Eric (Week 3)

So this week was a fun one. As you all heard and saw on Tuesday, Nate and I took an awesome ride through the Euclid Creek Reservation in the Metroparks. It was technically challenging and very fun at the same time. It was also very wet and muddy (hence our muddiness). We ended up hiking and dragging our bikes up a very steep hill while hanging on to tree roots to keep ourselves from falling, then going down another very steep hill, proceeding to trudge across the fast-flowing river (it was fast because of all the rain) with our bikes above our heads, and finally climbing the opposite bank, again with the aid of tree roots. All that to get to the road so that we could get to school on time. Other than that, the other ride that sticks out in my mind is our on-site visit from Mr. Thompson. I forgot the name of the place we rode, but we went out from Hawken (in our cars), turned right on Wilson Mills, and took that until it ended in Chardon. From there, it was about five minutes from a very nice route. It was in the Metroparks, and we took the paved road on the side of the street. Having planned to do this, Mr. Thompson and Nate brought their road bikes. However, I don't own a road bike, so I was stuck on a mountain bike while biking on a road. This wasn't too bad, as the ride was relatively short for a road biking ride, but it did become a bit of a nuisance. This is because as mountain bikes are meant for the mountains (and trails), hence their classification, they are not meant for the road. And while you can ride them on the road, as I did, I think Mr. Thompson put it best when he turned to me a little more than halfway through the ride and said, "You're the one getting the workout here, Eric. This is just a stroll in the park for the rest of us." And he was right. Mr. Thompson and Nate were riding ahead of me almost the entire time, talking about this and that (a good portion of it was the summer reading list that Nate and I are putting together), and I was lagging behind, not quite panting, but definitely feeling like I was working way harder than I should be. Nate also confirmed this when I asked if there was really that big of a difference between mountain bikes and road bikes. He said tat first of all, on a road bike you are in a much more aerodynamic position, and that second of all, road bikes just coast, and that they are overall much easier to ride (on a road, of course). So while the ride was a beautiful scenic route, and was also a lot of fun, it was more of a workout than I anticipated. However, I would gladly do it again and suggest it as a relaxing ride through the park.