"Come On"

On the trail an hour after sunrise. 5/30/2022 dwm

  Memorial Day morning, I left early for a long ride before it got hot.  It was a good ride, but the highlight came in the last stretch of the ride...

  I made the turn for home, on a path in the center of Madison.  It's around 8, there are walkers, dog-walkers, runners, and bikers on the trail.  

 I catch up to a guy on a bike on the 8-foot-wide path with yellow dashes down the center.  He's going the same speed, so I tuck in behind for a while.  

 There is a nice wind break, but we are riding into a stiff breeze.  

He slows. I pull into the next lane, say "you're good - on your left." then pull back in after also passing a walker.  He is behind me.  

He is drafting, but not close (usually you need practice to draft in close quarters).  He doesn't speak.  He doesn't try to get around me and slowed when I did at street crossings.  

There was a point I was catching up to a walker and a fast moving bike was approaching.  I might have made it but didn't want to get caught where I might be too close to the walker, so I waited.  That's when the guy says with exasperation, "come on."  I process his statement and reply, "you're welcome to go around if you wish."  

He stays behind, even at intersections.  Two to three miles down the path there is a bridge which takes the trails over a section of four-lane highway known as the belt-line.  Recumbent bikes do well on level ground and downhill, but uphill is a challenge since you can't stand on the pedals for extra effort.  I assumed he would pass me going up the bridge ramp.  

At the top I checked my helmet-attached rear-view mirror and saw he was at the bottom.  I didn't see him again and laughingly thought, "come on!"

Honeysuckle flowers. 5/30/22 dwm photo

Honeysuckle bushes are blooming, creating a pleasant aroma along the path.  It may be one reason why the bushes were brought to the United States in the mid-19th century.  It was planted to be wind breaks, prevent erosion, and add beauty to gardens.

Unfortunately, the plants are non-native invasive species that flourished, crowding out native plants and changing our landscape.

They do smell nice.

There were a lot of turkeys along my route.  In one place, five tom turkeys were puffed up and strutting in the middle of the road.  It was a sight.

A windswept Lake Monona. 5/30/22 (dwm)

  The encounter with the "come on" guy was actually a nice boost.  Before those ten minutes I wasn't happy with my ride.

  While it's early, I'm trying to get ready for a long bike trip coming up and felt like I was behind schedule.  

  After riding with this guy over several miles, I think I'll be fine.

  That's four rides in the books - this one across Fitchburg and around Lake Monona for 37.5 miles.