What a week, 80+ hours in, Palmer Forest Trails re-opened and now at the end of it all another bike ride? At first I just wanted to go home and sleep, but at Dan and Derek’s insistence I showed up around 6:15 and joined the Motor City Brewery Group that had been assembled. We all made our way over to Warren and Trumble Leaving the MCB parking lot around 6:30. A short 5 minute ride and we joined the massive group that was assembling for the Critical Mass Ride.
I lay down on the grassy field and joined Dan, who plopped down on the Burm in close proximity and began to stretch and talk about the weeks event. I told him that I needed to relax and thankfully he reminded me that that is exactly what I was doing at that very moment! Sometimes we get so caught up in our own invention we do not even realize when we are attempting to stand down and relax our way out of it. When good friends state the obvious we would all do wise to listen.

With a whistle blow we were all up, scurrying into our saddles, amazed at the watching of some 600+ bikes make their way around the Hair Pin turn as the Group began heading East on Warren. Complete disregard for cars was tonight’s mantra in-carnata. The anarchy was a little too strong for me, as I always hope to find a middle ground or in other words a way that feels good to the world around me as I made my way through. The path in accordance to my lovely wife Jen who had taught me this way, year’s earlier as we had begun our journey of the dance of surrender. Tonight’s ride was a statement of defiance. Cars were told without any attempt at conversation being made, that the way was blocked and that the wait was, what it was.

With the rush of all of the pedestrian energy excitement around me I started to push my peddles slowly at first. It did not take long for me to build up some speed as I began to slice my way through the masses. Just then Jim and Andy from Beat the Train fame said there hello’s and asked me how things were going? I slowed down for a minute and said my hellos but the time for catching up would have to wait until a later date. With the stress of one of the longest weeks I have had in years still clouding my internal sky I decided to put the tree trunks to good use and push up the speed just a few notches.

From the back forty to the front line I started to fly. Caught up in the excitement and in my own need to blow off steam, I selfishly abandoned the MCB Group and decided I would just air it all out and leave whatever was there locked inside on the streets of the Motor City. Soaring past the lead group I pushed up my speed past 25 and kept on going for a mile or so. For a moment I caught myself thinking about the group and slowed down and waited at Mack Ave doing my own version of blocking the path of cars as the lead group plus 150 riders passed on by. Just then a fine fellow came up to relieve me from my post and from there It was an all out selfish sprint, to reel the group back in and take off around the East end of Tiger Stadium.

I looked back and saw nobody coming. It was then I decided to head west for 4-5 miles and then back again up to the Brewery as fast as I could possibly go. I convinced myself this is what would be best for me, which was perhaps the first time all week that it was not about what is best for the clients, the family or the groups for which I am apart. It was what I needed. Making my way back into the parking lot I felt lighter, the weight of my overcommitted cloudy storm sky had turned blue once again! A quick glass and I said my goodbyes. I was off home again to the children that did not get a chance to feel their father for most of the week, I think it was me who was hurting the most as the connection to their energy stream is what my heart longed for.

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers bike explorer