Day 16: Easy Ridin'

Erin and her husband Keith

I am hereby and immediately going to end my streak of saying only nice things. Today's bike ride was in many ways unsatisfying. There.

I know, pretty weak, right? I wanted to rip in to the safety-talk, wear-your-mittens, uber-mom vibe of the Bay Area  Easy Riders Bicycling Group meetup I attended today. But the truth is, despite the pokey pace and the infuriating condescension, I had a good time. I met Erin, for example.

Erin became my new best friend when, upon my telling her I'd moved here from Utah, she reacted with genuine interest, excitement, and appreciation for that beautiful and misunderstood state. Also her fancy biking gear impressed me.

After bonding over a love of (parts of) non-coastal America, we continued making the ride bearable by bonding over backpacking, knitting, and the lack of appropriate cycling groups in the East Bay. I hardly noticed that in we'd only gone 8 miles when we stopped for lunch, two hours after we'd gathered.

To be fair, because meanness is not my strong suit, the ride was advertised as easy. But even the refreshing flavor of Erin's company couldn't keep Danny and I from bailing as everyone else munched on their pre-ordered sandwiches, condiments on the side to keep it easy. We rode home like the wind.

Lucky for me, Erin lives in my neighborhood, works at home, and likes many of the same things I do. In an unprecedented act of receptivity, she actually got in touch with me via email before I'd had a chance to write this post. So all in all, the ride was worth it: new acquaintance who could become a friend, good exercise (eventually), and a Sunday morning spent exploring a new part of the Bay. But locals, take the warning: when they say "easy," they really mean it.