Nine down, three to go

Man, we are just flying through the year of 2023. And, by the grace of the cycling gods, I'm continuing to pile up the miles on my two-wheeled machines. While still having plenty of fun doing it, I might add.

Pushing the pedals was much better in the just-completed month of September, especially after missing eight days in August. I managed to swing a leg over the top tube 29 out of the 30 days — with the not-so dramatic Hurricane Lee keeping my bicycles in the basement for one 24-hour period. My September steeds were all of the Trek variety: the all-carbon 2017 and 2023 Domanes, the aluminum 2.3 road beast, and my 2019 Fuel mountain bike.

"The Res" in Hallowell, Maine.

For the ninth month of the year, I accumulated 747 miles. Thirteen of the 29 rides involved jaunts of more than 30 miles.

One highlight in September certainly caught me by surprise. Traveling along a country road at around 25 miles per hour, I was ambushed by a dog. The medium-sized canine darted in front of my bicycle, swiping across my front end. Thank heavens I had both hands on the "wheel," otherwise I would probably have been kissing the pavement. Fortunately, no injuries to man or man's best friend.

Another high point had to do with the previously mentioned use of my full-suspension Trek mountain bike. On the final day of September, I needed a change from the usual road grind. So I headed over to the Hallowell Recreation Area, known locally at "The Res." It was very enjoyable dodging rocks and tree roots instead of vehicles and pedestrians.

Every time I mount my mountain bike, I wonder why I don't do it more often. The endless miles of trails at "The Res" — amid acres and acres of forest — induce an atmosphere of quiet solitude, offering instant relief from today's fast-paced world. Every once in a while, I think about selling this particular bicycle, but that's crazy talk. If road cycling ever became too dangerous — and hopefully it won't — I would gladly switch to all my off-road beauties.

In closing, here are the latest figures for the entire 2023 season, thus far. At the conclusion of September, I had jumped on a bike 235 times, missing just 39 days of riding. I reached 6,000 miles for the year on September 29; not hitting the same mark last year until November 4. So, my sum total now stands at 6,015 miles.

Three months to go, to exercise my passion for riding a bicycle. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to it. Stay safe!

Just me, my bike, and the trees.