left out the house with the ambition of going for a post work ride



left out the house with the ambition of going for a post work ride


the morning started slow
everyone was dragging except for momma lisa

no time for a ride before work
had to roll directly in
not even time to share a hello with a friend on the street
was wearing full on cycling gear even though my commute is just a few miles
the gear in the morning assists the intention to ride in the afternoon
when I ride my bike I tend to wear bicycle clothing

no chance to pass GO
do not collect 200 dollars
go directly to work

I went directly to work
the tasks of the day distracted me from the beautiful day outside my window

after knocking out a solid amount of work my boss freed me a few minutes early
he can be good to me that way

got out the door and got on the bike
the bike of the day was the Jamis cyclocross bike
still with knobby tires... now well worn knobby tires
knobby tires... a gunked up chain... and a situation of either a wheel out of true or a brake out of adjustment-either one being the cause of some extra friction in the back

with no real objective I rode around downtown with the camera around my neck
then decided to do a fast up and back on the Capital Crescent Trail from Georgetown to Bethesda and then back
still with the camera dangling around my neck I hammered the big ring on a nearly vacant multi-use trail
trying to snap an occassional shot

bipsquack!

a women on a tri bike came my way
I had the camera in hand and the image framed
but the camera had drifted off into battery saving sleep mode
missed the shot
that was the second of those wild haired twins
saw the first going the wrong way on M Street as I rolled around town

bipsquack!

did not capture the shot of either of the twins
did not find the answer to the question of the moment... had they left out together or had they even known the other was riding?

bipsquack!

as I approached the Cherry Blossoms in Kenwood the trail user activity picked up
clusters of people walking three and four abreast
as I approached Bethesda Avenue the people activity got to be a tad more thick
four and five abreast
people focused only on their own moment

I watched for people stepping out between the bent rails of the fence at the Honda dealership
each day they cross the path
never looking before they leap

I went through the tunnel and hammered the gravel section to Conn Ave and then looped back
on Bethesda Avenue
this area has changed quite a bit since I grew up in bethesda
when I was a child a train ran down this path
riding a bike on the railroad ties was not an easy feat
some sections were rideable
most were not

I stalled for a few seconds to snap some shots of a kick on his BMX bike in the heart of Bethesda
he pulled a few nice spinning arial shots... I did not get the apex of the moves
sequence shots can work for these tricks... the shots usually do not work with the point and shoot
by my request the young rider did a few rolling wheelies (manuals?)
the congestion on the corner made it awkward for him to safely ride for my camera

a quick thanks
a mention of the blog address
then back on the bike

back on the Capital Crescent trail I politely weaved through the congestion
on your left... on your left... on your left
as I passed through Kenwood I saw a high school age girl standing on the trail side
after passing I turned around... it looked like a friend's daughter
sure enough... it was Ad's daughter
a quick hello then the question... got a problem with the bike?
as I scanned her bicycle
the chain was in place
the tires seemed to be filled with air
not missing a crank arm
everything seemed to be in order

her mom was on the way to pick her up
her seat was too high
I offered to adjust her seat
she called her mom to cancel the sag wagon

in seconds
a multitool was out of my pack and the seat was lowered
she was back on her bike
as I waited to snap another shot of the approaching kid on his BMX bike the young rider took off on her now adjusted properly bicycle
in a flash she was just a spec in the distance

after a snap of the electronic shutter I was back on the bike to try and reel in Ad's daughter
she was moving... really moving
I sprinted to catch up with her
snapped a few shots after I caught her
then fought to hang on


it boggled my mind
here is this high school kid going to rowing practice
not a cyclist
just a kid on her bike going to rowing practice
and well... she is forcing me into the red line
keeping pace with her is causing my legs to burn

I fought to keep pace
then I fought to pull ahead so that I could get a few shots of her approaching
she buzzed by in a flash as I snapped a few shots
then I had to fight to catch up with her again
we rode the final miles to georgetown together
with a goodbye and a say hello to your dad I was on my way

it is no shock that she is so strong on the bike
her father is strong on the bike
her older brother is strong on the bike as well
it is not just exposure
there is something freakish in their genes
they have a great capacity for these sorts of sports
my brother rowed with her father in a two man boat
my brother and both have ridden with her father

pretty close to spent I decided to meander around downtown before heading home for the spring time alley party

rode back through the Cherry Blossom madness on the Mall then up to Capital Hill
rode Independence Avenue until it turned into Pennsylvania Avenue over by the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress
then pushed it out to the old Congressional Cemetery before turning around

the traffic was starting to pick up as I started to head home
my pace fluctuated
at times being inspired to push it
accepting a slow roll if traffic dictated such
there were points were it was bumper to bumper
splitting lanes at full speed is not always wise
so I was cautious in my actions

rolled into the alley to find my boys ready for action
grabbed their skateboards and a basketball
fired up the grill and had a little alley party
some key players from the block were not there
but it was still a nice night to be outside eating and playing