so the team darkhorse singlespeed syndicate met up for some skinny tired geared mileage in the greater rockland and bergen counties this sunday. with the forecast calling for sunny skies and temps reaching the 50's it looked like a road ride was in order.
9:00am saw 4 hearty souls depart from the "hawaiian mike" headquarters under blue bird skies. we rolled our way thru rockland county avoiding potholes and a-holes who amazingly seemed to be able to drive with one hand on the wheel, one on a cellphone and their heads imbedded deep within their ass!
the first 17 miles ticked off fairly uneventfully. El Hefe inquired at this point as to our route and total distance. it had been decided earlier that about 35 miles would be nice. we were somewhere into the halfway point here so no one seemed to fuss. now you must understand something here. there are miles and then there are mike miles. 35 mile rides have become 50 milers on occasion. there was also a rockland county death march a few season ago..... but i digress.
nature called shortly hereafter and our pelaton of four pulled over for a pitstop. it was here that mister CDUBS noticed the blackening skys. "man it looks really bad over there. which way are we headed" well i doubt i need to tell you. we saddled up and headed into the dark ominous skies. temps began to fall and so did the rain. so from rockland county we headed into bergen county and some how ended it in flanders!!!
the rain and wind pounded us in the face for the next few miles. brave souls endured yet the conversation seemed to get a little quieter. thankfully showers past and the sun returned. at about the 25mile mark i noticed an odd feeeling in the rear of my bike. it seems that my saddle had worked its way loose from my seatpost. exciting. call the boys to the side of the road and reach into my saddlebag for a tool. yeah, its not in there dumbass. sweet. well four guys and no tool means mike gets to ride the rock and roller seat home! sweet!
about mile 30, seat doing the flexy hippy shake and riding into an exquisite head wind hawaiian mike self destructed. legs just gave up the ghost. any climb saw me right out the back. kaboom!
mile 35 and we pause for another call of nature under an overpass. two guys are riding at us headed the other way. they slow and i ask, beg, for as tool. sweet mercy they have a 5mm!!!! my ass is saved! and that is no small feat! so seat fixed and hey shouldn't we be done by now someone mentions? well 35 became 42.
42 miles later hawaiian mike HQ saw four well worn souls, some worse off than others, roll back into the driveway. thanksfully there were growlers of fresh microbrew, dry clothes, yummy hot food and much revalry to put a fine end to an epic febuary ride! a pre-spring classic! hoo-ra!
