Misadventures of Queen Dorko and Princess Lil' Wheel
Stoked on the emerging biking season and the come back of a newly operated right knee, my friend Nina and I dared an outdoor adventure on the Olympic Peninsula last weekend. Friday night we prepared for a metric century and happily connected to the early bird ferry across Puget Sound.
The ride started in Port Townsend - where life slows down and the population hovers just slightly over 8,000. Ten minutes prior to our arrival, I discovered that little voice inside of my head that told me early "you're forgetting something" - was trying to warn me about my missing helmet.
Now a missing helmet would not deter us from riding - but it definitely put a damper on the situation. The ride itself is not big - about 100 participants in all - so when I approached the entry tent and inquired about helmets - I was of course given a blank stare. "Uh, well, uh. Maybe Billy Jo, or was that Bobby Sue? But wait, it's early. Hey Earl, can you sell these ladies one of those helmets?"
I should have known - "those helmets" can only mean a fashion fau paux. But a helmet of course is better than no helmet - and without one I would not ride.
Twenty well spent dollars later - I had a brand new shiny 4 inch tall gray helmet and adorned the new nickname "Queen Dorko." Luckily my smirking friend has a small Rodriguez bike with 19" wheels - gaining her the elevated title of my sidekick, "Princess Little Wheel."
Needless to say we giggled the whole ride - even when we made a 10 mile mistake on a wrong turn! People would pass us, try to help, then just pedal away while shaking their heads.
Stay tuned for additional misadventures from the Queendom of Captain Spandex.
