May is (still) Bike Month

#249

Ok, ok. So it is not quite yet May.

sue me

I participated for the second year in El Dorado County's kick-off event for May is Bike Month. And I got the tee-shirt. And a nice lunch sponsored by two Placerville bike shops. And I got to ride 11 miles and climb 1100 feet.

I got the extra 5.5 miles and 950 feet by starting at the bottom of the short El Dorado Trail segment on Missouri Flat road, riding UP to the starting place (El Dorado Co. Gov't center), riding down and back UP with the group, then back down to my starting place.

Riding a funny bike makes me memorable and some folks there did remember me from last year. I answered many times one of the usual questions about my ride "how much does it weigh". Several people felt it necessary to heft my bike. I even picked it up for illustrative purposes.
If you find it necessary to heft your Scorpion, the best way is to stand beside the seat, grasp the side of the rack with one hand and the far arm of the crucifix with the other, then lift, levering the bike on your thighs if necessary. Don't grunt, you want to make it look easy.

Many people from the county offices, including several supervisors (an official position here in El Dorado County) joined the ride. The fellow in black below cheerfully put on a tee-shirt and borrowed a bike.

I maintained a respectable 8-9mph on the climbs, except for the stupid concrete path part, and had to brake all the way down to avoid running over the people ahead of me.

One memorable young woman in pink and black was walking the trail. I passed her four times and then saw her again at the parking lot. A fellow sitting in the shade there with a water bowl and a panting chocolate lab was entertained (I presume) by my end-of-ride-routine of pulling all the stuff off my bike, removing the seat, folding the bike and sticking it in the truck. I took a bow at the end of it and he applauded.