by Darryl Mataya and Joseph King
The weather report predicted perfect biking weather. It called for sun, 70 degree temperatures, and calm winds. When I got up it was barely 50 and very overcast. Leaving my house to meet the other Bombay riders, I couldn't help but notice that the wind was anything but calm. It was, in a word, windy. So much for the weather report.
When I arrived at the designated meeting place, which is a park shelter in Middleton, there were only a few adventurous individuals. Every one was talking about the weather report. It's not that the weather we were having was that bad or even unseasonal, it's just that even the most recent weather reports were just dead wrong. How often does that happen?
October in Wisconsin is a great time to cycle. By now we've had a frost so that bugs are all but gone and the trees wear hues of crimson and gold that light up the rolling hills. But the weather was unkind to the park last night and a tree branch has fallen across our usual route out of the park. We end up taking various detours, being the individuals that we are everyone has their own idea about which way is best.
In less than a mile we've left most of the city traffic behind and I relax a bit to take in the scenery. We are traveling along Pheasant Branch road which runs along side a wetland populated by by a few Sand Hill Cranes. I won't hear them call today but I wonder how they will like it when Middleton digs a trench through the middle for their home to put in a sewer line. At about this moment a friendly biker previously unknown to me strikes up a conversation. You know the usual thing, lets see, was it the weather? No matter. He turned out to very pleasant company indeed - he even agreed to finish writing this report for me!
We're heading north. The wind seems to be out of the west because the short stretches west are extremely difficult. Fortunately for me Darryl is willing to pull and I won't refuse. We're passing through the Waunakee Marsh now and no sign of Sandhills here either. I guess they could have moved south by now but they are normally shy a shy bird. I can see the farmer on the south east edge of the marsh has made some progress filling it in. He's filled it in with junk mostly. Some concrete slaps, rocks, and such. He must figure that if the land isn't good enough to farm it isn't good enough for the wild life either.
Still heading north but a bit more west. It seems we are working hard quite often now. But it's not too cold and the further north we go the more the trees are aglow with color. I find it amazing that a mere fifteen miles can make such a difference.
Darryl's feeling strong so he rides ahead to catch another rider. They wait for me and the three of us catch up to some more riders trying to figure out how to avoid the wind. Or was it the wine? The midpoint on today's ride is the Wollersheim Winery. The ride was meant to correspond with the winery's Bacchanalia. We would be treated to grape-stomping contests, mini-tours of the wine cellar, and tasty samplings. At least we would if the ride wasn't mistakenly scheduled on the wrong day. For me, the winery is a must. Not because of a dangerously low blood/alcohol level but because I've arranged for my wife to meet me there. I thought we might have some fun stomping a few grapes - maybe next week. So I tell Elliot and Darryl that I'm headed to the winery anyway and they head off with me. Shortly thereafter we're joined by two from the group of coarse replotters and how we're a fivesome.
I'm doing my best to stay with this group. It is clear to me where the weak link in the chain is and I be it! The wind is really strong and even a half bike length behind the group is too far. Darryl seems quite aware of my difficulties and trys to help out. After about six miles of this struggle the group breaks up and it's just Darryl and I with about three miles to my finish and Darryl's mid-ride snack.
At the winery we debate whether or not to do a tasting but I'm unsure if I should wait for my wife or not. Too tentative to decide, we end up walking around the winery gift shop looking over anything that resembles food. We sit, eat and talk. That's how Darryl ended up writing the end of this tour report. The rest of this report is his.
The trip back that day was over some familiar roads to me, but they had an entirely different feel with that much wind. It reminded me again how roads can have such different personalities depending on the weather. Traveling south from the winery was into a west-southwest headwind. It forced me to slow down and notice how many golden brown cornfields were woven into the still very green alfalfa strips. The route continued down KP, east a bit on Hwy 19, then onto K for 10 miles.
County K has a very slow climb from 19 to the north end of Enchanted Valley. This climb was delightful; the road turned enough to allow to allow that wind to help, and this section of K is smooth and easy to ride. Once I topped the hill, the payoff began! Racing down to the intersection with P, up out of the valley again, then due east through Ashton, Hwy 12, and back to Pheasant Branch. That section went by much too quickly. I felt particularly bad when I quickly greeted a woman on a mountain bike working against the wind on K. You want to stop and say, "I had to do what you are doing earlier today, so I know how you feel."
When I got back to the car at Lakeview, the weather was already warming and it looked like the sun was on its way. Another great day to ride.