I can't breathe. I feel dizzy. Blood swarms my mouth. My body is numb. I look like the guy on the flier, a skelleton corpse on wheels. I am BLACK'dOUT.
Initially, I thought this ride might turn into one of those Jock match rites of passages, a hustle that wasn't the proper material for my riding ability.
Once again, the ride, the community has proven me wrong. Way to kick my ego's ass community. Thanks.
After the coffee was drank, and the complimentary bananas were consumed, we realized that it would be a 'threes a crowd'.
We quickly got warmed up doing some laps around Liberty Park witnessing the ultimate act of motorist laziness: Someone was walking their dog in their minivan around Liberty Park. It was wrong in so many different ways.
From the park we went north up 6th East, and hanged a left on 3rd South.
At the turn from 6th East to 3rd South my chain dropped. Now had this been the testostrone driven roadie race, I would have been left to fend for myself. It wasn't. The other two stopped for me, and then we went on together.
After weaving through a few other streets, the walkway ramp at the pierpoint area and other amazing tricks we descended onto Gateway. It was Critical Mass memories all over again, except faster and ten times more crowded.
Out of the Gateway we rode along the North Temple bridge and went to the most insane part of the ride. Automobiles piled up and dragged slowly forward, and being the adventerous bicyclists, we went inbetween automobiles as though we were bicycle messengers on mission of grave importance. It scared the hell out of me initially, and I was definally seeing the BLACK in BLACKOUT.
Then we climbed up 2nd Avenue over to Virgina Street.
It was at this climb when I was tempted to exclaim, "Hey guys, I suck. I am going to go home now."
I didn't. Maybe its because I misheard and thought we were going to ride up Virgina Street, and that seemed like the hill known as hell for me. But we didn't. Imagine the rest of the Core felt it wasn't good to kill off the weak in the first ride. So we went south and climbed up the U of U starting at the President's Circle.
For the final bit we went across 15th East.
We found ourselves soon screaming down the throws of 9th South. I don't think I have ever gone that fast down 9th South. The skin on my face started to peel off and my heart pounded so fast I felt it shake my whole frame. Slowly the speed slowed, the street moved a little more reasonable. Then it was done. My first BLACKOUT.
I'm glad you stuck the ride out. There was no way we would be going up Virginia Street! Hopefully the weather is good next Saturday. I'd like to get out and do the ride this week. If you're interested, we can ride more often as temperature and weather allows. I want to storm 2008 with my bike like no other year before.
ReplyDeleteThe name 'blackout' seems apt with the way your article reads!
Here's that site I was telling you about, www.veloroutes.org
Also, check this out: http://www.jimlangley.net/spin/streak.htm
I've started logging my daily miles to keep track of my streak. I also include brief descriptions of where I went, temperature, and any notable facts. I've probably biked every day for I don't know how long, but my official streak start was last week.
Ryan
it was an amazing ride and i was really impressed with how it went. don't know if i am for automobile weaving in outs again, but it was something different and exciting so no complaints this time 'round.
ReplyDeletethat logging concept of daily miles sounds like a workable concept. sort of a competition to simply ride your bike.
you are right, 2008 is the year of the bike.
cheers to that.
.zed