thirty days of biking: day six

After riding into town this morning to teach and heading home again, I did some pre-Pesach cleaning and then relaxed for a little while with Sweetie before heading out for another ride, this on a recreational affair with a group calling themselves Womens' Bike Swarm. I'd gotten an invite on my Facebook feed to join this ride, which would begin at a city park and end at a local pub. The group's stated purpose: to encourage more women to ride bicycles in Portland, and to consider the reasons women remain underrepresented in the city's cycling share. I rode across town all the way to Colonel Sommers Park, arrives on the dot at the appointed time, and waited for half an hour, taking an occasional loop around the park to see if there was a group of women with their bicycles. Nothing. I kept riding around every five to ten minutes or so, and found nothing other then small groups of park-users and folks tending community garden plots in the late afternoon sunshine. I tried reaching the group via Facebook, but my [not-smart] flip-phone wouldn't let me send messages via FB.
Finally, around 6 pm, I gave up and made my way home. I had a ride, just not the ride I'd hoped for. I decided to leave a note on the FB page for the event sharing my experience. Honestly, while I would like to find a group of women to ride with from time to time, I think I'd prefer a group that had its act a little more together, and one whose leaders did not assume that everyone in the universe can afford smartphone technology.

Still, it was nice to ride this afternoon. The sun came out and warmed things up considerably, allowing me to ride in shirtsleeves at a leisurely pace that I could manage after a long morning of teaching and having already ridden eight miles. By the time I got home I had ridden over twenty miles on the day, the most I generally ride at one time anymore. Dinner and a glass of cider helped calm my indignation, and tonight I can feel glad for having had a nice ride in the sunshine. I also recognize that perhaps I need to look at a different demographic for female riding friends who like slow rides. The older I get, the less patience I find that I have for the Spontaneity Generation.

..:: sigh::..