A good ride

I got a chance to ride in to work Wednesday. It was my day off for the holiday, but I got called in for a meeting, so I chose to ride my bike in. It's only about 20 miles.

Two challenges for this ride:

First: The 58th Street hill at Old Allegan Road. This is the steepest climb in western Allegan County. What makes it tough is that the road curves, so there's the illusion you've reached the summit until you turn the corner. Also, the road briefly levels off before a final small incline, so you need a bit of extra oomphf to make it.

I made it. I always give the hill a look back and tell it, "Ha! Not this time!" It's never beaten me on a bike. However, in the winter, with snow and ice, it has whipped me several times in my car. Revenge -- a dish best served cold.

I'm always happy to get on to 56th Street where the traffic is lighter and the road in better shape. I love looking at the old dilapidated barns that dot the landscape. There's a beauty in a decaying red barn with its roof collapsing as chickens run in and out of the molding beams.

Second: Holland city riding is annoying. All the parallel parking pushes me pretty far into the right lane to avoid doors swinging open. The railroad crossings are in terrible shape. I had to stop and walk across the rails on 10th Street they were so bad. And the seemingly random construction projects force me all over the map.

The Sentinel used to run a contruction column in the summer, but the Powers That Be decided against printing it this year. A shame. I urged them to print it so I (and our readers) could keep up on the ubiquitous blockades all over the city. Better to yell to the surf.

It takes about an hour to make the ride. I'm slow. I did my best time on the way back, which is about 5 miles longer (I avoid 58th Street after 4 p.m. because the traffic is terrible). I usually take an hour-and-a-half for the return trip, but this time I did it in an hour-and-a-quarter.

Earlier problems

At the beginning of the week, I had a flat tire before I was about to take a ride. The tire itself was tearing, so I had to run it up to the shop for a repair.

On Monday, my derailleurs were acting up. About 8 miles or so into my ride, the rear derailleur started shifting by itself! Nothing like unexpectedly dropping a few sprockets on an uphill climb. The front shifter was noisy and slow.

I took the bike back to the shop. The mechanic asked what the heck I did to them because they were badly bent! A little light bulb went off in my head.

The kids had bashed the bike with the basketball while they were playing in the garage!

Boy, did they get a lecture from me.

Thought: You can knock me down, step on my face, slander my name all over the place, you can do anything, but stay off my blue and yellow aluminum Fuji.