Forty Minutes

I did not realize, until about a week ago, that my daily forty minute bike ride constituted a harrowing and unsettling event for my wife. She wanted to be sure I did not bike on County MN east of the new Fire/Police Station being built and then take that to County AB. I have to bike, because I still cannot walk much. The Medical-Industrial complex has not been of much assistance with my foot pain. Anyway, I assured her that I turn on Holscher Road and then go south to the street Jamie (a former neighbor lives on). I then take the new bike path through a new development to the path along Elvehjem Road, which goes right by the end of our street. She then made some comment about how she is concerned for me on a bike ride.

View of sculpture

She said she is concerned because I ride alone and seldom take it easy. My bike ride is for exercise, so I do not take it easy. I keep my bike in gears 8 to 15, and would go above 15 at some points, except that it will not shift to that highest level. One day Land Girl went for a walk and when she got back was surprised I had not left for my bike ride. I noted that I had to do my stretches, question of the day, and other sundry things. I then said she did not have her phone with her and what would happen if I had an incident and needed to get ahold of her? She still thought I should have gone on my bike ride. I guess so much for her being harrowed by the forty minute bike ride. However, the next time she went for a walk she made a point of telling me she had her phone with her. 

View of Rose Lake

I do tend to avoid high speed roads. Many years ago I did ride on AB and crashed when a car did not move over and I moved to the gravel shoulder which, to my surprise, was about 1 to 2 inches below the pavement height causing me to wipe out. I had a good deal of road burn and road the slightly disabled  bike back to the house, about two miles. I avoid County AB. I later realized that being a county road, County AB would have had a delinquent shoulder. 

Sculpture Note

I am not sure why she worries so much when I am on a bike ride. I have wiped out only once this year,  and that was at the end of our street when I hit detritus that was wet underneath the dry cover which caused my tire to slip on the pavement.  Beside road burn and general stiffness a couple days later, I got a new bike helmet out of it for Father's Day. My oldest son, who does a lot of biking asked how old my helmet was, and finding out is was probably 20 years old, he and his spouse got me a new one. It is a really nice helmet. They just seal coated some streets I bike on, so I have to be careful on those streets, particularly turning at higher speeds.

Detail of Types of Oak Leaves

There was a time when we were camping and I was going to do some off paved road biking, over stones, and branches, and pine needles. She was worried what would happen if I got to the farthest point and needed help. I did not have that opportunity. I was about to move from the paved camp road to the trail, when poof, my front tire blew. I walked the bike back the thousand or so feet to the campsite and took it to Waupaca to get a new tube and tire installed. I am just glad that did not happen a couple miles from the campground. It would have been a terrible walk back to the campsite. If something was to happen, I am glad it occurred where it did. 

Side view

When I do this ride, it not so much for pleasure as exercise. I am on a mission. That is why I miss so many things my wife sees when she either bikes or walks the same route. On Monday, July 25, I was on that bike path in that new subdivision when I saw her and her walking partner out for their walk. When she got home, she claimed that I almost ran them down. I told her even I could see her with the orange shirt she was wearing. I was far from running into them. Her walking partner said, as I approached, that I don't seem to look up. I don't lollygag around, I move to get a job done. I would much prefer to walk, but since I can't I want to get the biking out of the way. 

Note: The photos in the post were taken at Dorothy Carnes County Park, near Fort Atkinson, WI. It is of a sculpture in memory of my older brother who was a long time science teacher and coach in Fort Atkinson.