May 15, 2016
Yesterday was the Wear Yellow Nebraska Ride. I opted for the 57 mile ride, which started
at 7:15 or so. They also offered a few
other distances, some shorter, some longer, and even one on gravel. The shorter rides started at 8:00. I think they said there were 630 registrants,
but the early start seemed a bit sparsely attended.
Possibly due to the unseasonably cool temps
in the upper 30s.
We rode out with an ominously nice tailwind. At around 9:15 I noticed my rear tyre was a
bit low on air. Pumped it up and it was
alright until 10:15. That didn’t seem
bad. I figured stopping for a refill
every hour or so was a bit easier than pulling out the old tube and patching
(no, I did not carry an extra tube for the following reasons: a] saddle pouch is small, b] didn’t have any
new tubes when I checked my stash the night before the event, and c] if I’ve
got a patch kit I feel justified in not having a spare tube).
It was about time for the 2nd or 3rd
refill when an SUV stopped and pumped up my tyre for me. This fine nobleman had been manning a SAG
stop for the gravelly riders. I asked
him how that was and he said it was not a particularly popular option amongst
the WYN bicyclers. Possibly due to the
weather, he conjectured.
There were some events going on in the region, including a graduation party and a wedding.
Along
the way my dearest friend Rich and I enjoyed the downtown vibe of Elmwood,
former home of Beth Bess Streeter Aldrich, who, I believe, was a famous poet.
Let me check into that. Nope, not a poet. A novelist/short story writer whose stories often depicted the pioneering lifestyle.
There was also this sweet trike and a hell of a deal on a
4x4 classic Blazer.
I don’t recall
having been through Elmwood before, but I hope to be back sometime to check out
some of the very well-maintained downtown shops.
Then we made it to the highway that goes past Murdock.
And through part of Greenwood. These were nice highways and included some of
the local barn-adorning, geometric artwork that is popular in this region and
which I previously enjoyed during the Heatstroke 100 ride last August.
I am starting to think of them as similar to
clan crests or tartans.
As you may have predicted, the frequency of my tyre refills
increased as the miles accumulated.
Towards the end, I was busy working the pump every 4-5 miles. The new Bike Rack van and her pilots stopped
and pumped my tyre up for me at the last SAG stop, about 9.5 miles from the
finish.
In hindsight, this would have
been a good time to request a new tube, but I didn’t even really consider that
an option as I had become set in my ways/routines. This is easy to do for me – an aspiring
grouchy oldster. Rich was not visibly
annoyed with my multiple delays. Thanks
buddy.
We were apparently the last to
finish. There were no pancakes.
There was no fanfare. There were some extra bananas, so that was
just good.
I had accumulated quite a few bicycle event-related advertisements. Also a bicycle-related gift advertisement, which might be useful to me since my gifting is notoriously bland.
Thanks Wear Yellow Nebraska for a fun event in the
spring. Hope to see you again next time!
