Continued Assplorations

My plan Saturday was to ride some of the Tour duh Charlotte course to scope out some construction that was going on a couple months ago that could affect our route and to look at the race stage I'm running to see how exactly to manage it.  Kangalangamangus was going to go to the mountains with Dave, but there was a ton of rain out that way.  I bumped into him in the lobby of the big building we both work in, and he was looking for something else to do.

I invited him on my "ride."

"How far will it be?"

"Dunno."

"How long will we be out?"

"Dunno."

"Okay."

And so it was.  Kangalangamangus, and Dave met up with fellow Faster Mustachios Nick "Dip 'N Spray and BC at Zac's house (who wasn't there because he's on a Amateur Homeless Personning trip in the Dominican Republic).   All of us on single speed mountain bikes.  All going out for a ride across the urban sprawl and through scabby patches of woods.  Eventually, we met up with Tod, who sullied our group's "hardmen cred" with his gears.  Whatever.

We rode, stopped, explored, looked at the map, looked at the map again, rode through parking lots and apartment complexes, neighborhoods and "hoods"... standard Tour duh Charlotte terrain.  Sometimes, we were actually riding our mountain bikes as they were intended to be ridden.  Dirt, rocks, and such.

On our return trip back towards the big buildings, we had to split up and go our separate ways.  Nick and Tod, towards their respective homes.  Kangalangamangus and Dave, in the direction of coffee and frou-frou pastries.  I twisted BC's arm and talked him into stopping at the brewery that gives out a free 12oz beer to Bicycle Benefits sticker holders.

Over beers, BC and I talked about how by then end of the day, most of us had ridden between 45-50 miles... on stupid single speed mountain bikes... on a bullshit, no goals, no real agenda ride.

I realized that if someone asked me to go on a fifty mile road ride on a proper road ride, I'd be calling in sick.  The concept of such an activity sounds only slightly better than sitting on a trainer or staring at the sun.

But fifty miles of whatever it was we did on my favorite bike ever?

I feel like it's the kinda riding I could do all day, because it didn't feel like riding at all.  I know fifty miles is nothing to brag about, but when you spend that much time in the saddle under clear, blue skies with friends and nobody cares where they're going or what they're doing?  Best ride in well over a month.

When I woke up on Sunday and started walking around the house tho...  Mang, I am outta shape.  Not beat down but definitely feeling it.  Which, I guess, is a good thing.