Sinkholes Ahead.

I made my first longer distance ride yesterday, and dabbled in both on-road and off-road riding. I understand now why shocks and higher suspensions are absolutely vital for mountain biking: even just going over small rocks, roots, and generally uneven ground, you shake and bounce like mad. That said: SO FUN! I also will absolutely be returning to Bike Line to stock up on those extra tire tubes, a mini-pump, tire patches, and a cycling pack to house my tool kit. Even the fairly well maintained trail I rode made a flat tire seem uncomfortably realistic. I will also never leave home without an ID, a few dollars, and my insurance card. I'm actually surprised it didn't occur to me sooner, seeing as how I like to be as careful as possible; but it wasn't until I read that these were required for the Lehigh Valley Wheelmen rides that the duh-factor sank in. I believe it even more now that I've ventured further from home and on unpredictable terrain.

I left my apartment and took my back road route to avoid the major road I live on. Not only is it a slightly safer route that lets me get my wobbling done with less traffic to negotiate; but it means I don't have to cross a busy street twice in the course of two hundred feet (or start uphill). I'm sure I'll get there at some point, but left turns still make me nervous (as do right turns, but more because it seems that these are when you are most likely to get hit. Awesome.). So I toodled down to the Monocacy Nature Park, which is a small and bike-unfriendly loop better suited for nature walks and fishing in Monocacy Creek. I'm really familiar with this area as I used to walk it with a friend. Now, I bike down to where it splits into bike-unfriendly or over the railroad tracks, pick up my bike, cross the tracks, and am in bike-friendly territory. I know this first stretch is 3/4 of a mile, because it's where I run. It's also part of the Moravian College cross country course, and sits below the Illicks Mill Park. I generally turn around when I come to the first street, but since 3/4 of a mile seems like nothing on a bike and I was determined to go farther, I crossed over.

This puts me first at Burnside Plantation, home to Bethlehem's police horses; and crossing their grassy front lawn was picturesque. I've been here once before, late at night and walking back from Musikfest. I had a vague idea of where I was going, plus all my research and the awesomeness of Google Maps demonstrated the whole route to me, lest I doubt my own sense of direction. The second leg of my route, between Mauch Chunk Road and Union Blvd, was the most treacherous, and I feel reasonably justified in using that word as there were sinkholes. BIG sinkholes. Not quite the size of the Chilean sinkhole, but still: not what I was prepared to experience on my second ride. I believe the first was actually more of a creek wash-out, for which I dismounted and walked across. The sinkhole was next, and I rode along the higher and much narrower remains of the original path. I had maybe a foot of trail until I rode into bushes and, teetering, decided that on the return trip I would not take the higher road.

My next obstacle came in the form of civilization. Union Blvd is a fairly large road, and the trail spits you out right beside an on-ramp for an expressway. Plus, because I have good luck, a train had just passed through and traffic was roaring by after being backed up temporarily. I stood at the edge of the sidewalk, half on and half ready to turn around, for probably five minutes while I waited for a break. I understand that a bicycle is considered by law a vehicle, but there's no way I'm any sort of competition for even a Smart Car. So I waited.

When I finally got across, however, it was smooth sailing. Conestoga Road continues to parallel Monocacy Creek and the railroad tracks and I flew along the pavement, slightly relieved to be away from rocks and sinkholes. This area is also part of Historical Bethlehem (http://www.historicbethlehem.org/), which is interesting to wander around, and scenic to cycle past while enjoying the wind in your face. I practiced my left and right turns as I crossed to Spring Street and then down to Sand Island and from there the Canal Path (http://www.traillink.com/trail/d--l-trail---lehigh-canal-south.aspx) . It's a great place to walk, jog, bike, and so forth. The path is crushed stone; well maintained by the Trail Tenders; and wide enough to two-walk traffic. On the north side is the namesake canal; on the south side is the Lehigh River and, for a few minutes, an incredible view of Bethlehem Steel. I have a slight obsession with the immense factory and for its incredible history and impact on the community. I turned around for the day at this point and followed the trail back past the Ice House Community Center and several men fishing.

The trip back was much faster and uneventful except that the final portion includes a long hill with an extra helping of steep at the crest. I made it two-thirds before pulling off onto my side street and taking a moment to catch my breath. For the most part, the whole route is devoid of hills (it runs along a creek in a valley, after all), so this one was a challenge. I made it to the top after deciding it was time to tackle Center Street. Not only was it only (or less than) five hundred feet to my apartment instead of the winding back road; but it was downhill after you ascend the last thirty feet. I arrived back at my apartment feeling a little winded, but quite proud of my first trek.

I Googled the route, and estimate that it's three miles to the Canal Path, so I would say that I made it about seven miles total in just under an hour. The experts say to aim for thirty to forty minutes or five miles for your first few rides, so I'm well within their parameters. It was the right amount of time for me, which is more important: by the time I got to the bottom of my hill, I was feeling the ride in my quads and would not have done as well if I had ventured further along the Canal Path. My thoughts on the next ride are to drive to the Canal Path and then bike further along it in either direction. I enjoyed the Monocacy Creek Path, but I'm also curious to see new areas. Tomorrow is supposed to be the last rain-free day for a while, so I'd like to see if I can't go a little further and explore that new territory.

I'm also continuing with my research, and all three of the books I ordered have arrived. I purchased "The Complete Book of Long Distance Cycling..." by Edmund R. Burke and others (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1579541992; "The Essential Touring Cyclist..." by Richard Lovett (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071360190); and "Every Woman's Guide to Cycling..." by Bicycling Magazine's Selene Yeager (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451223047 and http://www.bicycling.com/, respectively. And yes I now subscribe to the latter.). I started the third last night and am finding it fascinating and quite helpful. So far she has covered which bike to buy, and I believe my research paid off in as much as I was correct in buying a hybrid for the price I did. My bike, helmet, bike lock for the truck, and floor pump all totaled approximately $500. The bike was around $420; she suggests, for my type of riding and goals, spending under $700. I believe I can either make adjustments and buy other equipment or pieces as I go along and get more advanced; or I can sell and buy better. Thus far, the only thing I can think of needing would be handlebars that curve up at the ends, as my right hand tends to get uncomfortable on the straight bar. I need to return to Bike Line anyways, so I can ask about positioning and changing the bars.

I also purchased a water bottle cage and a Schwinn Bike Computer which will tell me distance traveled; average and maximum speeds; temperature; and calories burned. I'm probably most excited for this latter device simply because I like knowing the numbers of what I'm doing. I'm eager to acquire a cycling jersey, although I'm quite happy for now in polyester running pants instead of Spandex. Maybe when it's warmer and I have my jersey with its nifty back pockets for important things like that ID, insurance card, and apartment keys.

I have to add here that getting on a bike has, like Selene Yeager said in her book, given me a new sense of freedom. I really think it will be good for my overall confidence and faith in myself, which is great because those have been sorely lacking for a while now. I think it may also be the extra outlet and outdoors escape I've been seeking since living in an apartment. A friend at the barn mentioned to me that she has a lot of job connections in the area that she's happy to share with me, and the idea isn't as repugnant as I'd thought. I do want to follow through with my epic adventure plan; I think it would be fun and completely life-changing. But when things go well here, when I have a great weekend and see a lot of my friends and then go to the barn and have an awesome ride on my horse, I wonder why, exactly, I want to leave? Conversely, it takes one weekend when I'm by myself for me to start hissing and cursing about this barren wasteland that I've called "Home" for seven years. Maybe having a bike will give me the ability to go off and adventure, solo or with friends, and I can still be that warrior that I found in California.

I'm not giving up on the adventure, however. I'm keeping my mind open to all the options. I feel as though I might be discovering a new community in the cycling world, and that on its own it will open up the world to me in new ways. So I guess I consider myself a little more confused and a little more torn on my decisions right now, but not uncomfortably so. At the very least, I'm confident I can have four awesome months before I have to make any real decisions, and that's pretty fantastic all on its own.