Sunday, October 23, 2016

2016 Coffeeneuring #3, between the rivers

I had to play my ace early in this game, as it turned out. Last Tuesday, I was hit by a car on my bike while riding home, and while neither I nor the bike were too badly banged up, it was in the shop and I was still pretty sore. What little riding I was capable of, I did mainly with one hand doing anything useful. Squeezing a brake with my left hand is not yet something I can do well.

Friday afternoon was the one-year memorial for Susan Hicks, who lost her life riding home on a bike. I was able to get out of work a bit early and borrow one of the rental bikes to make the three mile ride out to Oakland, and the site of her ghost bike on Forbes Ave across from the dinosaur where so many bike rides begin. Just like last year's memorial, we had a steady rain, but also like last year, we had dozens of people there.



Just prior to this, though, I stopped in at the little coffee nook at Carnegie Library's main branch, right across the street. Like last week's coffeeneuring trip #2, this too was a Crazy Mocha, and for that matter, this was the second CM I'd been in that afternoon. But I wasn't about to be picky. I only had 40 minutes, and knew this was my only chance to make the ride this week. And I love this place. The goat on the wall is wearing librarians' glasses.



My big purchase was a pumpkin flavored coffee and a cookie. Just as I got this to my table, the bike shop called to discuss details of the repair estimate, then I also ran into Scott and Eric from Bike-Pgh. Net effect, I barely had time to gulp it all down before I ran across to the memorial service getting underway. 

But, all is well with the world. Several people had heard about my incident, and were both truly concerned with my condition, and glad to see me getting around, apparently intact. 

Still, three for three. I have yet to do south flat, north hilly, west, and outer east. Next week, I hope, I will be better able to go any distance.

1 comment:

  1. Week #3, riding with an injury, so had to keep it short, barely qualifying, but enough. Between the rivers: check.

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