The name I have for a particular ride. 

The ride where the time riding is shorter than the time cleaning up. 

Mathematically, it would look like this. 

TIME RIDING < TIME CLEANING = THE DISPROPORTIONATE RIDE 

I just had one. 

It is the first week of November. 

It is cooler, but not cold, cold. 

If you dress right and head out at the warmest part of the day, it is wonderful. 

The sky is more open. 

Everything is barren. 

But a cool barren. 

You see through the trees and see things you never knew were there. 

Everything is yours. 

The weather is not as reliable. 

Lots of 100% rain days that never rain. 

Lots of 0% rain days that rain. 

Today was a 40 percenter for the entire day. 

Hour by hour, 40%. 

At around noon, I said to myself, ‘Go.’ 

Off I went. 

My original thought was to stay close to home. 

An hour in, and that was out the window. 

I kept going. 

I finally smartened up and said, ‘TJ, you are pushing it, turn around.’ 

The second I said that, it started to rain. 

I love to ride in the rain on a hot summer day. 

Not as much when it is seven degrees. 

I love to ride on a hot summer day when it pours. 

Not as much when it is a light rain in the late fall. 

Light rain makes the paths and roads dirtier. 

Grittier. 

Light rain gets the surface wet, and that is about it. 

The sand and dirt do not wash away like it does when it pours. 

I knew I had a long way to go. 

After a while, I started to feel the wet making its way through ‘those spots’ in my clothes. 

I know you know ‘those spots.’ 

I finally got home. 

I knew my bike would be a disaster. 

I refused to look at it directly. 

I knew I would be overwhelmed. 

I looked above it and slowly lowered my gaze. 

I was still overwhelmed. 

An hour later, it was spotless. 

Now for me. 

I walked into the house and knew that with every step I took, I would be dropping a mess. 

I stripped down in the laundry room and put on whatever clothes I could find that were there. 

I swept the floor. 

Mopped the floor. 

Showered. 

Hot. 

Cleaned the shower. 

Put on some nice clothes. 

Turned the washer on. 

Made a hot chocolate. 

Put out three oatmeal cookies. 

Turned my laptop on and started to type ‘The Disproportionate Ride.’ 

That is where I am at this exact second. 

I hear the washer on. 

I am looking at my hot chocolate. 

I have eaten two of the three cookies. 

…Knowing all along where this was going to lead. 

A conclusion. 

The conclusion? 

I would do it again tomorrow. 

I would do it again tomorrow because of how wonderful I feel right now. 

Cozy. 

Clean. 

Fresh aired. 

Door locked. 

In for the remainder. 

‘The Disproportionate Ride’ 

Insert fireplace emoji here. 

‘There is another way to ride.’