Metro to Mountain Journal

Saturday, I rode the Stones River Greenway in Murfreesboro on my Schwinn Panther. Panther is a single speed cruiser with large, slick tires. Underneath the cruiser-like appearance, the Panther is light and quick.

The goals of my ride were to gather pictures and a GPS track to use for a map and Adventure Guide for the cloudhiking.com site and to just have fun. My riding style is to pedal leisurely at a moderate speed and then to stop to take pictures or mark the GPS. After I had finished documenting the southern leg of the path (from Old Fort to Barfield Road), I continued to ride to the northern terminus of the path at the Thompson Lane Trailhead.

I exited the greenway and entered the parking area. Stopping for a brief rest, I took a few pictures, drank a sip of water, and then turned Panther around and headed back toward Cannonsburg. It was a great day for a ride.

At the Thompson Lane Trailhead, I had noticed a couple of bicyclists standing by their vehicle. They were dressed in the full attire with nice road bike.

Not long down the path, one of the bicyclist that I'd seen at the trailhead, passed me and cut right in front of me. The second bicyclist was not far behind and he cut right in front of me too. It was sort of like how a sporty car would pass an old beater truck.

These guys were riding pretty fast, but I thought I'd try to ride with them. I didn't need to stop to take pictures any longer, so I could just have fun. Standing on the pedals, I cranked a few revolutions. I was gaining on the second rider. He had probably sped up to pass me and then slowed to his normal cruising speed. In a few more seconds, I was sitting on his back wheel.

After a short while, the rider glanced back to find me right behind him. He increased his speed. I matched him. Panther was on the prowl and ready to go.

I can just imagine the rider's surprise when he found me, an old man, carrying a courier bag, and riding a beach cruiser - was keeping up with him. He didn't understand that I was not just on a beach bike, I was on the Panther.

For the next one and a half miles, I stayed on the rider's rear wheel. Of course I was drafting off him, making my pedaling easier, but I was pushing him to ride faster. Along the way, we passed walkers, we passed other riders, and we slowed to pass children. Often times he took a quick glance to see if he had left me, but I was still there.

Finally, my phone I was carrying in my courier bag, rang. I was expecting a call so I pulled off the path to answer the phone.

The rider gave a quick look back and said with a smile, "saved by the bell."

Ha!

I wished I could have kept riding with them, it was a fun day to be on the Panther.

Happy Panther trails

Link to Tuesday's entry Stones River Greenway