Yea, I rode today.

To borrow a phrase from Keith over at the "Did he ride today?" blog.  "Yes, I rode today."

I rode yesterday as well, and am planning on riding tomorrow - as long as the weather holds up.  There is a thirty percent (30%) chance of rain throughout the day.  At one time I would have ridden up to a fifty (50%) chance of rain.  At that stage it really was a role of a dice.

Nothing of note happened.  No cars pulled in front of me.  No deer were in the middle of the road.  No emergency stops where I had to pucker.  A unexciting commute back and forth to work.  Plain, dull, boring. What every cyclist wants I suppose.  A successful ride.

I have to admit, I was a bit nervous jumping on Kimmie after being off her for months.  A few quick swings around the streets at low speed and then I ventured into the traffic of Pasco County.  I worried, the tires felt  overinflated.  Then they felt under-inflated.  I pulled off the road and a nice mechanic at Sam's club checked my pressure.  It was right on the money.

I worried about the road, Florida has some serious issues with their roads because of bad craftsmanship and to much sand in the asphalt mix.  I was concerned about the bike, "Was that a whine in the CVT belt?"  "When was the last time my oil was changed?  There is so much to be concerned about.

And yet, I could feel a little spark of joy going into a corner.  Safely and with probably a little to much caution.  If the events over the last few months have taught me anything it's that caution is paramount and that the shit will hit the fan at any time and any where.

Kimmie opened up on the straightaways here and there, bringing that little thrill of feeling myself pushed backward as she surged forward.

I stopped to buy gas, $3.79 a gallon, and was reminded again about the benefits of owning a scooter or motorcycle.  Basically it cost me roughly 14 cents to run the bike one mile which compared to my Chevy Sonic, which averages about 30 miles per gallon, is a bargain.  I can go just under 160 miles on the bike, or about 52 miles on a gallon of gas, and that may have been one of the 1st reasons I started riding in the first place.  Somewhere, somehow I fell in love with the sport.

That love is still there, it's just going to take me a little time to rekindle that flame.