I stood in front of my suitcase trying to decide whether to bring any of my bike stuff. It didn’t seem worth the bother. But I know how I am. If even the slimmest chance of riding somehow materialized, I would regret not having my stuff. So I quickly packed some bike clothes, helmet, pedals and glasses.
Arriving in Nice, it suddenly felt like spring – sunny and mild, with lots of green, palm trees, plants blooming. It would be great to get out and ride.
I walked around after dinner, and just around the corner from the hotel found a shop that rented scooters, motorcycles, and city bikes. Through the window I could see a road bike – a Gitane – hanging on the wall.
Next morning I walked over to the shop, and sure enough, he had a road bike in my size. I congratulated myself for bringing my gear, before realizing I had hadn’t considered it would be this warm. It was too cold for shorts, but too warm to heavy tights and a winter jersey – which is what I had brought. I opted to be overdressed than to be cold.
It still appeared to be winter for the local riders. They were dressed similarly to me – only I was sweating and they weren't. I actually saw someone wearing a face mask – something we would wear when it was 30 degrees (F) out.
The guy at the shop recommended I ride out from Cannes and follow the road along the coast. Once out of the traffic and police blockades in Cannes, the road was beautiful – twisting climbs and descents with views of the Mediterranean, reddish cliffs, mountains rising up from the coast, views back to Cannes, and at times glimpses of the snowy Alps way off in the distance.
Before I’d left I mentioned to the guy at the bike shop that I hoped it wouldn’t rain today. He said, “Oh, it will not rain today.” I had read that this area has 300 sunny days a year. It hadn’t rained in a month. That was enough to jinx me.
It rained the last 40 minutes of the ride – lightly, but enough to get fairly wet. But it was warm enough that I didn’t mind
On the way back to the shop I stopped at a café for a sandwich, Coke, and coffee. When the bill came and showed 10 Euro, I was ready to take back what I said about it being expensive here. But then the waitress handed me the separate tab for the coffee – which was another 4 Euro. Then I noticed the Coke had also cost 4 Euro. So I stick by my original assertion -- be prepared for your wallet to rapidly become thinner.
Back at the shop, the guy apologized for saying it would not rain – he knew the power of the jinx. I told him it was OK -- it was not my bike, so I did not have to clean off the road grit. I realized, if I had someone to clean my bike after it rained, I would never hesitate to ride.
How would you like this view?
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