I woke up at 6:00 am a few Saturdays ago, expecting to catch the first hour of the Tour de France prologue on phone. "Live video is not available in your region" it told me. Darn. I got my gloves on, filled up my water bottles and left my friend's house in Midway. I headed down the hill into town, freezing my royal Rastafarian nay-nays off. The urban heat island effect doesn't apply in the "country" on the east side of the Wasatch Mountains.
I got a cookie and a Snickers bar at the gas station that opened at 6, and then sat on the curb and looked at the live text feed for the Tour as the first riders' times were posted. Anything to get my excited for the ride I was already jazzing for.
I called one of my professors (and confidants), Pat Putt, a few days earlier to let him know that I'd be in Midway for the weekend and that a Saturday morning ride would be in the cards. Pat drove down from Park City and met me at the turn off to Highway 32 and the Jordanelle Reservoir Lookout. He met me with his unforgettable and endearing smile, always genuinely happy to see people. We talked for a second, and then headed up Highway 32 slow enough that we could have a nice conversation.
Pat, former Park City Planning Department Director and current professor in planning at the University of Utah and Canyons Resort planner, is also the proud father of four amazingly talented cyclists and all-around athletes: Andrew, 22; Tanner, 20; Chris, 18; and Noah, 14. We talked about Tanner's 5th place podium at U-23 nationals, his races in Europe, and riding for Big George Hincapie. Chris, 18, a XC skier turned cyclist as well, has progressed rapidly and finished amid the top riders under 23 at nationals as well, even though he just graduated high school. Andrew has taken a liking to downhill mountain biking, and Noah is absolutely destroying the competition at local races, criteriums, and out of state juniors races. I could tell by the way (and the amount of time) he talked about his sons that they mean everything to him. The ride was a breeze listening to Pat talk about his family.
I can always confide in Pat, and this ride gave us the opportunity to bounce ideas off one another, look to the future, provide encouragement, and feel great about what is to come. If you ever need to feel better about yourself or an idea, run it by Pat. Unless it's absolutely terrible, and then he'll tell you in the nicest way imaginable.
We made it to Woodland, and turned back, increasing our speed to get back before it got too hot. The roads were quiet, the rolling hills and gentle turns broke up any monotony. We passed beautiful cliffs, the reservoir, camp sites, and old farm roads. It was an excellent break from the city or riding the same canyons every week.
It was the best ride that I've been on in a long time. And I didn't set any land speed records or get any KOMs on Strava. It was the best because of good company and conversation, fresh mountain air, and a slow, gentle ride toward the unknown. It reminded me of everything I love (and I can assume everyone else loves) about cycling. It's not about how fast you are. I felt like I was just getting into riding again. Maybe it was riding in an unfamiliar place, or just with a good friend, but everything was good about this ride. Sometimes it's best to slow down the pace, have a good chat, and look around more than usual. I can't wait for another ride with Pat.
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