Well it all started last Friday morning, I'm a bit late getting out of the house on the bike and I am on the newly built up Ti Motobecane, which is sweet! So I am about a mile in and I'm going through this tunnel of foliage, so to speak, and it's pretty damn dark in there (keep in mind this is before 7 am), when I hear that diesel (not Scottie D.) downshifting behind me and I know it is that thing I dread the most 9 months out of the year, the friggin' school bus. Now I've been through this before and this is why I am ultra anal about getting out of the house on time, once you get behind that school bus you are super-fucked, cause it's illegal to pass that thing when it's stopped (you know I hold the law in the highest regard), and even if you do get around, it is this pass and be passed thing that goes on forever. So I know the bus is trying to pass me, I am in a dark hole and I know the edge of the road is rough as hell, and I can see the kids at the next stop about 100 yards ahead. So I'm not getting over, in fact I'm moving to the center of the road and I decide it's time to try out this 53x11 gear I've got which I really have yet to use. next thing I know the school bus has dropped out of the rear view and I'm haulin' ass, well for me, anyway. I'm keeping an eye on the average speed and I start to notice that this is looking like my fastest commute to date. I get to the gravel section of my ride and I'm hitting like 19.9 mph average and this is looking pretty good. Dropping down the gravel and back up the little lung busting climb my average is 20.2 coming over the top on to the flat. It's hard to get back up to speed on that gravel, so I roll into the shop at 19.8 mph average & 32 minutes flat, still almost 2 mph & 2 minutes better than my fastest commute.
Flash forward to this morning, the bus did not threaten, and I hit the gravel road & notice that the rain over the weekend has provided some nice smooth, packed clay lines, and I am at 20.2 average and feeling Friday's numbers are in serious jeopardy. Well about the time I am thinking that I should be looking at the road and not at the computer, I hit a little bump with the rear tire and hear: PFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSST!
That ain't no bump, that's a rock and I gots me some flat tire. Damn!
I change it all out and get to work still like 35 mins early, and the record stands for another day, at least.
Damn - right on the cusp of beer and ice cream season! Awesome Foghorn.
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