Wheels and News: Bicycle Diaries II

With less than 50 days to ALC 6, I was hit by a car on Sunday morning!

Ok, this might be a little exaggerate, but at least it gets your attention (this is how a reporter survives his job…just kidding).

This Sunday morning was one of the days where riders would struggle: whether to stay in bed, hoping it rains or wake up and get ready for the training ride, praying for the disappearance of the dark clouds. I got 2 calls around 6 a.m. from riders who were excited for the ride yet not sure if we were going to ride. As I’ve got 20 RSVP from the riders, unless it was heavy rain, otherwise we will ride on. And we did.

Sunday’s ride was from the Rose Bowl to Claremont, traveling across more than 10 cities in the San Gabriel Valley. This is one of my favorite rides and with the help from co-leader Brian and Kathie, we got 23 people in this ride. Although it was drizzling here and there, it was still a fun and great ride.

Oh yea, I got hit by a car. This was on Foothill Blvd. in Glendora before the Citrus College. I was caboosing with 2 riders, Robin and Debra, suddenly out of no way, this car just pass by me with zero distance between the car and my bike. Debra said “you just got hit but you handle so well, so calm.” To be honest, I didn’t know I was hit, I just knew the car was SO CLOSE to me that I had to yield to the right and almost lost my balance. I was so-called calm because it happened so fast that my brain didn’t get the chance to process on how to react.

Luckily I was OK. No injury. Debra who rode behind me said she got hit too. That car stopped at the next red light and we were able to catch up with her. I knocked on her window which was roll down an inch and yell at her “what was the hurry? You just hit us!” With her obviously not too-care and not-realize face expression, she didn’t reply and drove off when the light turned green. Debra said the driver looked like she was on drug!

Yes, it’s dangerous on the road, we kind of expected every time we roll out and keep reminding ourselves: stay alert all the time.

For the rest of the ride, we just pay extra precaution and we had to ride slow because Robin was happing gears problem. We finished shortly after 5 pm for this 76 miles ride.

On Saturday, I leaded another ride that starts from the Rose Bowl, it was a 46 miles ride with Lida and La Tuna Canyon, two of the famous hills among the cycling circuit. Pedro co-lead with me on the ride and we had about 28 riders.

I was staying with the slow group (yes, caboose again) and by the time we got to the first pit stop at the Sunland Produce, 2 riders had flat tire. I helped them fixed the flats. Later on, Larry had gearing problem, his chain dropped many times that makes it hard for him to do the climbing.

I’m glad I lead these back-to-back rides. Other than the weekend rides, I also rode by myself on Friday around the Rose Bowl and did 2 spinning classes and a Pilate class on Thursday, this time I felt better, still, the abs hurts!

Total mileage for the week: 141 miles.

Next Saturday is the ALC’s Day on the Ride, we’ll be doing a 80-mile ride in the west side and Sunday is the monthly consolidated training starts at the Griffith Park.