Fate smiled broadly on me today as I finally dragged myself out on the recumbent (or the rikonbento as we’ve come to call it), and was rewarded by getting a meeting I had yearned for years.
Following yesterday’s glorious weather and my most recent viewing of a weather forecast showing us to be in store for more of the same, I woke with high expectations.
I was shattered, then, to see it had rained overnight and it was cool, overcast and bleak.
We’d transplanted the carefully cultivated seedlings yesterday based on the weather reports only to go out and have a sweltering sun pound down on them and then followed close by with rain and other unfavorable phenomena.
Normally, I wake in the morning, then get out on my bike before I can talk myself out of it.
But on weekends, I take time and find ways not to go.
With wet roads and a fear of the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of rim brakes, I had to ride a bike with disc brakes, which meant the hybrid or the recumbent.
Mrs. Kangaeroo hates the recumbent because of its potential dangers and lack of safety, so we have been jokingly calling it the rikonbent, a portmanteau of rikon, Japanese word for divorce, and bent, a frequent nickname for recumbent bicycles.
I finally dragged the bike out, pumped up the tires and headed off. I traveled slowly and a little sadly as the cherry blossoms have now passed their peak.
I was heading into the home straight and bumped into someone I have long wanted to meet.
I first learned of him through a massive ride he made through Tasmania several years ago.
Later, I learned he is also a proactive contributor to the Tokyo cycling community through his central contribution to the Positivo Espresso cycling blog.
He is also a recumbent rider, getting on a carbon-framed Pelso that was just an absolute beauty, and a really durable and skillful cyclist, so he has long been an inspiration for me.
I was delighted to stop and have a chat. I know he is a very prominent person, but he was extremely humble, kind and friendly.
Suddenly, I got to come home feeling very upbeat.
And felt even better because I was able to storm past a couple of roadies who had disdainfully overtaken me on the cumbersome turns of the Tamagawa Cycling Road.
Coming home and posting my ride on Strava, another good friend made lots of comments, so it turned out to be a pretty decent day in some ways.
