It was a big mistake to try wearing the poncho for this morning’s jaunt on the road bike.
It wasn’t raining when I got up this morning; but while I was getting ready to ride, I heard a drizzle. I just wasn’t in the mood to get wet; so I decided to wear the poncho. I would have done better to use the hybrid; or else leave the poncho at home.
Shortly after 5:00 am, a weather site I checked said 7 mph wind. As soon as I got going, I could tell that that wind was no seven mph; and it made bike handling hard, especially with that poncho flapping around!
I had to be careful not to sit on the poncho in a way that made me feel like its neckband was choking me. As a result, the poncho flapped all over the place in the wind.
I felt so out of control that I needed to stop whenever I wanted some water; and once, I caught the bottom of the poncho on the water bottle. Talk about a big mistake!
I didn’t see that the poncho was stuck; so when I tried to start up again, I got pulled down. I hadn’t even reached the point of getting my left foot clipped in; but that actually was good. It kept me from falling and ripping up my leg warmers; but I had to let myself down onto the ground to untangle things.
Not the Best Fix
I wasted as much as ten minutes trying to fix things so that I could ride. I took the poncho off, and rolled it up; but it wouldn’t fit in the spare bottle cage. It was also too big and bulky for my reflective vest’s pockets; and I didn’t have my backpack with me.
In the end, I put the poncho back on, even though the rain had stopped; and I decided to go home. I didn’t get in much over three miles; and I hope for better tomorrow.
I hope the forecast isn’t a big mistake; nor even a little one. Tomorrow I’m taking off from work; and I want to visit Whole Foods. Rain chances are most likely in the afternoon; and I want to get home from the store and take off on the road bike!
By the way, will an abacus keep me from making such a big mistake again?