Thankful for Stormy Skies

Last week I had to run a mundane errand downtown. I decided to make the most of it by riding my bike. The ride to my destination was uneventful; boring, even. My mind kept churning on its usual unsolvable problems, but I enjoyed myself nonetheless. The ride home was a different story. I exited the government office just as a cold front was blowing in, sending sleet-flecked gales down the city streets between the tall buildings. I was inadequately dressed, so I resolved to work up a sweat in an effort to stay warm. I unlocked my bike and pointed it straight into the oncoming storm. Two blocks later, the wind was alternately whipping me out of the bike lane and slowing my speed to a crawl. I was putting in all of my effort and literally inching along. I gritted my teeth, bent low to the handlebars, squinted my eyes to protect them from the leaves blowing in my face, and felt ice sting my cheeks as cars whizzed past while I struggled to stay upright and move in my intended direction.

It became absurd, nearly hopeless, just before the exhilaration hit.

The usual unsolvable problems were forgotten. "Enjoyment" as I typically understand it was out of the question. Suddenly, I didn't care how fast I was moving on my bike. I just needed to keep moving. I didn't care how long it took me to get home. I just needed to get there. Bizarrely, this was exactly what I needed that day. No race. No complexity. No nuance. Just a goal, and adversity.

This Thanksgiving, I reflect on recent hardships. I am extremely fortunate in so many ways, but it turns out I am most thankful for the adversity I've faced in recent years. It reminds me of what is important:

Home
Family
Health

These aren't things that are raced toward. They are cultivated, often among harsh conditions. This year I am thankful for the adversity that brings the truly important things into sharp relief. Thank you for reading and have a very happy Thanksgiving.

Group Ride: Sunday on 16th

We organized a group ride for Sunday, November 1, without much of a plan in mind. The combination of Halloween and the daylight saving time change meant a lot of variables that could have resulted in some serious meltdowns. It ended up being a great, educational ride!

We met at the REI flagship store, then made a lap around City of Cuernavaca Park. A train passed by, which prompted us to head to the Millennium Bridge to get a closer look. After taking our bikes up the elevators ("We're allowed to put our bikes in there?!?!") we saw two trains going in opposite directions and resisted the urge to make up a word problem about one going to Chicago at 18 MPH and the other going to San Francisco...

On the Millennium Bridge

Two Trains pass under us; one empty, one full of coal

Waiting for the elevator with 16th Street in the background

My artsy shot from the bottom of the elevator. All other photos in this post taken by Kristina!

Then we hit 16th Street Mall. Monday-Friday, 16th Street is available to buses ONLY. On Saturdays and Sundays, however, cyclists can use it, too. The buses are infrequent, so we basically had an entire LoDo street to ourselves! Everyone got a kick out of seeing traffic lights with bicycle cutouts specifically for us.

We also discussed our Broadway pop-up lane ride. Our unofficial photojournalist, Kristina, mentioned that she had seen green cycling lanes elsewhere in town (on 14th Street, for example), and asked about implementation of the Broadway lanes. Bicycle lanes are city infrastructure, so government decides where, how, and when cycling infrastructure is implemented. There will be a Community Workshop on November 10 from 4-8 PM, during which constituents and stakeholders can voice their opinions on future changes to Broadway.

For lunch, we went to The Market on Larimer and got enough food for an army. It was all delicious. Then we headed back to REI and went our separate ways for the afternoon. The kids had some quiet time in the bakfiets with dad, and I cycled to rehearsal downtown. Thankfully I thought to bring my instrument in its ultralight case with me on our ride!

If you'd like to take part in our group rides, head over to our Facebook group page and request to be added. We have a lot of fun!