50 X 1 {miles x speed}

{words by carey}

“Most people have a general interest in the weather … when you become a cyclist you develop a more specific interest in all things meteorological, because the weather can make such a difference to your journey.” -Kimbofo

Consciousness comes quickly after ten rotations of the cranks; it's 6am, dark and a bit chilly, so why have we wandered so far from our door on single speeds so early in the morning? The air was fresh from the 2 AM rain and jarringly loud: a gold Ford truck decided to follow us for a block with its horn blaring until it passed our small trio of cyclists. "Man, Ballard isn't so calm at six in the morning," Brian commented. We made our escape from the gold-plated noise by navigating onto the Ballard bridge; it's amazing how a short and probably insignificant concrete dividing wall gives the illusion of safety and separation from traffic.

After six or so miles, we made it to our morning haunt, Zeitgeist coffee house, and fueled our bodies with water, Americanos, and a couple pastries. With the sun peeking its rays over the Cascades, the 20 miles ahead seemed inviting, but the invitation turned out to be a hoax. As we hit 6th and Airport Way, the rain started to fall and that invisible hand known as wind started to push against our bodies. For the next 25 minutes our conversation ceased and we just concentrated on keeping a consistent rhythm on what seemed like the longest stretch of road in Seattle. We pushed on through and found relief when we hooked up with the Green River trail, where the rain finally stopped. "As much as I hate riding in to the wind and rain, I also really love it," I said to Brian. He smiled and nodded in agreement.

Wish I Had a Front Fender {Green River Trail}

Sonic Wave {Locks -Ballard, WA}

Raleigh Professional {carey's ride}

Winter Grime {Green River Trail}

Bikes: {carey} 1976 Raleigh Professional (gear 50/18) {brian} 2006 Raleigh Rush Hour (gear 44/16)
Coffee: Zeitgist
Rant: Keep it simple - go single for a 50 mile round trip and validate life!