2013 Red Ride

The Commuters, Photo by Michael McKinney

At this point, I half expect somebody to pull up on a Surly Cross Check and tell me I'm riding on two different sized wheels.  I can almost hear the way he or she would express disdain for my naive attempt at riding in the city, not really getting anywhere that doesn't have coffee for less than three dollars a cup:  "Dude, I know you blog and shit.  But, you're riding a 27 inch front wheel with a 26 inch rear, you just gave me the finger and there's a really bad smell in your draft.  Nice try."

That is of course, without addressing the copious issues I have with Sudoku and the New York Times Crossword.

That being said, it was providential to be included as a guest on the 2013 Saint John's University Almuni Cycling Club's Red Ride in and around Stearns County, Minnesota.  To get there, I could have used the route I rode in 2011, from the Basilica in Minneapolis to the Marcel Breuer bell tower, roughly 100 miles later.  Being fortunate to have the option, I chose rather to invest in new components, the skill of a Freewheel mechanic to fine tune them and public transportation to Saint Johns - though I missed an additional few hundred miles of cycling, I think the investment was wise.

The ride left St. John's on Saturday morning, June 22nd, and was a fast and enjoyable tour - many skilled riders were participating and I felt at ease in the group.  One outstanding difference between riding a bicycle in the city and riding through farming communities is the lack of distractions.  A rider in the city might have to stop and start many times between here and there, for stop signs, red lights, walkers, dog walkers, very young children weaving on small bicycles as their parents watch nervously, runners, possums...you can imagine.

Once a group is settled in and a pace is set, given the capacity for the road one is riding on, the distractions become fewer and the objective becomes less about avoiding collisions and more about spinning the turbines, tuning into the other riders and maintaining a cadence commensurate with the group.  Getting to Saturday morning took a lot more than I can dictate, but a train ride, a bus ride and a big hoagie at Bo Diddley's was a perfect start.

I returned home on Saturday night and got back to riding in and through Minneapolis and St. Paul, stopping at the Minneapolis Farmers Market and collecting water as a volunteer with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for the Minnehaha Watershed District, reading and occasionally investigating the many gastronomic treasures of the area.  I am happy to report a new bicycle has been purchased, though it took months of lay away.

I rode my Felt F75X for the first time last night and after bunny hopping a couple of curbs and scorching some dirt trails, I nailed an exposed man hole cover and double pinched.  I walked the remaining mile home, hoping it wasn't inoperable.

Here are some photos of the June 22nd weekend.

Finishing the 2013 Red Ride, Courtesy of the Saint John's University Alumni Association.

Minneapolis Farmer's Market Vegetables, Photo by Michael McKinney

Lake Sagatagan, Photo by Michael McKinney

Felt F75x, Photo by Michael McKinney