Some friends and I joined up with the San Jose Bicycle Club for their Blue Train ride today. I guess a bunch of people cycling all in a row can be called a train, and they all wear blue outfits, hence, the Blue Train.
The Blue Train station is Via Valiente Plaza, a once-thriving Almaden strip mall that recently lost its PW Supermarket, and which used to contain Britton’s Bicycles, where I bought my mountain bike. I grew up in the same neighborhood and used to ride my little red bicycle down there to get ice cream with my friends. Now I’m an old lady and dressed up like I think I’m a cyclist or something…
I thought I had a chance to hang on to the train, but I also thought it was likely that I’d get dropped. Well, I got dropped. I struggled mightily to keep pace with everyone until the turn off from Uvas Road onto Oak Glen past Chesbro Reservoir; I was blowing up. I went from 100 bpm to 180 in just a few short minutes trying to keep pace with those guys (and one bad ass pretty red haired girl), and once we finished climbing Cinnabar Hill, I was done.
It’s not the awesomest thing in the world, being last on a ride, or getting dropped. What was awesome was having the company of Richard, a guy who apparently started the SJBC Saturday morning ride back in 1990. He towed me all the way around the route and reminded me that he was going to be dropped as well, that if it weren’t for me, he’d be riding solo.
I also think that over time, people benefit from pushing themselves up into more challenging situations than they’d ordinarily land in. It gives you something to strive for; not getting dropped from the Blue Train is now my number one goal in life.
Also noteworthy, I saw a female rider in every single group of motorcyclists that passed us today. When I started riding street bikes in 2006, Uvas Road was actually one of my favorite places to practice cornering on, and it was a rare day when I saw another lady rider. I feel like I maybe only saw two or three that year outside of the occasional Curve Unit ride.
Another 1,284 calories burned. God I love cycling. Food, speed, dudes, and things to spend money on besides shoes and bags. I honestly don’t know why more girls don’t do it.
