cyklehike

And now, the conclusion to Hipcycler's Knave-crushing Epic

11-02-2005
November is here, and for me the clock is ticking on the season...before that time I bring the Klein into the house and hang it on the wall of my cycling room for the long, cold winter.

Our forecast shows three great days for riding left, then the bottom falls out over the weekend. I can almost tell exactly when the season will end, and it could be this Friday.

Wed: Sun and low 50's
Thur: Ptly. sunny and up to 68!
Fri: Ptly sunny and 60

Then cold and rain, and this time of year it may never get back up to where I need it in the morning when I ride.

It's like a last meal...what should I do for the rest of this week...that final ride on Friday? Only three days left perhaps to encounter The Knave? Oh sure, there may be a decent day left for an outdoor ride a couple of times yet before Christmas, but they're cold and not really like a normal ride....more of a novelty ride just to say you made it outside.

The regular ride....the regular route....not many left now. It would be splendid if indeed the stars came into allignment and the battle royale took place yet this year. If not.....bring on spring '06!

11-02-2005
Maybe it's because I realize that the days of riding outside are numbered for me....

Maybe it's because the weather was really nice for November here, sun, breezy but near 60 at 11 a.m....

Maybe it was the combination of two days rest and good eats....

Who knows, but today was an "A" game ride. On the 70th time this season that I did my usual 26-mile training route I had energy oozing out of my legs. Every time I went to the well things felt great. Despite the steady wind I turned a 17.3 average without even riding hard at all for the first 6-7 miles.

At that point it became evident that I was feeling better than I have on the bike in weeks. I could do no wrong.

Sure, I saw the Knave coming at me once again out there today at 5.7 miles in. I flashed a stare over and said out loud to myself....turn around and try to catch me if you want. He's lucky he didn't, or I would have crushed him like a soft grape in the sun.

Thursday: EVEN WARMER!
This should be good.
If I feel half as good as I did today I'll take it. Any BF'ers wanna jump on board for a little hammerfest?!!!

In like a lamb, out like a lion this season I say!

11-03-2005
No, not of The Knave. I saw him, again coming at me at mile eight. We're having unusually mild weather here and there was no way I was going to turn around and monkey around with him today. I want my miles, because every ride I squeeze in yet this season extends my personal record for total miles in a season. 3,377 and counting....

I DID snap this one last shot as the trees are starting to get bare already. It makes a nice computer wallpaper.

FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT="

Tomorrow may be my last ride outside for a while. Perhaps I go after him on Friday just for grins. Stay tuned.

11-04-2005
This day, November 4th, 2005, a day that shall live in infamy.

Many times over the past few weeks I have played out this scenario with the Knave in my mind, but never did that imaginary chase and pass include what happened in the real world today. Today it all came to a head. Today the final chapter of the season was written. And for all you "Doubting Thomas'" out there I'll expect an apology in this thread. Sit back and read the tale of the duel of a lifetime my friends, because I dedicate this to all that is roadie, OCP and my brothers in BF.

I wanted to leave earlier than usual, thinking I might catch him somewhere other than the start of my ride, thus giving me more incentive to turn and chase.

Even the gear I chose was selected to get into his head in case I saw him today. I wanted to wear my wind jacket because it was only 55-ish with a strong north wind gusting to 20 miles per hour. But my jacket is plain yellow. I wanted OCP bling, knowing it would bug him as I passed him. So I went with a nice long-sleeved Bianchi kit. I looked good.

This was a Knave hunt. Every turn. Every rider down the road would be checked to see if it was him. I thought about strategy while warming up the first miles too. If it would happen today I thought I better not suck his wheel....just take him by surprise and ride hard and see what happens. But I never saw him.

I turned around at the halfway mark of my 26-mile ride and headed into the wind. Now I thought that if I see him in the second half it is going to mean a fight of the stiff headwind as well.
No sign of him. I was feeling disappointed because mentally I felt I was ready for a fight today.

Suddenly as I approached an intersection there from my left making a turn onto the road right in front of me....there he was.

"Oh my God," I said to myself. "This is it. That's him and he's going my direction and in a good place for me to chase."

I can tell you my heart was racing. I was actually nervous. There he was now in front of me, wearing that same grey sweatshirt, those ugly beat up tennis shoes, that ugly white pith helmet of a lid....it was all there for the taking. Now there was no turning back. The time had come to walk the walk.

I came up behind him rather quickly and never looked back. I made a pass on the left without saying a word, knowing that the challenge would just begin now. I passed him going 18 mph, but then I upped it to 20.5 steady (into a stiff wind) feeling pretty good. I could hear him back there for a short time, then heard nothing. I had dropped him. But this is where it starts getting interesting.

I had about a block on him when I came to an intersection. I cross the road on top, while he takes the path below that goes under the bridge. (Two years ago I crashed in mud under there and vowed never to ride that way again, even though it is a shortcut of sorts).

Well now, as if the Devil himself set this dastardly duel up, The Knave comes out of the tunnel just as I am coming down the hill to re-join the path. It is as if we are two cars coming at each other on a figure-eight demo derby course!

He has a slight lead, so for safety sake I let him go in front.

Now he knows he's in front after being dropped earlier and he has picked the pace up to over 20 miles an hour. Game is really on now.
Despite going into the wind I reached down deep within myself knowing I'd have to pass and drop him a second time if this day were to mean anything at all to me.

My hands went into the drops to become more aero. I clicked up into a harder gear and with a mighty effort made it clear I wasn't messin' around with the old Knave today. Boom....I blew by him for a second time. Once firmly leading, I glanced down at my computer as my legs pumped furiously and my lungs heaved in and out. 24.5 miles per hour into head wind. Now I was doing some serious work. I had him....again he was mine for a second time. He was beaten again and knew it. I loved it.

But there's more...

I turn left to avoid the MUP on my route, while I know he takes the MUP. I make the turn and can see him about 3/4 of a block back. It's done. I've dropped him twice.

Not so fast...for I would rub it in a THIRD time!!!!!!

Where the MUP feeds back onto the parkway road, I see him come out ahead of me again. My route takes me a longer distance around the path he was on which is a much shorter distance.

I thought to myself...'Dare I chase and drop him again? Do I have enough?'
Of course I did go after him.
Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.

I caught him and passed him doing 22 mph this time. Now late in my ride, this one is hurting me. This time I can hear the squeaky chain of his behind me despite the wind. He's fighting me with all he has now, not wanting to give up the hat trick.

We go uphill toward that infamous Greenfield Park hill at the golf course. But first we ride up a small hill to the lagoon. I hear him back there. Despite my efforts I feel as if he could come up on my left at any point.

This is when you find what you are made of.

There was no way in hell I was going to let that little smart-assed Knave past me now. I summoned everything I had inside me. I thought of how this moment is going to define my day....my weekend...perhaps my season....the entire winter to think about what was going to happen here, despite the fact that I had dropped him twice already.

I work hard, concentrating on myself.

As I approached the turn onto the path that leads up to the golf course clubhouse I slowed down because I wanted to stop and look back, knowing he would turn on that path.

It is then I saw the sweetest of sights.

I rolled to a stop at the head of the path....unclipped and turned around.
Bright sunshine lit the lagoon where numerous geese grazed under a flame-yellow maple tree. And yes there...WAY DOWN THERE down the road, was The Knave. It is a picture I will remember in my mind all winter. There he was, broken and beaten 1-2-3 times struggling into the wind by himself.

"Not so tough now huh wise guy," I thought to myself. I mean I know it sounds mean, but that crap he pulled passing me and pulling off like he did earlier....the dude needed a schooling!

I waited for him just starring at him as he approached me. He made his turn onto the path without any acknowledgment of me whatesoever. I just glared at him. He went up the hill and I slowly followed.

He turned around at the top as usual and as we passed each other going opposite directions I lifted my left hand and waved to him.

He didn't wave back.
He said not a word.
But he seemed to give me a devilish little grin.

And that was that.
I burned The Knave hard...not once...not twice...but THREE TIMES on the same ride.

It is done.

What an epic battle it has been. It kept me interested all through the autumn season.
And that's the thing about this saga....He made me a better rider, and I him.

Man, what a day.

Yeah, I've been on your wheel for a good long time. I'll be more than happy to pull us all if you'd just slow down a bit.

bdcheung

Time for some syndication.