Fall has arrived with a vengeance here in the Northwest. A couple nights ago, it was storming pretty good. Heavy, inky black clouds lingered menacingly to the North, lightning flashed and the wind swirled. Still, I need to ride. It had been one of those days. I felt and heard the first fat drop of rain slap my helmet as I paddle-walked the bike down the driveway. Just for a moment, I reconsidered going for a ride. No, I needed this.

I eased the bike to the end of the cul de sac as the skies opened up and the rain began to fall in earnest. Big, heavy drops. As I turned onto the street the wind gusted and I had to compensate. Motoring down the hill the orange autumn leaves swirled with the wind into my headlight beam. Visor open for visibility, the smaller drops stung my face while the large ones soaked me.

A left at the bottom of the hill; carefully avoiding the large painted blocks of the crosswalk. Straightening up I cruised down the road slaloming around the metal manhole covers, slick with rain. Waves of leaves continued to wash across my path and a strong crosswind kept me on my toes.

Waiting for the stoplight, a bright flash of lightning caught me by surprise. Close. Another left and as I gained speed, snug, warm and dry in the cocoon of my gear, I felt invulnerable to the storm of nature around me. I wanted to shout in my helmet, “Bring it on!” I felt like I could ride for hours.

Another light, another left. A residential neighborhood. I backed way off and prepared for the turn ahead. An uphill, decreasing radius left with limited visibility and a layer of wet leaves on the asphalt. Tiptoeing through the turn I felt the tires twitch ever so slightly.

The storm seemed to gain intensity as I turned back into the cul de sac. I rolled back into the garage and shut the bike down. Trip distance: about 4 miles. Time elapsed: about 15 minutes. My wife came out and asked if I was crazy. “No,” I replied, “actually a little more sane now.”

It doesn’t matter the distance or the duration, sometimes all you need is a ride.