INSIDE:
An epic tale 

Hump day

Epic

Cycling is liking diving with sharks.  With no cage.

Do it long enough, and you can bet you'll get a chunk taken out of you AND when you least exect it.

 Wade organised to come for a ride around the backyard.  The night before he sent this message

'If the weather turns bad, I might pike on you'.

My response:

'You weak (colourful expression), no wonder the world thinks Canadian's are soft'

Wade was on my doorstep on time - already bleeding after binning it on a white line.  After patching him up, we set out for another adventure, and dressed for it accordingly. 

The heavens had already opened but as we rolled out, shards of sunlight were poking through and it looked promising.   The loop covers all roads surfaces, smooth, rough, and rutted, has some gradual climbs and a few pinches so even on a good day it's challenging. 

We stopped to take some shots, and you could smell the rain coming.  In the space of 10 seconds it went from a drip drop to hail, to torrential rain buckets.  From moderately light, to near darkness.

Wade hadn't eaten, and with no support vehicle, we cruised the Mernda miles to avoid an episode of the Landis files. 

The great thing about epic rides, getting soaked to bone, coming home exhasted - is they stick in your memory. 

So next time grey clouds hover, don't be a FAIR WEATHER FRAN! Get out there, get drunk on endorphines, and come home to fried toast with maple syrup and heavy caffeine.

Unfortunately what stuck the most was watching a woman drag her beloved dog into the back of her car and rushing it to the VET, after we heard it hit on the road.  Looking back all I could see was brake lights, and the van continuing away. 

Her wails hurt my ears, and the image of her carrying the animal was reminiscent of dragging a limp solider.  Wade and I rushed to her aid, blood pissing everywhere, frantic screaming, throwing hay bails of the car so she could clamber in with her best friend.

All I could think of was my own dog being hit and in an instant your day can go pear shaped in the worst possible way. It's not fair.

In my mind the dog lived.  

Watch your back, your front, and both sides.

...and wear a helmet.

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