Two weeks ago, my friend Bob called me up and invited me to a night ride from Park Canada (aka Park Ayalon) to Neve Ilan – I pleaded busy with other things (like preparing the Torah reading for Shabat) but I was actually unsure I could hack it at night.
But – just to prove what I jock, I really am – I decided to do it solo during the day
This Sunday (Aug 20, 2006) I rode from Modiin to Neve Ilan – left at 5:00AM towards Moshav Mevo Horon, by 5:20 I was climbing up a slightly rocky but not difficult incline, labelled “black trail” and before 6:00 I was climbing towards Neve Ilan – 5.5km, and a grade of 5-8%. Well – let’s just say that less than half-way up, I started running out of gas and walked a couple of the tougher stretches.
Just before Neve Ilan, I got a flat tire, my spare had a hole and the original had a broken nipple. Took a plastic bag and wrapped it around the tire, between the plastic bag and the goo, and frequent stops to pump in air – I made to Neve Ilan by 8:00. Tried riding back down the first big hill and the tire was obviously in no shape to take me home – well maybe to the Neve Ilan gas station – about 3 km in the other direction.
No point tempting fate… fast forward to the end – I called up my son Shlomi, got him out of bed and ordered a pickup at the Neve Ilan gas station. It’s great having drivers on tap like that…