2023 BTUSFMS #2 – Finding the Sweet Spot

August 7 | Seattle to Fort Townsend St. Park

Every ride has an unspoken goal of finding the sweet spot. That combination of rhythm, cadence, tempo, effort and ease that lets the rider feel the flow of motion and the joy of being in the moment.

A group ride has all these same elements plus the added dimension of human relationships. It’s not simply the individual rider, the bike, the environment and the moment. There are many riders with their own sense of the sweet spot. And so finding that collectively becomes a collaboration, a communication, a dance. On a first day ride like today, it’s a series of adjustments on the fly, a feeling each other out while seeking a new multipart harmony.

We started in Seattle, took a 1-hour ferry to Bremerton, then road 50 miles to our forest campsite.

I got to ride with several people who are new to me. That coupled with the excitement of a new adventure had me riding faster than my sweet spot. Not faster than I’m capable of; just faster than what sits in my body and flows effortlessly.

But the great thing about multi-day rides is that they’re works in progress. Tomorrow is another day; another opportunity to find the sweet spot and sit in the flow.

I can hardly wait.

If you’re interested in learning more about Bike the US for MS and the work they do, visit http://www.biketheusforms.org.