Wednesday, May 11, 2022

among the consolations of retirement

 In my last post, I was complaining about being old, and being thought of as old (which are different things). When today broke with sunshine, The Excellent Wife (TEW) hinted (HAH!) that I might benefit from a ride with The Old Guys... so off I went to Byron Johnson Park to tag along with Bill B's ride.





Although the sun was out when I left the house, clouds prevailed for most of the ride, and I was slightly underdressed (the excellent Martin G got this, with me on the right).

That's a Bristol-Myers-Squibb jersey, part of a haul with which a neighbor gifted me (three long-sleeve jerseys, those bib shorts, and some other stuff). The kit is far better quality than I would ever buy for myself, and I wear it unapologetically, despite not having done the advertised ride. But another layer would have been a good idea.

Bill did this route. I mostly behaved myself, and rode with him until the break, allowing the faster folks to go off the front.

At the stop:







After the stop, however, Martin, Sophie, Jen A, and I let excitement get the better of us, and sped off ahead of the group. I was the first to flag... Chris C came up behind, and we rolled along until we came up on Martin replacing a tube. He was replacing the tube by himself, which is unheard of on FreeWheeler rides.


Dave G rolled up...

... and I couldn't resist this of Sophie & Jen getting a selfie. This picture makes me smile.


At the parking lot at then end, I gave out a few of the too-many business cards I've had printed up about my Ramblin' Wrench bicycle maintenance venture. Hint, hint.

TEW, and everybody else who told me I needed to get a ride in, was right. I'm better. The stuff I wrote in my last post is still true, but it's not the only truth.

Life is good.


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