I believe I first heard the word, denouement, while sitting in a ninth-grade English class at Babcock Junior High School in Westerly, Rhode Island. This was probably 1964 or 65-ish. If you do the math, you realize that this was 58 years ago so my memory may be a bit off. My recollection is that we were reading, A Tale of Two Cities. Denouement was one of our selected vocabulary words. While I don't believe I have ever used the word in any writing or exposition since then, for some reason, it has always stuck with me. In case your memories are rusty, denouement means the outcome of a complex sequence of events. It is usually applied to literature, drama, and that sort of thing. I am applying it here to biking and me.
It’s early June 2022. March, April, May, & now June have been a watershed for me in returning to biking. In case, “watershed” is not in your routine vocabulary, I am using it here as an event or period marking a turning point in a course of action or state of affairs.
Spring has been remarkably good to me – good enough that I wanted to capture some of my thoughts about it. Leaving out the boring details, I have experienced some significant health issues over the past twelve months. These issues forced me to drastically reduce my physical exercise as, simply, I was unable to do it. As part of my recovery, I had targeted this spring as a turning point for my lagging biking. Due to a very chilly March & April my start-up lagged. I did get started but it seemed abysmally slow. Finally, May arrived and, with it, weather that I felt was more appropriate for biking – my favorite and seemingly easiest exercise for me.
I took my bike, Double Shot, down from the hooks in the garage on March 20 for my first ride in months and months. While Double Shot was happy to be out and about, he was barely communicating with me due to my neglect. I only managed two rides in March totaling a measly five miles. While this was progress, I was hoping to ride every two or three days, but the weather and my strength did not cooperate. In April I managed two rides for a whopping twenty-six miles. Again, progress, but not what I had envisioned. Then May came along and I was able to log ten rides totaling 172 miles. While certainly not fast biking, I was able to maintain an 11.5 mph average for which I was pleased. On June 2, I met one of my goals, making it all the way to the Capputan coffee shop just on the other side of downtown Ft. Atkinson. My round trip totaled thirty-two miles.
My biking legs are back, my derriere is reconditioned to Double Shot's seat and Double Shot is speaking to me again. Additionally, my health challenges are, for the most part, behaving. I'm focused on recording my blood pressure and weight twice a day, so I have noted a side benefit to this activity. My weight has gone from 194 on January 4 to 173 on May 31. My weight does move around a bit, but the reduction is another accomplishment. This investment of 53 hours biking time has earned me improved conditioning, needed weight loss, reacquaintance with some great biking routes, and a sense of accomplishment which produces a better outlook on life in general. Let's not forget that Double Shot and I are speaking again.
In my mind, especially at my age, biking provides a keen awareness of temperature, wind, and the absolute power of God in creating the glory of nature. A couple of days ago, as I was cranking along a nice flat part of the trail just north of Bower's Lake Road, I noticed a very large bird running down the trail about fifty yards ahead of me. I was clipping along about 15 mph, but that bird maintained its lead. It finally flew off across the highway. This turkey actually looked more graceful running than it did flying. I had no idea a turkey could move that fast. On last Thursday’s ride I encountered a deer. It was just on the other side of the mesh fence which is parallel to the trail but between the trail and the highway. This poor deer was frantically running ahead of me but continued to try to break through the fence which, of course, was not successful. It finally headed up the steep bank and safely crossed the highway. Sunrises are particularly nice to observe while biking, but head winds are a bane. Recently, a small bird, perhaps a red winged blackbird buzzed my head. I must have been too close to its nesting territory. I didn't see it coming but certainly heard the strange noise it made as it neared me. I was moving along quickly enough that it left me alone – probably went home and bragged about chasing a biker away. The plant life is also interesting to watch. Milk weeds are beginning to bloom, and, in some places, there is a plethora of garlic mustard. I haven't seen wild parsnip yet, but I also know there are areas where it hangs out. You want to give it a wide berth as the burns and blisters it causes are nasty.
I think most of my acquaintances would characterize me as quite friendly. A couple of days ago, I was pedaling north on Potawatomi Trail toward Lake Koshkonong. This is a nice road to bike with little traffic, great scenery and often wildlife. As I passed a large field, I saw a man in the middle of the field waving vigorously to me. Trying to convince people that bikers are great, friendly people, I actively returned his waves. As I pedaled past, my sight angle improved, and I realized that I was waving at a scarecrow. I was convinced for a bit that he was real, but it was just his long sleeves flapping in the wind. Oh well, I am an aging baby boomer so maybe that provides an excuse. Isn’t life like that - something not real (this could be so many things in life) attracts our attention, and we are immediately convinced that our interest is good, productive, and right but in reality, it is illusory. We wake up and realize we have been duped by our own human thoughts, actions, and interests. This encounter was pretty harmless compared with many of the illusions we conjure as we pass through this life.
Another great life lesson was my recent flat tire. I had pedaled from Milton and had just reached the edge of downtown Ft. Atkinson across from NASCO when I encountered a fairly large bump and my rear tire immediately deflated. Bummer! In the old days I would have changed this out there on the bike trail, but I don’t do that anymore, especially on the rear wheel. Luckily, dahliagirl (Sue) was able to come get me, and I was in an easy place to be found. I took Double Shot to Bicyclewise – my bike whisperer in Whitewater. I was convinced that I had the flat because of the big bump, but it turned out to be a tiny, barely perceptible shard of glass. Who would think this tiny speck could penetrate a sound tire and tube and deflate it that rapidly? It seems that this also happens in our lives. Our missteps and poor judgements are often not huge transgressions but are those little shards that we allow to penetrate and contaminate our lives. Our lack of discernment and thoughtlessness convince us our acts and words were relatively harmless, but they turned out to inflict significant damage to ourselves and maybe others.
Double Shot has also turned out to be an instructor in life lessons. He is a Giant ANYROAD and is the perfect bike for someone of my age and fitness level. He is very stable and, basically, a road bike, but with broader tires than most true road bikes. This allows me to easily ride on unpaved, gravel bike trails when I encounter them. With a true road bike with very thin tires, this is a bit tricky. Double Shot is equipped with three front sprockets and nine rear sprockets. This translates to twenty-seven different gearing ratios. Here’s the question – How many of those gears do you think I use most of the time? Well, the answer is about three. This is not because I am such a fitness specimen but relates more to my stupidity and not thinking about using the tools that are at my disposal. Good grief. Even though I know this and ponder it, I seldom change my routine and behavior. Isn’t this also just like life. God has equipped each of with unique gifts and strengths. Do we know what they are? Are we using them regularly to make life easier and better for those with whom we are in community? Or do we just muddle along in our old routines and habits and wonder why life is so tough?
So,
my spring biking denouement and watershed is complicated but also, on
reflection, simple in many other ways. Certainly, life’s trail changes and
challenges us. “Weather” conditions arise to influence our daily decisions. In
my opinion, seeking God’s guidance is a wise thing to do. I do not believe that
God will solve my problems, but I do believe that if I seek and then listen, he
will guide me back to the strengths and gifts he gave me and then, to either
lean-in and use those gifts or do nothing and wonder why things don’t change.
God couldn’t ride my bike for me, but I believe that he did influence me to
summon the gumption he gave me and get it done. Isn’t it amazing - the things on
which we reflect, from the seat of a bicycle?
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