how to make my day

I rode 52 miles today, in just over 4 hours (5ish with stops)! I think I can safely say that doing 62 next week is totally within my reach.

That's not the thing that made my day, though.

When I was into the 22nd mile or so, rocking along at around 14-15 mph, concentrating on keeping my cadence steady and watching for road hazards (which I've been particularly diligent about since The Flat), a guy on a road bike pedaled up next to me. I was expecting him to just wave and pass on by, but as he passed he said, "Man, you go fast on that [little]* bike! I've been trying to catch you for a couple miles!"

Fast? Me? I was too stunned to say anything clever, but managed a "Really?"

"Yeah, on a road bike, you would be really fast."

Of course, 8 billion things ran through my head then, all of which would minimize the comment--"Well, I've only gone 20 miles so far/I just took a break/this is mostly flat..." But I didn't say any of them. I said "Thanks" and he turned at the next intersection.

Hee. I still can't believe it. :)

*he may have said "mountain"...I was on a hybrid. It sounded like "little" to me, though.

You ride those distances on a hybrid!?! You are crazy.

I mean "crazy" in the nicest possible way, of course.

heh. Yes, I am a little bit crazy. At the time I bought the bike, I never dreamed I'd be doing rides this long. Ever. The longest I had gone at that point was a 14 mile trail on a mountain bike.

The bike has served me well, though, even on these long rides. Part of the route I take on Saturdays runs through The Woodlands, which has a network of shaded hike/bike trails. Since I'm on the hybrid, I take those to get out of the sun and go a slower pace (9-12 mph) for 5-10 miles of the ride. On a road bike, I'd be limited to...well, roads. :) For casual rides, it's nice to have that option.

However, now that longer distances are becoming the rule for me rather than the exception, speed is starting to look better than versatility to me. I definitely see a road bike in my near future. Like, end of this month, probably.

The Katy ride will still be on the hybrid, though--I don't think there's enough time to get used to a new bike before then, especially since I'll be switching to clipless pedals at the same time.