100 km Got Away

Almost Epic – The 100 km That I missed today

Sometimes you take your own Ruffian out for a quick spin to somewhere, let’s predict Koblenz and back—because why not, right? Just a casual 100 km ride, a man and his bike, the road stretching out like a promise. Easy.

The day started like all good rides do: a smooth roll through the countryside, sun filtering through the trees, the Ruffian purring beneath me. Well, almost purring—more on that later. The Hunsrück hills were doing their thing, reminding me that gravity is still undefeated. Naturally, a beer garden appeared just in time for a tactical refuel on the return—because let’s be honest, tackling a 15% hill grade requires more than sheer willpower; it requires hops and barley.

Refreshed, refueled, and slightly more optimistic than before, I rolled back home with actually one bar left on the battery when I rolled into my garage. Victory! Almost.

I glanced at the odometer:

99.5 km.

Yes. Ninety-nine point five.

Half a kilometer short of the holy grail of a 100 km ride. Did I consider looping the block to round it off? Of course. Did I actually do it? Absolutely not. A gentleman doesn’t chase numbers; he chases vibes.

Speaking of vibes—Savanna decided to serenade me with some suspicious noises halfway through the ride. For a moment, I was convinced I had picked up a small animal in my saddlebags (a rogue hedgehog hitchhiker, perhaps?). But no, just the usual Ruffian charm: the brakes needed a little adjustment. A quick tweak later, and she was humming along like the desert runner she is.

Of course, the Leica came along for the ride—because if you don’t document the beer, the bike, and the sweat-streaked grin, did it even happen? Scroll through the shots: blurry smiles, a perfectly poured pint, and the subtle heartbreak of almost hitting 100 km.

But hey—there’s always tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, well… there’s always the beer garden.