sun, followed by mud.

I took a glorious mini-test ride yesterday, for kicks and giggles.  Tent, sleeping, bag, etc in the trailer, tools and whatnot on the front rack.  Still not the real deal — no front panniers with clothing, no food and the rest of the travel rubbish in back, but  closer to a true test.

South on the South County Trailway until I ran out of Westchester.  South on the trail until Van Cortland Park, all through a brilliant pounding sun, refulgent after days of rain.  The last part was through puddles deep enough to watch the rim disappear and I arrived at the park covered in runnels of mud.  I had a wonderful time exchanging hellos with kids and parents who thought my ride the coolest thing ever.  Wish I’d brought the camera, but it was also peaceful to simply watch folks from a park bench before heading back.

The clouds rolled in on my ride back and I remembered 1) my nook on the patio, 2) the open sun roof off my car,  3) the box of bike parts I’d been rummaging through and left out in the sun.  I redoubled my efforts as thunder rumbled all around.  There’s a steady grade out of NYC that turns downhill about halfway back.  I was flying on the downside as the air cooled and a fine mist seemed to materialize around me.  I was barely a quarter-mile from home when thundered roared around me and the rain broke.  I could barely see as I made the last few turns, raced back for the nook, in for the car keys and back out for the car, and then back for the bike stuff.  Glorious.

I stood for a moment, sunburned in the pouring rain, before heading back out to pick up my sweetie — this time in a car!