Kirstin's Crazy Bike Ride
Today was the big day......our Prodeco electric bikes made landfall in Anguilla. Nice flat island, no wind, great dinghy dock..........all the ingredients for a nice day (or so we thought). After repeatedly forgetting all the regalia required for this adventure..........bike keys (yes, electric bikes have keys), batteries, helmets, etc., we got everything we needed to shore in two very overloaded trips.
Then the ceremony of the assembly. Various allen wrench tightenings, bike unfoldings, etc. The amused customs and immigration staff (two lovely ladies) watched in disbelief as we slowly got ready to ride......without pedaling.
We left Road Bay in and created a mini dust-storm as our bikes sped away. As always, I just follow Kirstin as she rides faster than I do. So far, so good (or so we thought). Kirstin saw a seaside resort type place on the right, so we turned off the major road........and the road got progressively smaller, then unpaved, then unpaved and rocky.............and then, two dogs burst out of the brush and started chasing us while barking.
Kirstin is very brave. She's been halfway up the mast, is nearly impervious to pain, does kickboxing.....and works out with 20 lb free weights at the gym. Pretty tough chick. But, she has this weird fear of dogs. Like most people hate snakes. So, predictably, Kirstin gets quite upset that these dogs are now chasing us and rides very quickly. Soon, the dogs give up. We're now safe (or so we thought).
The road we're on dead ends. Like, completely ends with no turnoffs. We are on one end of the road- the dogs are down the road blocking our only escape. Kirstin is sobbing. It's hot. I'm hungry and thirsty, and reminding my wife that I don't like biking anyway. You get the picture.
Anyway, we discuss next steps. I float the first trial balloon........"I bet the dogs went away and we can just bike back down the street." No sale. Kirstin absolutely refuses to bike back down the street. "OK, I"ll just walk down there and kill both of them. Can you get my assault rifle out of the backpack ?" The humor was not appreciated. Just then a local woman emerges from a house on the street. Kirstin gets her to call a cab. A cab? What kind of cyclist does that? Anyway, 10 minutes later, we are speeding away. Oh, and when we went back down the street, of course no sign of dogs.
So we eat lunch at a nice beach bar, ride back, and everything's great......(or so we thought). As we are loaded down on our first bike delivery mission back to the boat, the skies open up and we are absolutely drenched. Needless to say, unloading a bike from a dinghy to our boat in a squall was precarious.....I wasn't sure if I minded if we lost my bike overboard though............hey, just things you think of in stressful moments.
Anyway, much like most women do when their plan is the source of a bad outing, Kirstin has been spinning this as "fun"..........and has me about 50% of the way there in terms of tomorrow's bike ride. At least it's two more chances to "accidentally" drop my bike in the ocean.
Then the ceremony of the assembly. Various allen wrench tightenings, bike unfoldings, etc. The amused customs and immigration staff (two lovely ladies) watched in disbelief as we slowly got ready to ride......without pedaling.
We left Road Bay in and created a mini dust-storm as our bikes sped away. As always, I just follow Kirstin as she rides faster than I do. So far, so good (or so we thought). Kirstin saw a seaside resort type place on the right, so we turned off the major road........and the road got progressively smaller, then unpaved, then unpaved and rocky.............and then, two dogs burst out of the brush and started chasing us while barking.
Kirstin is very brave. She's been halfway up the mast, is nearly impervious to pain, does kickboxing.....and works out with 20 lb free weights at the gym. Pretty tough chick. But, she has this weird fear of dogs. Like most people hate snakes. So, predictably, Kirstin gets quite upset that these dogs are now chasing us and rides very quickly. Soon, the dogs give up. We're now safe (or so we thought).
The road we're on dead ends. Like, completely ends with no turnoffs. We are on one end of the road- the dogs are down the road blocking our only escape. Kirstin is sobbing. It's hot. I'm hungry and thirsty, and reminding my wife that I don't like biking anyway. You get the picture.
Anyway, we discuss next steps. I float the first trial balloon........"I bet the dogs went away and we can just bike back down the street." No sale. Kirstin absolutely refuses to bike back down the street. "OK, I"ll just walk down there and kill both of them. Can you get my assault rifle out of the backpack ?" The humor was not appreciated. Just then a local woman emerges from a house on the street. Kirstin gets her to call a cab. A cab? What kind of cyclist does that? Anyway, 10 minutes later, we are speeding away. Oh, and when we went back down the street, of course no sign of dogs.
So we eat lunch at a nice beach bar, ride back, and everything's great......(or so we thought). As we are loaded down on our first bike delivery mission back to the boat, the skies open up and we are absolutely drenched. Needless to say, unloading a bike from a dinghy to our boat in a squall was precarious.....I wasn't sure if I minded if we lost my bike overboard though............hey, just things you think of in stressful moments.
Anyway, much like most women do when their plan is the source of a bad outing, Kirstin has been spinning this as "fun"..........and has me about 50% of the way there in terms of tomorrow's bike ride. At least it's two more chances to "accidentally" drop my bike in the ocean.