You can always rely on Lee when the chips are down! He suggested a few laps of the Fruit Loop (aka the Picnic Loop in Memorial Park, a 1.2 mile circuit that is normally closed to vehicles), which would mean a lot less driving and a lot more flexibility. Brilliant! I've never been on the Fruit Loop, at least not on a bike, but he and Kevin are old pros.
So I loaded up the bike into my car (driving myself again?), headed out and parked up at the Loop barely 15 minutes later. I got geared up and Lee appeared - he'd ridden his bike there and had already got in a few laps and a Starbucks. We rolled out and I soon got the hang of it - the road surface is only fair and there are a few turns to negotiate, but it's flat and traffic flows one way only so you can ride all over the road without fear.
After a couple more laps, Kevin appeared and immediately kicked the pace up a notch. We weren't exactly breaking the land speed record, but it's a relentless pace, with no downhills to coast and get your breath back.
As we zipped aound my thoughts turned to the legendary ouzlum bird, which features prominently in "Carry on up the jungle", one of a series of British comedy films (imaginatively called the "Carry On" series) from the 60's and 70's. I loved those movies when I was a kid, not least because much of the humour was decidedly risque. Anyway the ouzlum bird, when startled, is rumoured to fly around in a series of ever-decreasing circles until it vanishes up its own fundamental orifice in a mass of poo and feathers. I think it's related to the oomigooli bird, which has large testicles and short legs and thus experiences some discomfort whenever it comes in to land. For the ornithologists among you, they're both members of the Shite Hawk family (Shitus Hawkus).
Our gyrations fortunately were not of the ever-decreasing kind! After a few more, Lee left for home and Kevin and I put in another 10 before doing the same. Next ride is Austin or bust!
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