Last minute text invite to do a 10 mile holiday bike ride;
Me in my head: Sure. It’s only 2 more miles than capital crescent trail which isn’t terrible. Should be fun to go on route where Xmas lights all lit up. should be safe right ? With holiday lights blocked off streets etc.
Gets to starting pt (Rockville bike shop).
Mistakes were made:
1. Wearing my winter jacket bc it’s 30d into the shop and several ppl asking me if I’ll be too warm. A. came with and we both decided to ditch winter coats. Everybody wearing holiday theme costumes except me in a grey sweater and black leggings.
2. Me thinking I have a cute little portable folding bike. Until I realize roughly 20 ppl- mostly older side (40+) LITERALLY EVERYBODY had a electric bike.😅 A. also had an older bike so it was cute and gave me comfort throughout the ride knowing that I was not too far behind from the group bc I could hear the squeaking.
3. Blocked off roads? NOPE. Biked right in the middle of Rockville Pike at one point. We did see some fancy houses with Xmas lights but the rest of the route was cut through neighborhood streets.
4. Mile 3: Me huffing and puffing. Store guy pulls up behind me and realizes I don’t have any lights- just a tiny reflector light A. loaned me. I need to get some. Tells me for safety reasons he needs to be behind me bc I have no lights. Its nice of him to wait for me though =) I felt bad I was holidng up the group
5. Mile 7 — Store guy still trailing me . He keeps telling me from behind to turn my gear down. I told him about him 3 -4 times I had my gear at the lowest for the hills. He then tells me to ride his bike back. And gets on mine and realizes what I was saying was true… foldable bikes are not meant for long distance lol and my wheels were way too tiny compared to others which was why I couldn’t keep up lol. I try to get on his bike and he insists that I go at the higher height despite me telling him I’m shorter than him multiple times. I fall down lol with his bike 😂 and he picks up his bike and I get up and lowers it. OMG though the last 3 miles were heaven bc UHM it’s electric. And now he’s in the back pedaling like crazy on my foldable bike. I’m DED.
6. End of night time to fold my bike. Never try and fold your bike when you’re hungry and in the cold. Bc it was too cold so my metal bar got stuck and I couldn’t fold so after several minutes of trying I crammed it to my car by putting seat down. And it’s still in my car crammed tonight cause too tired to get it.
Never again… not in 32 degree weather will I ever ride a tiny foldable bike in the dark with 20 other ppl who have electric bikes. Meanwhile I call home, laughing so hard at myself, that I can’t believe I actually was crazy enough to do what I did. My moms laughing with me, at me; and my dad is on the side of the phone worried. Nothing a cute pikachu bandaid cant fix; Now I have an excuse to finally use my pokemon bandaids =D