Very rarely do I have what I personally consider to be a perfect bike ride. They usually range from ok to really great, but hardly ever perfect.
Yesterday, Saturday 09/11/04 I did a ride called Tour De Rock. This was the 6th one, it starts & ends in Pella, Iowa, about 40 miles east of Des Moines on Hwy 163. There are 2 routes, the 35 mile route is all on the Volksweg trail and goes around part of Red Rock lake out to a community called Fifield then heads back to Pella. The long, 50 miles route goes through eastern Marion County heads back toward to Red Rock Lake to the trail, out to Fifield then back to Pella.
This was the third one I did. I did the long 50 mile route. It was what I would consider to be a perfect ride. What made it tha way? Well a lot of things. The weather, my mood & attitude, the fact that I didn't crash on the long route like I did when I did the ride for the first time 2 years ago. Resulting in me doing only the shorter 35 mile route last year. The post ride meal even had something to do with it. Seeing people I have ridden with on other rides through out the year & from past years where loose friendships were formed & continue today & of course making new friends. Even hearing the national anthem sung before the ride started in honor of the events from 3 years ago helped make it perfect.
So it wasn't anyone thing, but several things combined. What makes these perfect rides so special is they rarely happen & it is wonderful when they do.
John