My First Merit Badge Bike Ride (or, How I Relearned to Make a Cue Sheet)

We haven't had a chance to take an archery lesson - translation, I kept forgetting to email the local archery teacher this week about beginner lessons - and so today, in the absence of a new challenge, I decided to start ticking off on the cycling merit badge. The requirements for the badge are naturally more for the novice cyclist, so like other aspects of our journey, I plan to tailor the requirements to suit my level and desire for experiences and gaining knowledge.

I started out by making a cue sheet. For those of you unfamiliar with cycling, a cue sheet is a way of planning a ride. It entails the turns onto different roads and often incorporates the length of time spent riding on that road. I haven't made a cue sheet in years - my style of riding is more often to go out and go adventure cycling by taking turns onto roads previously undiscovered. However, I wanted this to fit in with the planning and preparedness aspects of being a Scout.


It was a really gorgeous ride - I decided to take some roads that I have never taken before on my bike. This allowed me to ride over by Jordan Lake early in the morning. While I encountered more cars than I would have liked, it was an incredible experience to get out and explore a place so close by that I never have ridden in all my time living here (side note: fellow cyclists, riding DOWN Lystra is way easier than riding UP Lystra).

Quick soapbox: at one point I passed an access point leading to trapping trails and a path down to the water. I was so excited - I love taking a break from riding to soak my feet in cool water - but after I turned around and went toward the access, I found the following:


Come on, guys. We're seriously better than this. And if we're not, we don't deserve all this beautiful planet has to offer us. I plan to come back here in the next week or so to clean up this pristine example of human sloth.

I got to spend this 33-mile ride thinking about lots of stuff, which I plan to expound upon in my Raven Scout journal. Things that annoy me when I'm cycling (people utilizing cell phones while driving; people who can't slow down long enough to safely get around a cyclist; humidity); things that I love about cycling (the ability to explore and see things from such a close, slow perspective; the feeling of my legs after a long climb; post-ride food); and things I can't wait to do this week (go for some swims; try a new recipe; go to Canada). I'm starting out on this journey on a familiar road, but I can't wait to explore those thus far not taken.



-Wolf




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