Picture it:  Your humble correspondent, resplendent in cycling attire including helmet and cycling shorts and technical top, made a 19.3 mile jaunt around Ottawa County this morning, clocking in at an underwhelming 1:45 over moderately hilly terrain.

Starting at Wilson and Leonard, I went east on Leonard to 48th in Lamont, then took 48th to Johnson and followed that to 14th and Hayes.  I took Hayes to Ironwood just long enough to hit 8th, which I followed to Lincoln. Lincoln turns into Richmond on the other side of Wilson, and I followed that through to Kinney, which I took to Leonard and back to my point of origin.

Some thoughts about the trip, which was my first “real” cycling experience:

• Cycling shorts aren’t just for dudes with big packages.  They actually cushion the butt and reduce chafe.  Yay!
• I bought a frame-mounted water bottle, which was a wise investment.
• Shifting is not a crime.
• For miles 0.5 to 2.0, my quads rebelled against their task and felt like they were going to secede from the union.  However, once they realized that resistance was futile, they quit complaining and did their job as required.
• Blackberry Curve + 8 GB SD card chock full o’ music + Plantronics 855 stereo Bluetooth earpiece = cycling bliss.  Only two downsides:  First, I got a little emotional listening to Hoobastank’s “The Reason” because it reminded me of what I ought to sing to Ryan (minus the “before I go” part, of course), and second, I caught myself singing Sheena Easton’s “For Your Eyes Only” — loudly — on a flat stretch.
• I went exclusively on the roads and avoided auto-related problems by not acting as if I were the only person entitled to be on the road.  So I guess I can have my cake and eat it, too.
• Never go on a ride like that when the last thing you ate was a bowl of tomato soup at 6 p.m. on the previous day.

Val thinks I could do a century later this summer, and if I do more training rides, I think I might agree.  I am not especially swift, but I suppose that once my legs quit bitching in those early miles, I do have some endurance.

In all, it was an enjoyable way to spend a gorgeous Saturday morning.