26 miles today. First order of business: riding the 6 miles to the Post Office so I could mail 5 custom made "neck scrunchies/face masks" to my younger sister and our 96 year old dad. Poor dad struggles with the N95 face mask, and can't breath through it. The face masks I've been making are with very breathable polyester material in fashionable patterned fabrics. They are designed like an infinity scarf to wear like a loose scrunchie around your neck, but pull up with no fuss to become a face mask when needed. Super easy to make with just a bit of elastic. I think it takes me a total of 10 minutes to cut the fabric, iron the seams, install the elastic, and sew the tube closed. One can wear them around all day and not even feel it, yet look very chic. Because I sew most of my summer clothing myself (and went through a Lily Pulitzer phase a few years back) I have some very bright, eye catching breathable summer fabric in which to make masks. I plan on having matching neck scrunchie masks for all my summer attire.
Anyway, back to the ride...
In order to get to the Post Office (which is only open 2 hours on Saturday) I had to face some stiff opposition from Mother Nature who, having already wrecked havoc with our fencelines and trees these past two days with gale force winds, knocking down tree limbs atop the unsuspecting fence posts with such violence that everything ended up scattered all over the ground, was not about to go quietly into the sunrise as she was supposed to go. Instead she waited until I was ready to hop on my bike before roaring back to life, blowing very chill air, naturally, right into my face for almost the entire way to the post office. I outright told her she was being rude. She just blew a raspberry right into my face, and kept shoving my bike backwards even more vindictively. I have to say there is nothing worse than going downhill at a walking speed because the wind was determined to push you right back up the hill, backwards.
So I was compelled to run at maximum assist all the way to the Post Office. Not happy with burning through the battery like that, but it was either the battery or my knee. The battery, sadly, drew the short straw.
Once the package was safely delivered into the US Postal Service hands, however, I was free to head off and put some miles under my tires. Heading back toward home was a breeze...until Ma Nature noticed I was flying along right smartly, and decided to switch the heading of her winds to blow at me once again. But I was on a mission to enjoy the morning to myself, and so kept to the paved road for smoother passage. About the time I turned onto the gravel roads again, this time heading due west, she was miffed enough to send some cold blasts of wind due east. Again, in my face.
Honestly, it was getting a bit tiring. So I stopped for a couple of photos, and to fake perhaps turning back so that the wind would be at my back. Well, that fooled her, and she dragged the winds in a southerly direction. I quickly took off again heading west, while she tried to rearrange her winds. But it was too late. Less than 2 miles later I was headed south with the wind at my back. Ahhhh. Such pleasure! Through the centuries old village on a main highway heading east, the road throttled to 25 mph from village end to village end, then back to the open countryside and 50mph roads that had decent enough shoulder to ride on, and very attentive, polite traffic.
Soon enough I was heading north, the wind still at my back, enjoying the speed and the joyous riot of greenery that is Springtime in Virginia.
(Sorry about the foggy photo - I must have had a smear on my phone lens)
The final 6 miles I kept looking at my clock on my GPS, aiming to get home by the stroke of noon to call the bike shop. You see, I had gotten an email that morning announcing a sale on the Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0. They were offering the bike at $1,000 off the normal $3,550 price. This is the same model bike I ordered from this shop in early March but ended up cancelling because they weren't going to get the bike in the color I wanted until mid-April. Now I had a chance to order it again for $1k less! The store opened at noon, but all their sales were pretty much going through their website due to the COVID-19 mandate and for their staff safety. But I did want to call and find out if the bike was available in the color I wanted.
Got home at a few minutes after 12noon, and called the shop. Yes, they would be able to get my preferred color in a few days. Shazam!!
I opened up their website on my tablet...and a few seconds later was the proud new owner of a gorgeous 2020 Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0. It should be in the shop in a few days. They are going to put some puncture proof rim tape inside the wheels to protect the inner tubes, and will check on the price of a second battery for me. Heck, I'm saving $1k on the price with this sale ($500 from the shop and $500 direct rebate from Specialized), so I'm happy to spend the entire saving on a second battery.
Now my LaFree will have a partner to shoulder the burden of me riding every day. And now I will have a Class 0, a Class 1, a Class 2, and a Class 3 in my collection of bikes/ebikes!
I am totally stoked!!!!!!
www.pearlizumi.com
