111th ride

As I thought, I wasn't able to do a long ride this morning. Wheels in Motion didn't open until 10:00, when I was there waiting. And it seems I had created a more intricate problem for myself than I had imagined yesterday—not only had the rear tube come out and wound itself through and around the spokes and gears, but some of it had even worked itself inside the axle. So they had to take the axle off, and clean it thoroughly.

However, I don't know whether it was the novelty of the problem, or whether they just took pity on me, but at any rate when he was done, the technician came over, smiled, shook my hand, and said, "No charge"—and I wasn't in a mood to argue.

By the time I got home, I could only work in a brief ride before the reunion (partly in honoring Michelle's request that I keep it short so as not to tire myself out too much). So I set off in a surprisingly cool, light summer rain and did a 5.7 mile ride in 30 minutes, down the Lohr-Textile Greenway, that broad paved off-road path that parallels Lohr Rd., down to Textile (thus replicating my first ride, back in January—though under vastly different climate conditions today!). I'd like to do it again following tonight's Tiger game, and that seems feasible to me since (1) it is not riding on the road, but on a good, paved path; (2) I have both the headlight that Marianne gave me a few weeks ago, and my flashing red taillight. But it depends on how late the 7:00 game goes—I will not set out any later than 10:00 p.m.