2021 mileage: 2917.2
This morning I set off at 8:15, intending to ride my long round trip to Matthei. Conditions were pleasant (58° when I began, up to 66° when I finished. The first part of the ride went well, but as I neared the Matthei Botanical Gardens trail (which begins at the intersection of Dixboro Rd. and Geddes Rd. and then runs for about 2 miles, roughly parallel to Dixboro Rd., up to Matthei), I began to hear a concerning, unusual sound from my right wheel.
At this point I made the quick decision to turn around right there and head for home. Had a mechanical issue arisen while I was on that trail, necessitating me to contact Uber for a ride home, I'd have been in trouble, having to do a substantial walk in my awkward cycling shoes with the metal cleats on the bottom.
Returning home, I came through Gallup Park, where I got this picture of a duck near the Huron River (its black head is nearly invisible against the trees behind it).
By the time I got to Gallup, the noise in the wheel had disappeared, which means I could probably have completed my original plans without a problem. But of course I didn't know that at the time I had to make the call.
At any rate, this gave me a ride of 27.2 miles in 3:04. While I am slightly disappointed to have fallen short of my goal of riding to Matthei, I am far from greatly distressed, as I feel it was still a good, substantial ride, and it also helped me to reach a new mileage milestone for the year today (2900).
Finally, as I was finishing up (about 2 miles from home), I saw my good friend Doug Franklin again on his daily walk from his home—we seem to cross paths every couple of weeks or so.
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