ride short, but I know I did the right thing. Sometimes a surprise on the road involves an animal. A few years ago I was riding on Mt. Eden Road near Saratoga. I glanced to my right and saw a brownish animal in the brush. I wasn’t sure what it was at first. I looked again and saw that it was a mountain lion, just a few feet to my right. I’m glad it ignored me. I maintained my speed and moved toward the center of the road. I looked back and did not see the mountain lion. I’m sure all of you have stories of surprises that made your rides more interesting. At the August club meeting, we will announce nominees for the 2014-2015 Board. I believe we have candidates for all of the Board positions. The election will take place in September. When the August newsletter is posted, I will be on a bike trip. I joined the California Bicycle Ride at the last minute. I have gone on a number of multi-day cycling trips. None of them involved camping. A camping trip will be a new adventure for me. I may say never again. I may like it and want to go on more camping trips. It will be interesting to find out.
Gary |
