I think we had a total of 13 riders, including one who's new to the full-distance dark side rides (he came to the cave ride too!) and to cycling in general. I think he's hooked.
I saw this right before I went on the DSR. Confident in the Hard-Case's abilities, I rode on it anyway, without any problems. I replaced it Sunday night. This tire had about 3,700 miles on it without a single puncture. The tire on the front is now up to 7,400, also without a single puncture since I put it on.
It's hard to put into words exactly what's so awesome about riding a bike at night. Having only a narrow cone of light ahead of you seems to intensify all of your other senses. Nature's noises and the subtle susurrus of mechanized synergy jump out at you. Variances in temperature and humidity surprise you more. Crisp air off the streams, putrid vapors of roadkill and skunk, earthy tones from nearby gravel roads and the distinct smell of recently-mowed grass fill the nostrils.
All the while, you can be cruising with a small group of people and no one says a word for miles, then spend the next half hour talking about hobbies non-stop. The DSR rides tend to vary a lot in pace. On this particularly cool (for August) evening, some people were hammering just to stay warm. We always re-grouped, though. This was taken at 195th and Holmes.
And then the turn-around point in Belton
I'm not sure if this morning was a record low or not, but I don't ever recall needing a windbreaker in August. September will be truly bizarre. I logged a puny 250 miles this month.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Dark Side Ride Recap
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1 comment:
Night riding in Phoenix is almost a necessity: here it is just after 8:45 PM and still 100 degrees. Still, much "cooler" than the 108 degree high today.
I do a Tour de Starbucks every evening around this time, although it is only a 3 mile round trip I always seem to be able to stretch it out to 4, 6 or even 8 miles. It is a much different city at night.
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