Guest Blog: A Mighty Wind...

Fellow Team Bike Challenge Riders,

On Day 6 of our tour, we have experienced something rare here in our fair city—weather! It’s windy. I was just out looking at the ocean and trying to remember my Beaufort Scale. I think we’re at force six. It’s blowing.

Bicycle commuters quickly learn that it is very easy to ride from point A to point B in this fine town. One can ride everywhere without breaking much of a sweat. There’s no need for expensive spandex outfits and titanium bicycle components. AND YET, once or twice every year, we find ourselves fighting a big wind or beneath a heavy downpour.

I can’t speak my fellow riders but I, Don Lubach, welcome a pattern-breaking turn in the elements. My life as a knowledge worker rarely has me doing anything resembling a physical challenge. I surf but I don’t extreme surf, I walk but I don’t climb the world’s peaks, I skateboard but I think of an “Olli” as Stanley’s companion.” Most of the time, I sit in my office tapping on a keyboard listening to music. So the few times I’ve ridden home in the middle of a big, Pacific storm, I’ve felt a huge thrill.

When was the last El Nino? I think it was about five years ago. The end of my work-day arrived and I looked outside my office window at sideways rain. The sky was black and even the car-drivers in my office looked pensive as they headed for the parking lot. I think every person who passed my door offered to give me a lift home. But I made the decision to ride and wasn’t going to display the brewing regret that I was starting to feel about my decision.

I loaded up my bicycle and sealed my electronics inside plastic bags. I put some plastic bags over my work shoes and fastened them around my ankles with some tape. Following some good advice from Art Ludwig (a local author and eco entrepreneur) I changed into shorts (“your legs are waterproof,” wrote the wise Mr. Ludwig). I cinched down my helmet and took off into the storm looking less-than-fetching. The ride home involved dodging tree branches, getting my ears cleaned by sideways rain, and the roar of Aleutian-born winds. My favorite thing about that ride was the hill at Goleta Beach. On a windless day, everyone glides down that hill gathering smooth, easy speed. On this El Nino evening, I had to stand up and pedal—hard—just to get down to the bottom where, as a reward I got to cross a 6” deep puddle that had whitecaps on it. Because nobody could hear me, I yelled, “Splash down!”

When I arrived at the house, I felt victorious. Even the nerdy knowledge worker needs an adventure now and again and, once safe-at home, we can also can use a hot shower and a soft, warm towel.

May today’s wind push you along to your destination.

Don Lubach
UCSB Team Ding Bell