Back in the Saddle Again

After work this afternoon , I got home and decided to dust off the ol' bicycle. I inflated the tires and lubed the chain then hit the road for a pleasant after work ride. The beginning of the route was a bit brutal, especially considering I haven't ridden in about four months. I gained about 400 feet in elevation over the first two miles. Luckily most of that climbing was on paved road which made for some easier riding. From there, however, I turned off of Highway 385 and onto the dirt Rifle Pit road. The climbing wasn't too bad, but the road was bumpy and rutted which made for some slow going. It was fun though. From there I turned onto Beaver Creek Road which was well graveled and made it back into Wind Cave National Park at Highway 87. There were some bison at the junction of the two roads, but I had built up some speed and luckily they didn't seem too concerned with me.

The going on 87 was fast and easy; mostly downhill until I made it to the pigtail bridge. From there there was a bit of a climb and then some rolling ups and downs. it was fun to ride over the Beaver Creek Bridge and was quick riding until I got back to 385 and ran into a herd of about 100 bison. There were lots of cars pulled over to watch them. I was in no position to observe, since I wasn't protected by a sheath of metal known as a car. Therefore, I carefully rode through the herd which had luckily parted for a truck that I followed.

I made it home after about an hour of riding. It sure felt good! It made me miss Lexington, where I usually rode to work. I miss the daily rides and cruising past the backed up traffic on the heavy traffic days. The ride was just over 14 miles. I can't wait to do it again!