A 5 decade
In cycling, if one rides 100 miles in a day, they call it a century. It sounds cool. When I did 50 miles for a charity ride last week, they called it 50 miles. I think it would be much better if cycling adopted cool names for smaller accomplishments with your velocipede. Such as 50 miles is a 5 decade. It can be applied to any number of miles under 100.
"Yeah, I did a 7 decade yesterday, it was awesome."
or, "I did a 2 decade! And I lived!"
or, "I did a decade on my bike yesterday," he proudly sniffed. "Wasn't so bad."
Anyway, I did 50 miles and it really wasn't so bad. Probably because I was slightly prepared, had good company, and the terrain was more or less flat, but I did survive. I'm not sure how I got roped into it, but, it was one of those situations where I knew I wouldn't regret saying 'yes.' Only three days before, I bought my first proper road bike. It's a 1983 trek, sold to me as 'vintage.' Ha! Well, It does look pretty cool with its leather saddle and old school branding, but 'vintage'? Really?!
It was possibly the oldest bike on the ride (and coolest) and I was only slightly worried that I'd only ridden it 40 miles total ever before, but we set out and did like Dory does; just kept pedaling. The breaks were well spaced and food was plentiful, and the weather was great. Well. It was overcast which protected us from the being too hot, then it rained, which protected us from being to dry. Almost the entire last half, it rained. The kind of drizzle that within minutes, soakes you to the bone. But, it was cool, which is really the important part.
Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a hamburger and milkshake, I think the appropriate 5 decade post- ride fare. The ride must have posessed me, as in the following days, I took the bike out enough to round out my weeks total to 130 miles. I went in the mornings, and after work when I would have usually rather napped, voluntairly! Thankfully, that sickness has passed. Kind of.
"Yeah, I did a 7 decade yesterday, it was awesome."
or, "I did a 2 decade! And I lived!"
or, "I did a decade on my bike yesterday," he proudly sniffed. "Wasn't so bad."
Anyway, I did 50 miles and it really wasn't so bad. Probably because I was slightly prepared, had good company, and the terrain was more or less flat, but I did survive. I'm not sure how I got roped into it, but, it was one of those situations where I knew I wouldn't regret saying 'yes.' Only three days before, I bought my first proper road bike. It's a 1983 trek, sold to me as 'vintage.' Ha! Well, It does look pretty cool with its leather saddle and old school branding, but 'vintage'? Really?!
It was possibly the oldest bike on the ride (and coolest) and I was only slightly worried that I'd only ridden it 40 miles total ever before, but we set out and did like Dory does; just kept pedaling. The breaks were well spaced and food was plentiful, and the weather was great. Well. It was overcast which protected us from the being too hot, then it rained, which protected us from being to dry. Almost the entire last half, it rained. The kind of drizzle that within minutes, soakes you to the bone. But, it was cool, which is really the important part.
Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a hamburger and milkshake, I think the appropriate 5 decade post- ride fare. The ride must have posessed me, as in the following days, I took the bike out enough to round out my weeks total to 130 miles. I went in the mornings, and after work when I would have usually rather napped, voluntairly! Thankfully, that sickness has passed. Kind of.
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