Pride Cometh Before a Fall

The thing I feared the most on my rides happened today.  I crashed.

I wanted to ride 30 miles, and today was the perfect day for it.  Sunny, warm, mild -- perfect for a ride out to Viva Naughton and back.  Perfect, that is, until about 3:30pm when I was actually getting dressed for said ride.  As I pulled on my padded bike shorts, I heard the wind against the house, but dismissed it much as I dismiss those early cold symptoms as if ignoring the germy taste in the back of my throat will actually ward off the impending cold.

I put my bike on the car rack and headed over to the Event Center parking lot, and as I traveled Hwy 30 into town, I nervously watched the tall grasses that were bent over from the force of the wind. Once in town, I noticed the tops of the trees moving sharply to the east.  Shoot.  I arrived at the Center and went inside to grab my ipod, taking a minute to check weather.com and finding the winds at 25-30 mph.  Shoot. 

Shoot. Shoot.

I had no doubt that riding was a really bad idea at this point, out on the open road, up and down rolling hills with no trees or buildings to block or even slow down the wind.  But I so wanted to do the ride that I talked myself into going anyway, reasoning that perhaps it would die down a bit as I rode.

It didn't.

The headwind as I traveled northwest toward Viva Naughton was bad enough.  It was like trying to run forward while someone pushed on my shoulders.  But the winds that blew at me sideways were the worst, causing my front tire to wobble dangerously and my bike to jump on the road as I coasted downhill.  So very scary.

I got about eight miles out, white knuckling along, when I heard a car approaching.  I turned my head to see where it was, and that was all it took for the wind to knock me sideways onto the gravel shoulder.  (Thank goodness there was a shoulder rather than the deep ditches that line much of the route!)  Recovery in the gravel was impossible, and down I went, falling into the road just about the time the car was trying to navigate around me.  Truth be told, I think it freaked the driver out more than me.  He veered left, slowed down, then accelerated somewhat doubtfully before driving off.  A second vehicle also slowed down and actually stopped, and a passenger called out, "Are you okay?!?!"

By this time I had recovered enough to be standing with my bike, and I nodded and shouted back, "I'm okay!"  Then I lifted my arm up and circled in the air, yelling, "The wind!"  as a means of explanation as to why I had crashed.

Thankfully, I wasn't really hurt, other than a few minor scrapes.  But that was enough for me.  I headed back to town.  Adam and Aislynn pulled up in our SUV just after I had turned around.  (They had planned to meet me at the lake for a little while before my ride back.)  Adam rolled down the window. "Aren't you going the wrong way?"

I explained that I just couldn't fight the wind and asked him to stay close in the car until I got back safely.  The fierce tailwind helped me on climbs and conserved my energy, but made for truly frightening descents down several hills.  I was extremely relieved when I got back to the Event Center.  So much for both my strong will and my arrogance.  And now I know that it's not just a matter of having to suffer through a more difficult ride -- there is a genuine safety issue when the wind speed passes a certain threshold. 

Hopefully tomorrow the air will be calm and I can get that 30 mile ride in.  Tonight I am grateful that despite crashing I am still in the shape to get on my bike tomorrow.  It really could have been disastrous.  Truly blessed.