Saddle Sagas

    In seventh grade, Tom Murray, the father of my best friend, entered the living room and announced his outrageous allowance to his son, John, granting him the freedom to bike anywhere within a 70-mile radius of their home. This was during a time when cell phones were nonexistent. Filled with excitement and possibilities, we eagerly logged onto the dial-up modem to examine a map of the greater twin-city metro. Despite my limited knowledge of what lay beyond my mailbox, the thought of biking to Nelson’s ice cream in Stillwater or catching a Twins game at the Metrodome was incredibly enticing. I hadn't grasped the distance of 70 miles, nor had I considered my lack of navigational skills. After three weeks of reveling in the idea of freedom granted by Tom Murray, we managed to bike only as far as Anton’s house, at which point our enthusiasm died, and we called for a ride back.

     Fast forward to my spring break adventures with Lionel. We've defied Tom Murray’s 70-mile rule not once, but twice. Fortunately, we live just 5 miles from Chengdu’s Greenway belt, a 100 KM (70 mile) biking trail encircling the outer ring of Chengdu city.

     On Monday, Lionel and I joined other teachers and high school students from our school for a fun day ride. However, due to poor communication on my part, we ended up biking 11 miles to the starting point, only to realize that the group planned to ride in the opposite direction. After two hours of biking, I found myself about 5 miles away from the original starting point. By the time we stopped for lunch, we were only a quarter of the way from where we started. While the students maintained high spirits throughout, most were ready to call it quits by lunchtime. The teachers, however, caught a second wind and decided to push onward. Inspired by their tenacity, I too rallied, and together, we committed to a final push. The ensuing hour was a relentless succession of hills—Lionel racing down ramps with abandon, while I powered through with a caffeine-fueled fervor. Soon, a colleague and I had distanced ourselves from the rest of the group. At around the halfway mark, I realized that continuing in this direction would require me to cover over 30 miles to complete the Greenway, with over 40 miles to return home. Wisely, I decided to head back, completing the 25-mile retreat with less zeal but more muscle tightness. After 40 minutes of exertion, I felt Lionel dozing off in the backseat. I pulled over to let him rest and stretch our legs before continuing our journey home. Although we didn’t complete the Greenway loop, we racked up a total of 72 miles for the day.

     Determined to give it another shot, Lionel and I embarked on our second attempt, braving rain, wind, and sore saddle bottoms. Despite my efforts to avoid puddles during our ride to the starting point, Lionel counted 12 splash encounters, his mud-speckled face and helmet confirmed the accuracy of his tally.

     This time, we would make the journey with a former student of mine, Jerry Kim. As we set off, I made sure to head eastward to avoid doubling back. As we set off, we soon reached the same section of the trail where I had completed my final leg of the marathon. A wave of nostalgia washed over me as I chuckled at the one spot on the bridge where I had cramped up and resorted to walking. While I had considered myself fast on the bike from Monday’s experience, Kim's speed was comparable to that of Lance Armstrong. Everything was going smoothly until we encountered a hilltain that reminded me of my college days hiking the M with its numerous switchbacks. The climb lasted about 15 minutes at a speed that was considerably slower than walking. As the sun began to rise, I started to feel a bit exhausted. Sensing the need for refreshment, I stopped at a vendor with a cooler and purchased four icy waters and a bowl of cold noodles. Though cold noodles may not sound appetizing to everyone, they were the nectar of the Gods at that moment. Lionel and I devoured them, applied sunscreen, and continued our journey with renewed energy, spending the next two hours in high spirits.

     We encountered Slope Town once again, navigating through its endless hills in the northwestern section. This time, I was prepared, but Kim, who hadn't eaten anything, was definitely feeling the strain. Yet, nothing is more enticing than the idea of ice cream. I assured Jerry that we were only thirty minutes away from McDonald’s at our current pace but could arrive in 15 if we pushed ourselves. Just 18 minutes later, we parked our bikes in front of the Golden Arches and indulged in dessert first. With another McCoffee to energize me, I completed the final eight miles of the loop with ease and allowed Lionel to play at the park near where we had started.

      Being myself, I naturally didn't check the weather, and after 40 minutes of slides, zip lines, and sand, raindrops began to fall on our heads. We biked the remaining 5 miles in a moderate downpour while Lionel sang made-up songs about different kinds of bikes. "BMX bikes are the coolest of bikes, they do tricks all day all day... City bikes go in the city, they are short and they are pretty." We completed the Greenway loop and made it back safely, covering a total distance of…. 72 miles once again.

     While we still have a long way to go before we're prepared for Ragbrai. I have the frame of mind to state confidence in my mental and physical abilities, but I need to toughen up my rear end for long hours in the saddle. Butt, my recent outings with Lionel have been wheely fantastic.