King of the World

Well, I think I rode about 25 miles today, crossing the Mississippi River twice. I rode to Max's pre-school and had lunch with him and his friends. If I ever need to feel like I'm the coolest person alive, all I have to do is go to Max's school with some information that is only a bit remarkable. The kids then think I'm gravy. The fact that I rode from St. Paul to Minneapolis got a bunch of "WHOAs" from Max's table, and the fact that I won a new bike put me over the top, along with having a Kryptonite Lock key that lights up. And, in the eyes of my five-year-old son, I'm just about King of the World.

Snap back to reality. Everyone passed me like I was standing still. Middle-aged women and men, hotshots on road bikes, grandma out for a ride. Actually, the only person I passed was, in all seriousness, yawning at the time and stretching her arms while riding with no hands. I left her in the dust, man, and ended the day with five pounds of sweat in my shirt and two sore legs. But all worth it, as I never started up my rusty ol' truck--I calculate that I lost 12 pounds of gas today.

Here's the scoop on the goodies: a Giant Cypress LE, apparently custom built with Shimano Nexus components, Kryptonite Lock and Cable, Bell Helmet, and Cateye Light Set. Plus a bunch of maps, a bumper sticker for Share the Road, Shimano coffee tumbler, water bottle, free bagels and coffee, and speeches by Lt. Governor Molnau, St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly, and the Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety. Penn Cycle fitted all of us on the bikes (about 25 of the 50 winners were there) and then we had a ceremonial ride around the Capitol.