Monday is Our Day Off

I've been reading "The Lost Cyclist"by David V. Herlihy, a historical account of cycle touring in the 1890's. The book is a bit lengthy with great detail given to the personalities of these young cyclists who took off around the world on the newly developed Safety Bicycles. I, being a history buff, have been enjoying the read quite a bit.

Inspired by the carefree characters I have been reading about I decided to take off for Boulder this afternoon on my xtracycle. I had completed several items from my Monday to-do list and was ready to find a particular shoe shop I have heard about owned by two sisters on Pearl Street in Boulder. My plan was to load up my xtracycle with shoe boxes.

All afternoon I saw horses, ponies and goats. Birds and butterflies circled me on country roads and I was inspired by the vistas from Standley Lake. I was a bit disappointed by the heavy auto traffic as human development has encroached on the open prairies between Denver and Boulder. But there were fluffy clouds, sun, and breezes to enjoy.

I found my destination, and they had just closed! My journey took me longer than I had anticipated. Having not ridden for two weeks one couldn't be surprised by my pace. Deciding that dusk would descend before I could make it home I caught the RTD back to downtown Denver.

Things I learned about Riding from Denver to Boulder:

Taken March 2011 in France

1)  Map your ride to Boulder carefully, did it. For some unknown reason the local governments haven't built a bike path from Denver to Boulder so one must zig zag through the greater suburbs of Arvada, Westminster, etc.

2) Drink Water, did it.

3) Bring Snacks, forgot. Even if you aren't hungry you should have little snacks every hour or so. I got a whopper of a headache from not eating.

4) Put Sunscreen on your ears, ouch.

5) have $5 in your bag, did it, just in case you have to catch the bus back to Denver.

Next week I will leave before 3PM!