The Itinerant Dentist

Today's Ride

30.5 miles

Bryce - out & back

1 hour 51 minutes

67 degrees, no wind

I am posting this the morning after my ride so by "Today's Ride" I mean Wednesday evening.

I met an itinerant dentist on this evening's ride. He was also on his bicycle and, no, he wasn't carrying any dental instruments or portable x-ray machines.

But he was, for all practical purposes, an itinerant dentist. He recently owned a dental practice in a small community in Arizona's White Mountains but sold it a year or so ago. Since then, he's been doing his drilling and filling on a contract and part-time basis for such places as the Federal Penitentiary in Safford. He travels here every other week or so and keeps the convicts' teeth in good working order.

He also works out of various other dental offices on an as-needed and part-time basis. As I said, an itinerant dentist. Nice guy with a very nice bike. We may ride together on his future visits to our local penal colony.

I can feel the season beginning to change. The days are warming up and lengthening. We are plagued by strong spring winds here in eastern Arizona but they haven't kicked in yet, for which I am grateful. Hate riding in strong wind.

My work and a few other duties have been taking up my riding time in recent days. I feel so much better when I ride regularly that I must make it a priority. I'll soon make the transition to morning rides -- a great way to begin my days.

Good riding to you.

A Two-edged Sword

Today's Ride:

30.5 miles

Bryce – out and back

1 hour, 58 minutes

55 degrees, 10 m.p.h. wind

It's amazing how much of an effect a little bit of wind has on a cyclist – at least this cyclist.

I'm somewhat wider than most cyclists, if you know what I mean. So I offer more of a target for the wind.

Wind, of course, is a two-edged sword. It's great when I am riding in the same direction the wind is blowing; not so great when I am pushing against it.

When it's coming at me from one side or the other it makes it difficult to steer.

The higher the wind velocity, of course, the more effect it has.

But even a slight breeze, something that we might not even notice too much if we were out walking, for example, has a tremendous effect on cycling over the duration of a ride.

In our beautiful Gila Valley, the winds are generally westerly, that is, coming out of the west and blowing to the east. Of course, that's not always the case. This evening the wind was coming out of the northwest.

On an "out and back" ride in any noticeable wind, it is generally an assist for half the ride and a drag for the other half. This evening, I was against the wind going out and generally with the wind riding back home. A good combination.

The weather in the Gila Valley is just about perfect – except for the wind. It's not so bad for three of the seasons – summer, fall and winter. Spring, however, is very windy in this part of the state.

Of all weather forms, I like wind the least. I can take extreme heat or cold, rain, or snow. But combine any of those with strong wind and the weather loses all its appeal.

May the wind be at your back.

A Rider's Best Friend... Not

Today's Ride:

32.2 miles

Bryce, AZ out and back

2 hours, 3 minutes

53 degrees, no wind, beautiful

Dogs. They are not a bike rider's best friend.

I was chased by six dogs on this evening's ride and barked at by two more.

The six dogs were actually three dogs who chased me twice – once on the ride out and again on the ride back. Three times two equals six. I was ready for them on the return trip.

The two barkers were just sitting on the side of road. They didn't bark until I was right next to them and since it was mostly dark, it had the intended effect.

I did get a quick look at one of the barkers. A basset hound. No wonder he/she didn't chase.

I can tolerate barking dogs and, most of the time, even dogs that choose to chase. I can usually tell by the expression on their faces whether they intend to injure or whether they are just having fun. Ninety percent of chasing dogs do it for the sport and you can usually see that in their faces.

A few dogs have other intentions.

The worst thing about being chased is that most dogs are not well-versed in chasing cyclists. Most dogs, whose owners don't care enough about them to keep them contained, probably have some experience chasing cars and know enough to stay out from under the tires.

When a cyclist happens along, they don't know how to act.

I can probably keep a dog from biting me. Or at least if I can see that's the dogs desire, I can dismount, put my bike between the dog and my legs and put up a good fight. (I've not yet had to do that, by the way, but I've thought it through.)

It's the dog that runs in front of my wheel that I fear the most. That dog will take me down.

If you are riding at 20 m.ph. and you hit a dog with your front wheel, chances are you and the pavement will get to know each other pretty well.

That's not happened to me before but I've come very close.

I don't carry any protective equipment to battle dogs. I used to carry a bicycle pump that would have made a decent anti-canine weapon. I don't carry that on my rides anymore.

I have a riding buddy who carries a .38 caliber snub-nose pistol just for dogs (or anything else that crosses him the wrong way, I suppose). He keeps it in a holster strapped to his right ankle.

I feel safer when I ride with him.

But I let him win all the sprints, just in case.

Ride on.