Biking, Thunderstorm and a Tree …………:)

Yaa I know it’s been sometime since I have posted anything here. But Thursday (2Sep2010) was that kind of day, I was excited, frightened, thrilled all at the same time. I guess i should do one stupid thing every month so that i have something to write.

It all started well just like any other group ride day. The weather was good and sunny at 6 pm even though it rained in the morning. The route is very scenic and I was all pumped up to be in the first four riders of the group all along. This is my first ride in this Thursday group and in this route. Being the only Asian in this group of white people, the first ride in these groups is always a little bit awkward and uncomfortable before the start where everyone is staring at you. Finally the race started and I am slightly relieved. It started well, I was in the middle pack and being a new bee to the entire road biking etiquettes and style, I am generally very cautious about others and how I ride in the group. The route was very scenic and it goes around a lot of small lakes and beautiful country side around Delafield area Milwaukee.

By 12th mile or so I was in the first four riders and it was going very good and I am determined to finish it behind the first two and wanted to keep up with them irrespective of what may happen, partly because I don’t know the route back and partly because I wanted to get into faster groups and faster rides soon as the summer is coming to an end. I think it’s around 18th mile we are going down a downhill and its getting pretty gloomy all of sudden. We took the right turn at the foot of the hill and the bike started going way fast, I was going at 26 mph on a flat track and I was thinking that I am getting good at this.. :D but the fact is that there is a very heavy tail wind pushing us forward. I didn’t realize it until I took a right again and it’s that time I though road biking could turn from good to dangerous in no time.

The wind was so powerful that I was literally going sideways on the road and me being not that heavy on the bike I felt like my front wheel will lift off, luckily it didn’t and the inevitable rain started. In a matter of 100 yards it became very heavy almost to an extent where I cannot see the road more than 10 foot in front of me. I was frightened and excited all at the same time, excited because after a long time I was outside in rain on a bike and frightened because it’s bad conditions and I donno any one to call who can come to this remote place and pick me up, I myself donno where I am. I got completely drenched and i was just trying to follow the blinking tail lamp of one of the rider whom I barely can see now. Its 20 miles or so and I am already in rain like 10 mins.

We entered a very dark section of the road with all the trees on the side and by this time I am exhausted and was just trying not to get stranded on these remote country roads with on one around in this thunderstorm. It’s then, like in movies I see a good sized tree on the right side of the road falling right in front of me like 10 feet away and I am at 18 mph or so, believe me it was very scary and frightening. The tree covered half of the road and in a panic reaction or so I just turned my wheel left to avoid the tree not thinking that I am on a road bike with slick tires in rainy conditions. Luckily I didn’t fall flat on the road or smashed into the tree truck and got thrown over to the other side of the road. By the time I could slip after that jerky turn I was already on the top part of the tree leaves which gave some tractions and I got away without a fall. I somehow was able to push my momentum slightly left and barely missed the bulk part of the tree trunk and went over the branches at the end of the tree a near miss from a 911 call and a trip to Hospital. Though it a bit scary in some parts of this rain adventure, overall it was awesome after the finish thinking that it’s been some time since I have done anything as stupid and crazy as this.

The moral of the story is don’t be stupid in situations where you are far away from your home and especially when you don’t know the area :P, sometimes we should think and not let adrenaline decide. Ideally I should have stopped under the under pass where everyone else stopped a part of the front group of four riders which included me and waited out the rain. This probably is the second near miss from a very serious injury on bike this summer. The first one included a full suspension mountain bike, off-road mountain bike trail, and me flying over the handle bar… I will leave this to people’s imagination :D