Witness to oddity

Last year, I took my bike with me for a week's vacation in Cape Cod. We stayed at the tip of the Cape in Provincetown, in my view a perfect place for long rides away from the ridiculously crowded roadways of the grossly over-developed Cape. What a perfect and beautiful training ground.

There is a road between Provincetown and Truro called Route 6A. It is dotted with various seaside cabins. While it can be a bit busy and tourist filled it offers a scenic view of the bay in Provincetown for those early risers that can get up and out on their bike before the tourists start heading for the beach. I am an early riser.

One morning I was riding out on Route 6A. There is no shoulder. It is a fairly narrow two lane road, miss the pavement and you are in sand. Precise riding is key. It is also rather windy and often the wind mistakes me for a kite. I was determined, however, to ride to the Truro Winery which is where Route 6A and Route 6 meet and traffic becomes life-threatening.

At the turn around I realized I was now going to go head-on into the wind. It was a struggle but nonetheless still enjoyable. As I was making the bend from Truro to Provincetown a Truro Police Officer pulled me over--yes, I was on my bike. He felt I was riding a bit wide. I tried to explain that you cannot ride a road bike in sand and that while I look of sturdy frame the wind was having its way with me. Although probably half my age, he continued with his parental warning so I allowed him to finish.

The Truro Police incident made me alter my route. I instead, chose to ride through Provincetown and out the main roads that lead to its beaches. This was a great ride, very hill and very little traffic. The roads are wide and there is no sand to grab a weary thin tire. All was going well until one day I noticed a shadow in my slipstream. As I looked at my shadow to my left I noted me, my bike and something just behind my buttocks but I had no idea what it was. I sped up, I slowed down, and there it still was in my slipstream. As I was about to stop to will it by me I was stung in the buttocks by what I believe to be an enormous bee. Ouch! Yes, it was quite unpleasant and yet I was so far away from where we were staying so I had no choice but to keep riding.

All things considered, the police pullover, the slipstream hijacking bee--I would ride there every day if I could.