Slow Train

Next month will be my 2nd anniversary of becoming car-free. During that time I've been commuting and taking care of daily needs using my trusty, medium sized Timbuk2 bag. I recently decided to get a larger bag and, having paid rapt attention to the various bag war threads, decided to try the Chrome Metropolis. Now I will have some ammunition when the next bag fight breaks out!

The new bag is working out fine but is lacking some accessories that I consider must haves. That being a cell phone holder and a strap pouch for holding my keys and ID. Last week I called the LBS and yup they have what I want in stock. Interesting that though they like the Chrome they tell everybody to get the Timbuk2 accessories.

I was going to go over to the store Thursday night but got held over at work and missed out on riding at all that day. The next day the same thing happened. By the time I was done it was dark and I was too hungry to contemplate an hour on the bike with an empty stomach.

Ok - so here it is Monday and the same dang thing happens. Can't leave on time. By now I was very irritable from not having ridden in several days. It had been a typical hot, sweltering DC day and, normally, I would have checked the weather radar before heading out. I figure why get the bike gunked up if you don't have to. But today I just quickly finished up, grabbed my bike bag, and edged out the door.

It was too late to get to the LBS but I was determined that I wasn't going to miss another ride. I'm about halfway home when the first rain squall gets me. Oh well, it's not the bad and my new bag has to lose his virginity some time. I work in the far northwestern part of DC and live downtown and I take a looping bike trail called, appropriately enough, the Capital Crescent Bike Trail because it loops through the MD suburbs to the Potomac river then follows the river and the C&O Canal into Georgetown.

We've just been through several days of hot 95 degree muggy weather so today, even though it was still hot and muggy, being about 10 degrees cooler a number of walkers and joggers were on the trail. I had just gone through the MacArthur Boulevard tunnel when I came upon 2 ladies walking side by side. As I was sliding to the opposite side to pass them (the path has a decent width) they both, simultaneously, execute a perfect about face directly into my line of travel. They must be old band mates. I shout and quickly apply the brakes. Now they look up and see me, They have that deer in the head lights look. I see that they are now frozen in mid step so I have the room to go completely over to the very edge of the path and don't have to lock my tires up to avoid hitting them. Close call.

A bit further down the trail now and I'm on the flat section running between the canal and the river. The rain has picked up and the wind is driving it. It's not bad for me as the storm is coming from behind. But the oncoming riders are getting hit square in the face. Furthermore my side of the trail is screened by trees that are providing some additional measure of protection. I look ahead and the trail is empty for 200 yards except for one solitary rider on my side but coming towards me. He is obviously using the trees on my side for protection. At 100 yards he still is coming on. At 50 he hasn't moved over. I slide my hands to the brake hoods. Surely he sees me? 30 yards no reaction. I start screaming "heads up, heads up!". Then I see that I mean this literally not figuratively. All I see of where his face is supposed to be is the top of his helmet. He has gone into turtle mode. I'm just about to dump the bike off the side when, at last, his head comes up and he veers over to his side. Close Call 2.

A mile further down and the trail, following the gradient of the river, has now dropped below the canal. This section has trees on both sides and is winding so it requires caution when passing as they are many blind corners. The rain seems to have lessened or at least there are enough trees to provide complete cover. I roll up behind a guy on a small bike. Hmmm ... grown man on kids bike. He clearly doesn't have the look of a commuter. He is even dressed more 'casual' than the typical Sunday casual bike rider. Maybe homeless. They ride whatever unlocked bike they come across (which are often kids bikes) and they often use the trail to go to Bethesda for the day.

I can't pass as I don't have a clear sight line ahead. He seems to notice me and starts to riding very squirrelly. He is trying to glance over his shoulder at me but while doing so can't manage to keep his line. He almost runs off the trail. I get a good look at his face. No color and his eyes are very wide. I slide up along side him and, instinctively, i sense he is in trouble.

"Are in lost?" I ask. I can't quite catch the reply as the english is accented but I think I hear something along the lines of "I lost my t-shirt". Great. I got a drunk homeless man in the middle of a thunderstorm who expects me to help him find his t-shrt. I'm about to blow him off when he mumbles something about a boy.

"What boy?"

"My son" he says. "I can't find him. He is wearing a blue t-shirt and riding a bike. Did you see him?"

"Hmmnm, no" I reply slowly. I don't much take notice of other riders except to avoid running over or being run over.

"He's only 9. We are not from here. I'm French and he doesn't speak any english!" he says.

I ask him when he last saw him. He says that was 20 - 30 minutes ago. The boy and his sister had started off from Bethesda going down the trail while he ran behind. Bethesda is the high point of the trail and it is all down hill to the river so the 2 kids were quickly out of sight of the old man. After awhile, maybe because of the rain, the girl turned around and started riding back but the boy continued on. The man came across the girl, took the bike, and proceeded in hot pursuit of the wayward youth.

"We're only a mile from the end of the trail" I tell him. "He is probably waiting there".

The man urges me to sprint ahead and check while he follows as best he can. I see that he is very worried. I take off and get to the end. Lots of people around unloading rowing skulls and such but no boy. I scout ahead several blocks into Georgetown but come up empty. So I turn around and meet up with the man back at the end of the trail. We've taken brief refuge under a stone archway from the rain and he is explaining his story to another rider stopped there as well, a young lady.

We start trying to fathom where the boy, whose name I learn is Maxim, might have gone.

"Certainly", i say "he would not have ridden on into the city. Maybe the rain hit and he took cover at the boat house a mile back up the trail. We could have passed and he might not have seen you" I tell the father.

I exchange cell phone numbers with the girl and send her and the father back up the trail to check out the boathouse. She was going that way anyway. Meanwhile I slowly ride back into Georgetown. I go 2 - 3 blocks no boy. I keep going, farther than I went last time, scanning the river front thinking maybe he is looking out at the water.

I get to the corner of Wisconsin and I almost pass by when I see a small boy standing on the sidewalk almost completely hidden behind the corner of a parked car. A bike is lying on the ground.

"Maxim?" I ask. No acknowledgment. "Maxim?" I say again. This time a slight nod of the head. I start to say something about "your father" when he says, in the only english he knows, "I am French". A quick call to the young lady who is with the father and he is on his way back. So I wait there with the kid. For a fair bit of time too. The father is no bike rider.

A good deed done I cycle the rest of the way home not at all irritated about work anymore.

Oh - and the father and son start the long slog back up the hill to Bethesda. It really lets loose with the rain and lighting. I'm positive they got shellacked. They won't be forgetting that ride for a long time.