Friends

“I’m going to ride in the morning.”

The morning came and I checked my weather app. Current temp was 27 with a predicted high of 34. I looked outside. It looked windy. Somewhat suddenly I felt tired. 27 is not bad when you’re meeting some friends, but by yourself? It didn't take me long to decide I wasn't getting on my bike.

The irony wasn't lost on me later that day as I sat in the coffee shop. Here I was, on my day off, sitting in a coffee shop reading The Time Crunched Cyclist. Where was the crunch? Why am I reading this instead of riding? “It’s cold...beside, I’m a little tired. It was a long week.”

I turned back to the book reading when my phone rang. It was Jim.

“Hey Jim.”

“Hey man…did you get my email?”

“No.” (I rarely check my email on my day off.)

“You wanna go for a ride around 4?”

How could I say no?

“Yeah, I’ll meet you at your house at 4.”

It was really that easy. I wasn't any less tired and the weather hadn't changed much either.

Around 3:30 I checked my tire pressure. I knew that the next day marked the one year anniversary of my new bike purchase. I glanced at my odometer which read 2162; 38 miles away from 2,200 for the year. For some cyclists 2,200 is barely half a season, but for me it’s a significant number, even as I hope to top it this year.

I flung my leg over the top tube and took a long route to Jim’s house.