Orlando, FL – Three Years Later

Three years have passed since I have ridden with my brother. He came out a little over three years ago. I was just picking up cycling at the time, and he had given me some tips along with the best advice – just have fun! Now three years later I had the opportunity to ride again with him. This time we were joined by one of my fellow TeamOne riders.

The day started out rather windy and a little nippy. Being in Florida, I can’t complain too much since the east coast, and especially the north, have been having bitter cold temperatures and more than their share of snow. The last time I rode with my brother, I was very new to cycling. Today I had much more experience riding. We started out slow for the first mile. The ride quickened after that, hitting higher speeds. The plan – 30 miles. As I felt the wind, I knew this was going to be a challenge.

After getting through town to a longer stretch of road with less traffic, we started pushing. The thing we can always count on is that wind whipping around from all sides. Luckily for me, two other riders could pull. And pull they did. With two strong leads, I kept pace, and let’s say it was fairly easily (yes, let’s go with that). We switched off every mile or so. Eventually, though, my brother took the lead for a long stretch. He needed to get a little workout he said. A strong athlete and avid mountain biker, the flats hardly even winded him. My teammate is also a strong athlete and experienced road cyclist, so he had little trouble keeping up. I kept pushing on.

As we rode, the obstacles and nuances of the ride became evident. Construction barrels, cracked road, potholes, and the occasional road kill kept us on our toes. We took a quick break to stretch and get a little water. Then we were back on our way. Now the wind gusts were even stronger. No matter… strong athletes maintained their composure. So I kept pedaling, remembering to breathe.

The stretch of road is flat and straight. No mishaps on the way to blur my delight in getting a ride. We achieved our goals of 30 miles for today. I was so proud to ride with my brother and teammate.

Last time I rode with my brother, I worked hard to keep up. He barely had to pedal. This time, I was able to keep up. Even though he didn’t work too hard today, riding was so much fun! Next time I am sure to keep up even better. Maybe he’ll even break a sweat!