Betty and the Giant

In The Church of the Big Ring there are few holidays as important or joyous as the Road Bike Season opener. It often comes up suddenly with little warning as it did today. I started the day on the commuter running errands and while there was no question that there would be riding today, I didn't realize the high holiday was upon us and figured there would still be the CostCo run, perhaps another spin up to see George. 

I assumed it would be more miles on lumbering steel and touring tires.
Noodling through Saturday chores while the temp rose and the threatened rain sulked away without accomplishing a single patch of drizzle. I've had Saturdays like that so I understood as the skies lighted and the wind dropped. I've been screwing around with my road shoes, another story for another day, and thought I may have come up with a configuration that I had not yet tried.

I should have seen it as the harbinger of the high holiday but I missed it. TOB has a new horse in the barn and had spent the morning putting on svelte new shoes, bars and grooming it so her ride choice was clear. So off we go down the street each marveling at our handiwork but we don't make it past the end of the block before Betty's mournful wailing fills the neighborhood.

Even when we don't detect the opening rituals of the high holiday, the bikes know and won't risk missing out on the festivities. So it's a quick U turn, shoe swap and Betty is right side up for the first time in months.

And that's how it came to be that Betty and the Giant spent the day frolicking on the tarmac, celebrating the return of skinny tire days.