It's dark out here, oh deer!

Sunday, 8/24, will be our first organized ride event. We're doing a 35 mile circuit. To prepare we've been trying to squeeze in a few longer rides. Tonight we got a late start but set our goal at 20 miles round trip.

We left from the house and we rode out 10 miles on the W&OD trail and then headed back. We decided to stop for dinner on the way back but forgot to pay attention to how quick darkness was coming upon us.

Leaving out after dinner we found ourselves on a VERY DARK trail. Our visor lights worked well but usually the first clue of an upcoming hill was when the peddling started to get harder. We were watching closely for pedestrians, joggers & other bikes we forgot about the wild life. Just before the start of the biggest hill on the trail we caught a glimpse of something ahead on the trail. We slowed our pace a little and realized it was 4 deer crossing the trail. Now we really slowed down. I've seen the damage a deer can do to a car. An exposed person on a trike would certainly not fair well. The deer crossed without incident but we were left with starting a climb from almost a dead stop and not in an appropriate gear. Some quick shifting & grunting later and we managed to top the hill. Repeat after me: I am not walking, I am not walking!

We decided to bail on the complete 20 mile circuit and cut across the "big hills" to our house instead of going around. The first hill off the trial was the one that forced us to bail and walk the trikes up on our first day of riding. Not this time. We didn't set a speed record on the climb but we didn't stop peddling either. Repeat after me: I am not walking, I am not walking!

Overall it was a fun evening and a nice break. We rode 18.4 miles, averaging 9.2 MPH. Our legs were still fresh despite climbing two of the highest hills in the area at the end. If we can pick that pace up a little on Sunday maybe we can finish the 35 miles in under 4 hours. I think that will be our initial goal.

Another interesting thing I learned tonight: apparently bats are attracted to the flag or light I put on the flag pole. We had at least one buzzing the flag pole for about half a mile.