150 words about 63 miles, 2 dogs, and a Sanremo-style drift

Rick Swagler
150 words about a ride
1 min readMar 20, 2016

We all recognized what was about to happen at the same time. I saw the two dogs, they saw me, and the two guys outside the trailer looked from me to the dogs just as they began to chase. One of the guys lunged for the brown dog’s collar but missed. I was going about 21 mph, just about to begin the climb toward Camp Winnataska Road. The black dog with short legs gave up quickly. The brown dog’s knowledge of geometry was impressive and he calculated a perfect intercept course. I sprinted; he crossed behind me and came up on my left side. I shouted; he barked. And then he crossed and shouldered my front wheel. I grabbed the brakes and my rear wheel drifted to the left. I stayed up somehow. But it’s another example of why I’m actually more concerned about intently focused dogs than inattentive drivers.

The ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/522376651

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Rick Swagler
150 words about a ride

Cyclist. Southerner. Former Head of External Affairs for Regions Financial Corp.