Sun and Shade

The weekend ride was wonderful!  But my friends at Atkins Bike Shoppe in Verona are why I was able to get out and go, so I want to give them a shout-out for their quick assistance Saturday.

They've taken care of my recumbent since moving to the area, so I stopped in to make sure my tires were inflated properly.  My Friday "ride to work" was scuttled by low tire inflation, so it was my first stop after breakfast with friends at the Egg & I.

The bike-friendly air hose was ready to go, so I placed my presta valve - schrader valve converter on the back tire.  Whoooosshhh!  the valve came out and the air was all gone.

Hearing the sound, one of the owners - Mrs. Atkins came to my rescue to get me going again.  Then Dan Atkins came out and discovered the valves could be installed, they pumped me up and I was off!  They are on Half Mile Road in Verona and you won't go wrong with them taking care of you.

Saturday was ideal - sunny with some puffy clouds dancing in the sky - temperatures peaking in the mid 70s.  Yes, this is why I moved back to Wisconsin!

It was a sun and shadow day, flying (relative term, of course) along on the trail then into a patch of much darker shade that hid from immediate view holes, rocks, and roots across the path.  By the time I could adjust to the light or take off my sunglasses - it was back in the sun again.

Admittedly, these are not major problems, but does take some adjustment in the helmet protected cranium.

The ride down the bike trail brought to mind times in life where we sail along seeing nothing but sunshine and clear paths ahead. 

It only takes a cloud or some dense tree cover and all of a sudden the path isn't quite as clear.  From my bike seat that awareness came with a spine rattling jar or abrupt and involuntary change of direction as loose gravel gave the bike an immediate re-route.

Many times the challenge is learning to handle those changes of direction, whether on the back of a bike or in our day to day journey through life.
Those moments in the shadows do have some benefit - it certainly makes you pay closer attention to the rest of the trip.

Just after getting set up that morning by Dan Atkins - my thought was to ride east from Verona to the Badger State Trail, then southwest on the Sugar River Trail to Brodhead with a reverse of course there and an arrival at the trail head in New Glarus around 3.  At the time, it seemed like a reasonable itinerary.


It's the first ride this year where I spent little time stopping to take pictures or re-fuel.  One place I paused for a little while to stretch and catch my breath was in Albany. 

Little peanut butter cracker "sandwiches" and a protein bar provided some need fuel. Then, with new water in my bottle, I was on my way again and calculating to be in good shape to arrive in New Glarus on time if I could get to Brodhead by 1:30.  So far, so good.

Yes, I thought I had a chance to make it.

Then I discovered why things had gone so well - apparently there was a bit of a tail wind on the ride downriver - now I was going to fight the current heading upstream.

Riding a bike with a planned pick-up point is a good idea for long rides where you want to get a little farther away, but not retrace all the wheel tracks, however, it means someone is waiting at the end of the ride.  I knew wasn't going to get there on time.

Cell phone service is a bit spotty, so I tracked the passing miles and the more quickly passing minutes through beautiful country - a deer crossed my path at one point and lush green trees and brush lined either side of the trail providing somewhat of a windscreen - as I was trying to reach Monticello by 2:30.

It's possible that someone added some extra miles between Albany and Monticello, but I doubt it.  The miles added a piano to the back of my bike somewhere between the two and I missed my time check.

Once past Monticello, the next city on the map is the Swiss community of New Glarus.  At 3:10 I rode in, passing the Sugar River Pizza place and the inviting outdoor patio overlooking the trail.  My ride was waiting patiently with a book in the shade.

The ride was over - 58 miles and just over 4 hours of riding through God's amazing creation among the rolling hills, farmland, rivers, and communities of southern Wisconsin.

Thankful for a safe ride... tired and a little sore from the trip, it was time for some great tasting pizza and a local beverage.

The perfect end to a perfect day.