The Ripmo was not happy that I left it in the truck yesterday and went road biking so when I woke up at 6 a.m. this morning I was like what the hell am I doing awake so early?! Then I woke up at 8 a.m. and remembered the Ripmo was waiting.
I proceeded to get ready. When I started biking, getting ready meant walking out and getting on a bike. Over the years I’ve learned that in order to properly bike you need stuff. Each year my list of stuff has grown to the point that riding a bike, any of my bikes, is like packing for a trip.
Every item is the result of something that happened at some point while I was riding. Grab kleenex. It’s handy to clean sunglasses and wounds. Take eye drops. I got crap in my eyes one time and thought I would die. Grab chapstick. That’s new this year after my lips kept drying out in the Utah sun.
Get the knee sleeves, the arm sleeves, the helmet, the sunglasses, the gloves, the shoes. Grab the Garmin, don the Apple Watch.
Eat a banana and a hand full of nuts so you don’t bonk, brush your teeth so you aren’t a disgusting neanderthal, put on sunscreen, put on chapstick, down water like a camel so you don’t dehydrate. Get the Skratch, fill a water bottle, add the Skratch.
Check the tire pressure, check the shock pressure, lube the chain. The Ripmo adds a new one – bleed the extra air on the front fork. See? Each year adds something new to the list.
The Ride – Providence Canyon